The winter of 1861-62, the first winter of the Civil War, found Leesburg in a most uncomfortable position. On the western side of the Potomac, it was host to thousands of Confederate soldiers, many of them from Mississippii, stationed as to prevent McClellan's Union troops from occupying this part of northern Virginia. On the eastern side, in Maryland at a place they called Camp Benton, General Stone's "Corps of Observation" were supposed to be keeping an eye on the west.

The men at Camp Benton were still in recovery from the mauling they had taken at the Battle of Ball's Bluff in late October. This engagement had inflicted heavy losses on their officer corps, especially among the Massachusetts regiments.

The men encamped near Leesburg, many from Mississippii, were trying to deal with a much harsher clime than they were used to and disease, lots of disease. The muster roll of the 17th Mississippii records numerous men who were taken into town to be treated, only to wind up in unmarked graves in our Union Cemetery.

One man from each side left a good bit of writing behind. One because it was his job, the other because he felt compelled to write his story. From December 7th, 1861 we can get a bit of insight into both of their lives.

Pvt. Robert A. Moore of the 17th Mississippii, wrote four diaries during his two years in the Confederate Army. Copious, systematic and detailed, he left behind one of the best descriptions of life as an ordinary rebel soldier. Three of those diaries have been found, preserved by the University of Mississippii, and transcribed into a book called "A Life for the Confederacy: As Recorded in the Pocket Diaries of Robert A. Moore". An ordinary guy from northern Mississippii who apparently did his job well, being promoted to 1st Lieutenant, before being killed at Chicamauga in September, 1863.

Capt. George H. Woods, a Minneapolis lawyer, started out as a 1st Lieutenant & Quartermaster in the 1st Minnesota. Apparently, at the Battle of First Manassas he did poorly as a field officer and in November was promoted to strictly a desk job as Captain in General Stone's Commissary Department. Capt. Woods apparently rode that desk well, surviving the war and being mustered out at its end as a Lt. Colonel.

Both men were highly literate but the contrast in their lives, their war duties as reflected in their manuscripts absolutely fascinating.

On the 7th Moore is killing time in camp, is curious about Congressional actions in Washington, sad to see General Evans get a new command and...dodging the measles.

On the 7th Woods is doing what he does well, keeping order in the shop. No disrespect there, Leesburg's Mayor Orr, a lawyer himself, was doing the same thing on this side of the river. These managerial jobs have to be done, armies don't move, soldiers don't eat without them.

The very artifacts themselves say so much. Pvt. Moore's diary entry is made in pencil, in a highly legible, yet slighly rough hand. Capt. Woods' order very clearly made out in ink and on nice rag paper, his penmanship pretty amazing.

These are only two men of the 2.75 million who fought in our Civil War. Moore was one of the 600-700,000 who died in it. Still, a remarkable snapshot of their oh-so-different lives as they faced off across what has become known as the "Potomac Frontier". These snaphots and their transcriptions are below. (diary page courtesy University of Mississippii; Capt. Woods' order, author's collection)