War Diaries (August 5) (nonfiction)
War Diary entries for August 5.
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Diaries
Edward Porter Alexander: August 5, 1861
Last night & night before I was writing till near two o clock a long letter to Sam Barnett about converting sporting into military arms. Night before that I had some captured correspondence written in a cipher to unravel, & in fact have been at it occasionally ever since, & am going at it again as soon as I finish this. I have deciphered & read two letters that were brought in, but am stuck on a note book picked up on the field of battle, which I havnt yet found out any more about than that it was written by a confoundedly smart fellow.… The fact is, I’ve made myself too useful here. However, we’ll have a good time when old Lincoln dies.
- Edward Porter Alexander, letter to his wife - Headquarters 1st Corps Army of the Pot. - Weirs House Manassas Aug 5th 1861 / Alexander describes some of the cryptanalysis that he has been doing for the Confederate Army
Arthur Joseph Dease: August 5, 1918
This last 24 hrs. I’ve been at a post. A Chateau very close behind the lines, too beastly close & I’m glad to say they are moving it further back for that reason. Slept, or rather lay down in the Chateau wine cellar with the Dr. At 2 we were warned of gas & had to put on our masks, when that was over the Bosches started Coup de Main & tremendous noise, torpedoes & shells & glass falling from vibration from already broken windows, so one had not much sleep! There is a moat around the Chateau & a solitary swan sails about apparently quite indifferent to gas, shells & bombs, also rifle bullets which whizz by every now and then, as it is so close …
- Arthur Joseph Dease, letter to his mother - Arthur Joseph Dease, an Irish volunteer from County Kildare who served with the French Army's motor ambulance section. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre for his service.
Basil Beebe Elmer: August 5, 1918
… We were now near the front line … We entered the line and drove, drove, drove. I can never describe it. It doesn't seem real. It is all a dream – a nightmare. Day after day, night after night, unceasingly. … Ollie Ames and Joyce Kilmer are buried side by side at the edge of the wood … I sat there yesterday, thinking. "Ollie, Ollie!" I thought of his wife and his mother. And I thought of you. How dear you two are to me! Nothing else matters to me – only you .… what a wonderful thing [Ollie] has to pass on to his wife and daughter! I find myself thinking of Ollie constantly. I know I must stop, but he was my best friend and he died so bravely that I cannot forget.
- Basil Beebe Elmer, letter to parents
George Beck: August 5, 1944
Put books on stall for cigarettes. Saw lads getting ready for carnival.
- Diary of George Beck - 1st Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment, prisoner of war
