Diary of a Civil War Soldier: Siege of Petersburg

A general who takes pen in hand may be seeking to justify his course or to discredit a rival, but the soldier is likely to take a more dispassionate approach by recording the things he did and saw. A vivid account of the siege of Petersburg is contained in the diary of William Russell, father of Miss Adele Camp Russell, of Petersburg. This article consists of excerpts from the private account which he wrote while defending a city which later would become his place of residence. The diarist, William Russell, was of a native of Henrico County. As a member of Co. H, 26th Virginia Infantry, he saw service in Florida, South Carolina, and elsewhere. His account abounds in details of the life of a Confederate soldier. He arrived in Petersburg in May, 1864, when General Butler was beginning to take notice of it, and he remained until April 2, 1865. Later he became a resident of the city he had helped to defend. He married Miss Bettie Camp, of Petersburg. For many years he was engaged in business on Sycamore Street, at the site later occupied by The Palms, and for 40 years he was a deacon of the Second Baptist Church.