February 7th

Extracts from Mary Chesnut's diary entry for February 7th, 1865:

"Sunday afternoon I was partly wild. I could only see 'Sam' [Gnl. J.B. Hood] maimed & helpless - with his face of the tortured in Hades...I was morbid and miserable...Lincoln has returned our peace commissioners - with taunting words & we had to read to day a sneering leader of the London Times - amusing themselves at our stupidity in thinking they would help us if we abolished slavery - & adding if we offered ourselves as subjects to any foreign power, they would 'decline with thanks'"

Chesnut's commentary

It was doom for the Lost Cause at this date!
Collective delirium was in full force after 4 years and 100,000 funerals!