February 6th

I'm going to try to reproduce a diary entry written by a Confederate citizen for every day of the year, as the year unfolds.

John Walters, of the Norfolk Light Artillery, wrote the following on February 6th, 1865:

This morning Mr. J and I went to the Senate where we saw Stevens and Hunter, regarding whom there is considerable curiosity, since they have but just returned from that Peace Conference which has of late been upsetting the minds of the good people of this Confederacy.

Stevens is the same, dried up, puny little giant, while Hunter looks larger and his face looks more genial and pleasant than when I saw him last year. After the House was called to order, Commander Simms, late of Alabama, who is privileged to a seat on the floor, came in. He is a small man, with rather an inferior face, but a fierce and most determined eye.

During the morning Mr. Simms of Louisiana made a speech defining his position regarding a former question relative to the re-installing of General J.E. Johnston. In the course of his speech he bore rather heavily on General Johnston whom he styled, 'that great general who never won a battle'. He was replied to by Mr. Wigfall of Texas, who reviewed in a very able manner the course of Johnston from the beginning of the war to the time when he was relieved from command before Atlanta, and wound up by attempting to compare the present state of affairs with what they would have been had Gen. J. been left in command.

At the close of his speech, the House went into a secret session and as our dinner hour was near to hand, we concluded to leave. At night I remained home and the hours were devoted to Euchre."