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1862

Sat 26th.    The guns at the Navy Yard paid their tribute to the memory of Martin Van Buren. the ex president was buried to day.

Sat Aug 2nd.   Read to Father from Russell's Journal in India, Father said the great desert [[strikeout]] was [[strikeout]] ^principally owing to the great extent of level plain with no deviation to condense the moisture the air might contain the ^atmosphere continually growing hotter as it approaches the tropics. Very little moisture the air must contain, I should think, for the most of that derived from the Pacific must be condensed by the mountains of Asia & that from the [[Mediterranean?]] by the Atlas Mountains & the ranges in Tripoli. Father spoke of Hail stones - Said he had discovered how the nucleus was formed. He filled a glass globe or bulb with water & placed it out in the cold air, as the water froze the bubbles of air retreated from the exterior which was of course first affected by the cold to the center of the globe & there finally formed the foamy white appearance of the nucleus of the hailstone. The rings sometimes observed in hail stone were a repetition of the same process. 

Monday Aug. 4th. A very remarkable Aurora. Father has enjoyed it greatly. The flashes of light rolling up to the zenith were very beautiful Father noticed a considerable effect produced upon
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a small electrical apparatus he has in the parlor.

Tuesday Aug. 5th.    We are all troubled to night about the Drafting. 300 000 men are called for in addition to ^the 300 000 ^[[volun?]]already demanded. The States are ordered to proceed to drafting if the quotas for the latter are not furnished by the 18th. of Aug but the drafts for the former commence I suppose immediately. Very little is known now about the movements of the Southerners at Richmond. There is a lull in the storm but the quiet is portentous. The usual rumors that the Capitol is in danger are afloat but we pay but little heed to them.

Wed. 6th.    Gen. Casey has just left us. He said his position was a false one in the battle of Seven Pines, He had in vain remonstrated against it. He had crossed the Chickahominy [[strikeout]] & [[strikeout]], was in advance of the army ^&to use his own expression [[underlined]] "like a wedge in the enemys country." the sides of his division entirely unprotected. The engagement was on the 31st. Two days his men had been busy digging rifle pits & forming abatti. He was on the alert for he learned through a reconnaissance that the cars had been moving rapidly [[strikeout]] forth [[strikeout]] to & fro on the Richmond end of the rail road ^all day on the 30th & some of his pickets had captured one of Gen. Johnston's aids. On the morning of the 31st his pickets were attacked
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