Weather pleasant. We broke camp at 8 o'clock and covered
only ten miles by the close of the whole day's march, when we went into bivouac
on the banks of the Ogeechee river. We had a bad road, it being almost one
continuous swamp. Now and then there was a small farm with a log hut occupied
by a poor woman and children, all the men and larger boys being off with the
army.1 All is quiet in the front, but the rebels keep close on our
rear. It is reported that General Wheeler with his cavalry is in our rear. The
boys all declare that it's the safest place for him to be, just so he doesn't
get too close. This is the sixteenth day out from Atlanta and we have been on
the march part of the time both day and night. We have had but little fighting,
but we have destroyed one thousand miles of railroad and burned millions of
dollars' worth of other property. Camp in the swamps of Georgia.
Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B.,
Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 233
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