Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Saturday, July 22, 1865

Weather quite pleasant today. Our regiment was paid off this afternoon, and we received our discharge. This makes us free men again and we at once left Camp McClellan for town. I went to the Davis House and stopped for the night. Mr. Hatch came to Davenport for a load of us.

I bought some clothing this afternoon, the first citizen's suit which I was permitted to wear in four long years. I also bought a good watch for $50.00, which with my clothing, $41.50, amounted to $91.50.

The Sixteenth Iowa arrived this morning from Louisville, Kentucky. The men of our brigade, on being discharged, seem to be scattering to the four ends of the earth; even the boys of Company E, after bidding one another farewell, are going in all directions.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 289

No comments: