Saturday, December 17, 2016

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant George G. Smith: April 22, 1864

Officer of the guard. Marched again at 10 a. m. Cavalry skirmished all day. First Louisiana in advance of infantry. Cut a road through a wood. Expected a fight all day. Somehow I did not believe we would have a fight, but my captain, Felton, believed we would, and get badly whipped too. “I will tell you what I will do Captain”, I said: “I will bet you ten cents, and that is the extent of my pile, that the First Louisiana don't fire a gun until we get into Alexandra.” He did not take the bet and I did not believe he had the money to cover it. Money was not very flush with any of us. It had been a good while since we were paid off. One of our men was killed today by a rebel. At six p. m. stacked arms and the men had stripped off their equipments and were preparing for supper when orders came to march immediately at double quick. There was a scramble to get into line and we went on a double quick about half a mile and halted in an open field. Slept on our arms that night. General Dick Taylor did not molest us and I had a good sound sleep.

SOURCE: Abstracted from George G. Smith, Leaves from a Soldier's Diary, p. 99-100

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