We started at 8 a. m. and marched twelve miles, the Third
Division being in the advance. We had to cross a swamp four miles wide and the
water in places was knee-deep. Our progress was slow because we had to lay a
great deal of corduroy so that the artillery and trains could pass over the
deep holes. A great many of the men are almost barefooted and their clothing is
nearly worn out. The men on forage take everything in the clothing line that is
fit to wear, regardless of the cut or color. Some have on white vests and straw
hats, and occasionally one can be seen in the ranks wearing a swallow-tailed
coat and white vest. This morning our men drew a few pairs of shoes, brought
from Washington.
Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B.,
Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 262
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