Near Ball's Ferry, Oconee River,
November 25, 1864.
Got off at daylight;
made some eight miles, formed in a line in a field. “Halt!” “Cover!” “Front!”
“Stack arms” Now men get rails and fix for the night. So we think we have
plenty of time and make our motions accordingly. We had just got our things
fairly unpacked when the “General” sounded. Fifteen minutes afterward the
assembly, and we were again on the march. All right. This miserable pine smoke
again to-night. Saw the 17th Corps to-day for the first time on the trip. They
tried to cross the river at the railroad bridge, but the Johnnies would not let
them, and they had to come down to our road. I think we are to-night half way
on our journey. The boys had a great time last night in Irwinton. The citizens
had buried a great many things to keep them from the “vandals” and the boys
soon found it out. Hundreds of them were armed with sharpened sticks probing
the earth, “prospecting.” They found a little of everything, and I guess they
took it all to the owners, eatables and drinkables. We fell in at retreat, and
had general order No 26 read to us for I guess the 20th time. It declares that
“any soldier or army follower who shall be convicted of the crime of arson or
robbery, or who shall be caught pillaging, shall be shot, and gives officers
and non-commissioned ditto the right to shoot pillagers in the act.” There have
been 20 to 30 booms of artillery at the ferry this evening. Think it was the 2d
Division. They'll be smart Rebels who keep that division from laying their pontoons.
SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army
Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 325-6
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