Diary of Private Daniel L. Ambrose: Friday, February 6, 1863

This morning the boys are compelled to wend their way to the woods to obtain fuel. It remains extremely cold. Hark! what do we hear? Marching orders with three days rations, says one. Back to the Davenport Mills, can it be possible? Yes! cries the orderly, we will start at 1 o'clock. Twenty miles to go to night, and load one hundred teams with lumber; rather a hard task says one, but we suppose it is honest. The drums beat; and with our equipments, rations, &c., strapped to our backs, we move out from Corinth. We are soon joined by the Ninth Illinois and Sixty-sixth Indiana; the Ninth takes the advance, the Sixty-sixth the center, and the Seventh the rear. After going a short distance we get into the wagons and ride; the roads are desperate; but on we go slash! slash! through the wilderness of pines. Along the road we meet families, men, women and little children wending their way to Corinth to seek protection under the old flag. We arrive at the mills at 1 o'clock A. M. After stacking our guns we proceed to make some coffee, and after drinking it we all lie down to obtain a few hours of sleep, but soon “rub dub, rub dub” goes the drum, the soldiers give a groan and then commence railing out upon the drummer for waking them so soon, but there is no use of whining-up we must get and that “instanter,” as we are promised the advance back to Corinth. The teams are now all loaded. The Seventh feel slighted in not being called upon for their services. The teams are soon moving, the Seventh taking the advance; but before going far we are halted by the Colonel of the Sixty-sixth Indiana, commanding forces, and informed that he had promised the Sixty-sixth the advance. Captain Lawyer is then ordered to march with the Seventh in the center. We move on briskly and arrive in camp 5 o'clock P. M.

SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 141-2