Monday, February 12, 2024

Diary of Corporal Lawrence Van Alstyne, August 21, 1862

Last night I was one of those detailed for guard, and was put at one of the gates. This morning at 8.30 was what they call "guard mount." The men so detailed are divided into three squads, called first, second and third reliefs. The first goes on at 8.30 and remains until 10.30. Then the second relief goes on and stays until 12.30, when the third relief, to which I belong, takes the place until 2.30. This goes on until each relief has had four turns of two hours each on duty, and four turns each of four hours' rest, when 8.30 A. M. again comes around and a new guard is put in place of the old. The next day after being on guard, no duty is required of them. Nothing very hard about that so far as I can I begin to like it, and I am glad it is so, for there is no such thing as calling the boss up to settle.

SOURCE:  Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 8-9

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