Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Friday, June 13, 1862

We had orders to cook three days' rations, and be ready to take up the line of march by three o'clock P. M., but as it was pay-day, and as the paymaster did not get through by that hour, the order was countermanded, and we did not move. We were paid for four months and twenty-two days' service, from 1st of January to the 22d of May, 1862, one hundred and thirteen dollars and sixty cents to each private.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 199

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Saturday, June 14, 1862

Our regiment* mounted and moved out toward Marietta, at which place they halted for the night.

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* As I was badly poisoned with poison oak vine I did not go on the above named scout, but remained with the wagons, which, for safety, were moved about seven miles nearer the railroad, where they remained until the 16th; then they were moved back and met the regiment near the old camp, half mile west of the Tombigbee.

About this time General Beauregard went to Bladen Springs, Alabama, on account of ill health, leaving General Bragg in command of the army, now in the vicinity of Tupelo, Mississippi, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 199

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Sunday, June 15, 1862

After moving on up within ten miles of Jacinto (about thirty from camps) Colonel Barteau learned that the Federals were at Marietta, in his rear. Thinking that they were attempting to cut him off, and if possible capture his whole regiment, he turned to the right, crossed the Tombigbee, and came down on the east side to Fulton, where he remained for the night. Colonel Barteau thus gave the Federals a complete dodge, and returned unmolested.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 200

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Monday, June 16, 1862

The regiment crossed the river and encamped half mile from it. They reported that the Federals were moving east toward Chattanooga in large force.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 200

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Tuesday, June 17, 1862

The regiment recrossed the river and encamped in sight of Fulton, in a beautiful bottom on the west side of town.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 200

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Thursday, June 19, 1862

A scout went out and burned a lot of cotton in order to prevent the Federals from getting it.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 200

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Friday, June 20, 1862

W. C. Hancock and three others, who went out the day before, returned. They reported that they went to Marietta, but found no Federals there.

Major Morton, with a part of our regiment, went out on a scout in the direction of luka.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 200

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Saturday, June 21, 1862

A number of our regiment went to preaching in Fulton. News coming to church that the Federals were not far off, and moving in the direction of Fulton, we did not remain to hear that preacher bring his remarks to a close, but went to camps in haste to prepare to receive the enemy. However, in place of coming to Fulton, the Federals crossed Tombigbee some distance above Fulton, cutting off Major Morton's scout from camps.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 200

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Sunday, June 22, 1862

The Federal scout, said to be about one hundred and ten, turned, recrossed Tombigbee, and went back through Marietta. Morton returned to camps in the evening without having any collision with the enemy.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 201

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Saturday, June 28, 1862

I can now say I have been a soldier one year, for on the 28th of June, 1861, about eleven o'clock A. M., our company (Allison's) was mustered into service.

No troops were camped near Fulton except Barteau's Regiment.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 201

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Monday, June 30, 1862

A large scout went out with three days' rations. We heard news that pleased us well. Colonel Bradfute said our division was ordered to Middle Tennessee. O how delighted were we with the thought of going back to our native State! But I guess it was either a false report or the order was countermanded, for we heard no more of it.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 201

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Monday, June 2, 1862

Moving only about two miles, we stopped for the night on the road leading from Jacinto to Marietta. Had quite a hard rain in the evening.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 174

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Tuesday, June 3, 1862

Moving two miles again, we halted for a few days at Marietta, a small village in Itawamba County, twenty-one miles from Jacinto.

A part of the army stopped at Baldwin, a station on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, twelve miles west of Marietta, while the rest went further south. The wagons belonging to our battalions were at Baldwin.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 174

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Friday, June 6, 1862

McKnight's Company went on a scout toward Bay Spring. They brought no news of interest.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 174

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Saturday, June 7, 1862

The battalion fell back almost three miles from Marietta.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 174

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Sunday, June 8, 1862

After a march of about seventeen miles on the Fulton road, we camped within a few hundred yards of the Tombigbee River, near where Colonel Bennett's Battalion was camped.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 174

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Monday, June 9, 1862

We moved about two hundred yards and encamped on the bank of the Tombigbee. Our wagons were brought out to us, loaded with corn, provisions and cooking vessels. Our tents were left at the railroad. Our wagons had not been with us, except two nights at Booneville, since they left us at Jacinto (May 5th).

Fulton, the county seat of Itawamba County, was about one mile from our camp, on the east side of the Tombigbeę, and about twenty-one miles from Marietta.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 174-5

Diary of Private Richard R. Hancock: Saturday, May 17, 1862

Passing on through Frankfort and Russellville, Alabama, and notifying the boys to be ready to start to camps next morning. I stopped for the night with my uncle, Ben Hancock, who lived four miles north of Russellville. Starting back the 18th, we rejoined our company the 19th at Jacinto.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 170

Diary of Private Richard R. Hancock: Tuesday, May 20, 1862

We learned after dark that the Federals were at Burnsville. So McKnight's Company was sent out to re-enforce the picket on the Burnsville road. The company lay in ambush all night a few hundred yards behind the picket.* The rest of the battalion were sent out on other roads leading out in the direction of Burnsville and Glendale. But no enemy made their appearance.

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* How vivid "to my memory still" is that night! The pickets were stationed thus: B. A. Hancock, in front; W. W. Hawkins, a few paces to the rear; while I was a few paces to the rear of Hawkins. We expected to be relieved, as the custom was, in two hours. But we were very much disappointed and somewhat chagrined at having to sit there on our horses all that long night. Do not remember of doing the like any more during the war.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 170

Diary of Private Richard R. Hancock: Wednesday, May 21, 1862

A scout went out to Burnsville and learned that one hundred and five Federal cavalry had been there the evening before. So all except the pickets went back to camps.

Colonel McCulloch's Battalion and ours were all the troops stationed near Jacinto.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 170