Civil War Notebook: Adam S Johnston

Showing posts with label Adam S Johnston. Show all posts

Monday, October 6, 2025

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, October 1, 1862

Left Louisville camp and marched to South Fork, and encamped for the night, making a march of 20 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 22

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, October 2, 1862

Left South Fork camp, marched to Taylorsville, and went three miles out on picket the same night, making a march of 23 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 22

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, October 4, 1862

Left Taylorsville camp, remaining the 3d on picket and marched the 4th to Bloomington, and encamped for the night, making a march of 10 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 22

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, October 6, 1862

Left Bloomington and marched over Chaplin creek on the hill the same day, having remained in the above mentioned camp two days, and encamped for the night, making a march of 11 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 22

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, October 7, 1862

Left Chaplin creek camp and marched to McMinnville, Ky., the same day, and encamped for the night, making a march of 15 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 22

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, October 8, 1862

Left McMinnville camp in the morning, the colonel telling us, ''Boys, you have longed to meet the enemy on the battle-field, and you will have a chance to-day, or do without water, as the enemy holds the spring that we will have to encamp at." The shout went up from every son of Uncle Sam's family, ,, [sic] A fight and water we will have." The cannons were already booming, and had been all night, so at fifteen minutes past two o'clock we became engaged, and in one hour and three-quarters we lost two hundred and eleven men out of our regiment (the 79th Pa. Vol. Infantry). We went into the fight with forty-three men in our company (D) and came out with eighteen, having had twenty-five wounded and killed; two killed dead and two dying the next day. I myself was unfortunate enough to be shot through the left leg, about two inches below the knee, the ball glancing off the bone and passing through and out at the fleshy part or calf of the leg, injuring the muscle so that I was unfit for fight, and was sent to the rear after the fifteenth fire. This is my first and last wound received in the battle of Chaplin Hill or Chaplin Heights, so called, and fought on the 8th day of October. 1862. in Boyle county, Ky. Making a march of 8 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, pp. 22-3

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, October 9, 1862

Was hauled from off the battle-ground in an ambulance wagon at half past two in the morning. for fear of the enemy opening fire on our hospital or old house in which we remained all night from the day of the fight; having our batteries planted close by, if another engagement would ensue, they would draw the enemy's fire on our building. So we, four in number, were hauled five miles this morning to Antioch church, Boyle county, and thrown out in a pile like wood, for they had been removing wounded off the battle-ground all night until the church was perfectly filled, and under every shade tree nigh at hand. I rolled over and over, as I was so disabled that I could not walk, until I got to a fence, and with loss of blood and pain and fatigue, became sleepy in a short time after being left in this condition, I went to sleep and slept until after the sun was up, and on awaking I found myself completely tight against the above mentioned fence, on account of another wounded soldier dying while I was asleep, with his feet tight down the hill against me and his head up the hill, the ground being somewhat rolling, I called to a citizen close by, that had come to see the wounded soldiers, to come to me and remove the dead man, that I might help myself up by the fence. He removed the person, and throwed a blanket over the body to protect it until better attended to. I lay for six days out under a white oak tree, with my wound dressed once. Making a march of 5 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, pp. 23-4

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, October 15, 1862

Left or was taken from Antioch church to Perryville to a hospital fitted up for our reception. The first time away from my regiment and company from the time I left for the seat of war, or the first roll call missed, or stacking of arms, or march missed for over a year; and was well cared for in this hospital by the surgeon in charge of us wounded Union soldiers. We were well supplied with food calculated to suit our weak and delicate appetites, from the Union citizens, women and men, of Boyle county, and got along as well as could be expected for the time of our stay in this hospital, remaining eight days in it. Making a march of 6 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 24

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, October 23, 1862

Left Pcrryville. Orders came for us to be removed to Lebanon hospital; so the same day we were shipped aboard our army wagon train and arrived in Lebanon about 4 o'clock in the evening, and were happily received and met by our General Starkweather, who came to see us for the first time from the front, and sympathized with us for our wounds, and thanked us kindly for our good behavior in the battle. This will show that we remained in the hospital above mentioned eight days, and in this one four days. Making a march of 20 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, pp. 24-5

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, October 27, 1862

Left Lebanon hospital, or was ordered to be sent to Louisville No. 12 hospital, and arrived there the same evening, and was conveyed to the hospital and well cared for. Making a march of 84 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 25

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, November 6, 1862

Left Louisville, and was sent by orders to New Albany, Indiana, hospital No. 6, and a nice place too and well cared for, remaining nine days in this hospital, and making a march of 4 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 25

Monday, June 16, 2025

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, September 4, 1862

Left Camp College Hill again and arrived at Goodlettsville on the 5th and took breakfast, making a march of 12 miles.