Diary of 5th Sergeant Lawrence Van Alstyne, Thursday, March 26, 1863

The finest morning yet. The air is just right. The birds are singing, the sun shining bright and everything seems just right for getting well. A man named Barker died last night about midnight. He has seemed to be dying for a week and we have watched to see him breathe his last any minute. Orderly Holmes is better and may get well after all. Some of the boys killed an alligator to-day and cooked and ate his tail. They say it is just as good as fish and looked like fish.

SOURCE:  Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, pp    . 91-2

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, March 29, 1863

The mornings are lovely here. When it is cool and pleasant hundreds of birds are singing in every direction; mocking birds seem to be in great number, while once in a while you will see a bald-headed eagle soaring aloft and sailing beautifully through the clear air; but there is enough that is disagreeable to offset the beauties of the morning; the mosquitoes, gnats, flies, insects and reptiles are in abundance; snakes a common thing. At night it is almost impossible to sleep; we have had to grease our horses to keep them from being stung to death. Colonel Wright lost his beautiful horse, one he was very much attached to, by that cause. Last night we had a fearful storm of wind, which played havoc with the old trees and branches. They were blown about in every direction and our lives were in constant danger from falling branches and trunks of trees. In Ross's Division, just adjoining ours, there were five men killed by trees falling on them. I have never passed through a more trying or frightful scene. There was no chance of getting away, for one place was as bad as another. The rain poured in torrents, so we were in a bad plight.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 11

Diary of Corporal Lawrence Van Alstyne: November 22, 1862

The sun rose clear this morning, and the air is just right. Our lower regions are hot and stuffy, but on deck it is delightful. Great birds, sea-gulls I hear them called, are all about and pick up, or pick at, everything that floats on the water. We went ashore and while there saw General Corcoran and staff. If he amounts to much he is, like a "singed cat," better than he looks. My throat troubles me yet and to-night is about as bad as ever. Good-night, diary.

SOURCE:  Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 64