Diary of Private Daniel L. Ambrose: Friday, May 23, 1862

To-day our regiment is detailed to advance with the picket line and protect a fatigue party while building roads and bridges for the advance of our division. We have a brisk skirmish with the heavy rebel pickets.

This evening the Paymaster visits the Seventh, and before it is midnight the Seventh is flush with the “bonus."

SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 73

Diary of Private Daniel L. Ambrose: Tuesday, February 18, 1862

This morning a fatigue party is detailed from the Seventh to help bury the dead on the battle field, and those who died from wounds received in battle, who are now lying in every house in Dover (a small village on the banks of the Cumberland inside the fortifications). All day yesterday the fatigue parties were engaged burying the noble slain. War is indeed a mad machine, terrible in its work.

Silently extended on the gory main,

The fallen warriors mid the carnage lay;

No hand was there to ease the racking pain,

And staunch the life blood ebbing fast away.

But when the old flag comes home to Tennessee, over the Union soldiers' graves will be built up all that their posterity shall desire of order and government.

SOURCES: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 42-3

Diary of 1st Lieutenant Lemuel A. Abbott: Friday, August 26, 1864

As usual we were ordered to be under arms at 4 o'clock a. m. but the enemy has not yet appeared on our right, nor do I think they will; have had charge of a fatigue party nearly all day policing in front of the rifle pits. Captain L. T. Hunt of Company H returned to the regiment this afternoon looking well; has been absent wounded. Captains C. D. Bogue and A. W. Chilton's commissions came by to-day's mail; no skirmishing all day.

SOURCE: Lemuel Abijah Abbott, Personal Recollections and Civil War Diary, 1864, p. 140

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Friday, March 24, 1865

Fatigue party goes out at 5. a. m. to unload boats, spend A. M. going to the Commissary for grub. and writing. P. M. go with Lt Loughridge to camp of 8th Iowa, while there this Regt rec's orders to be ready to march at daylight tomorrow morning with 4 days rations in their haver sacks. Genl Smiths whole corps rec's the same orders. We see post of the line of breastworks about this camp, which are good & strong & 9 miles in extent, seems as though these things come by magic, they rise so quick. Genl Veachs Div gets in this P. M.; After dark the train comes in, there is a big shout when the train crosses the pontoons. They lost by bushrangers 14 men drivers. & as many mules Lt Loughridge & I were out after Tattoo to learn the cause of the cheering when the train was coming in, & hear some sweet music in another Regt. Word in camp that in a skirmish 3 miles from camp this P. M. several men were wounded. 2 ambulance loads said to have come in.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 579-80

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Monday, March 6, 1865

Start with fatigue party at 7.30 work until 5 P. M. grading Rail Road tracks. 700 men at work grade about 2 miles. At 12. M. great smoke in the direction of Mobile, at 3 P. M. it is reported that Mobile is burning (?) in camp all evening.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 576

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Sunday, March 5, 1865

Morning with major Boydston to Ft Morgan to go to Ft Gaines No boat. All through fort. Near the pier & within 400 yds. of Ft. a pole which is fixed to the turret of the Gunboat Tecumseh sunk by the explosion of a torpedo, shows the watery grave of 100 brave boys, who are yet in the great iron coffin 30 ft below the surface, I mile out a smokestack sticks out of the water, a little this side the pier is the wreck of the Reb Gunboat Gaines, crippled & beached during the action P. M. in camp. Service at 3. P. M. News — 35 men of our Regt lately exchanged are at New Orleans — Col Benton of 29th Iowa, & Col Glasgow of 23d Iowa appointed Brevet Brig. Genl's by the President, Detailed tonight to take charge of fatigue party tomorrow. All experienced Rail, Road, men called for, to report to Capt Jackson. It is the purpose to make a permanent Rail Road from Ft Morgan to Navy Com & extend around the Bay to Mobile as the Army advances.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 576

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Lemuel A. Abbott: Tuesday, June 21, 1864

I worked a fatigue party on a fort all night arriving in camp about 5 o'clock a. m. tired and hungry; slept until about 6 o'clock p. m. when we were ordered to march. We moved out on the Jerusalem plank road to where our cavalry were skirmishing on the ground to the left of our army which we were expected to occupy, and halted about 9 o'clock p. m. Although it was dark we threw out a skirmish line, forced the enemy back, captured several prisoners, camped and commenced to throw up breastworks having joined our line with the Second Corps on our right. The First, Second and Third Divisions, Sixth Corps, in the order mentioned from the right now form the left of our army. General Grant is simply extending his line to the left. Colonel W. W. Henry took command of the regiment last night. I have received a letter from Lieutenant G. E. Davis at Annapolis; is doing well. The One Hundred and Sixth New York captured a Johnny to-night under singular circumstances but I've not room to relate them.

SOURCE: Lemuel Abijah Abbott, Personal Recollections and Civil War Diary, 1864, p. 86

Diary of 4th Sergeant John S. Morgan: Thursday, April 2, 1863

Reg. went on picket at 10. A. M. night of 2. brilliant moonlight, read a paper by moonlight. Rebs fired on our fatigue parties working at a fort throwing a shell regularly every ½ hour.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 7, January 1923, p. 487

Captain Charles Fessenden Morse, September 30, 1862

Maryland Heights, September 30, 1862.

We have received, to-day, pretty conclusive evidence of the death of Major Savage; we have also heard that Quincy's chance for life is very slim. Hasn't the mortality among our old officers been dreadful? I cannot bear to think of it. If we lose Colonel Andrews, there will be very little left of the old Second.

To-morrow I go up on the mountain in charge of a large fatigue party to fell timber. I imagine there is going to be another fort built there.

SOURCE: Charles Fessenden Morse, Letters Written During the Civil War, 1861-1865, p. 95