morning clear & nice Health of camp improving only 3 of our Comp. now in the Hospital. Capt. Parke making arrangements for going home—has drawn his pay from the Pay Master. Drilling as usual both forenoon and afternoon
SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 228
Rained last night nearly all night, this morning it is cold gloomy and disagreeable No inspection this morning on account of the inclemency of the weather towards evening it fared off and tis now pleasant weather Capt. Parke has succeeded in getting a furlough to day for 7 days absence—he will for home to-morrow morning at 4 O'clock. Williams quite sick to day
SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 228
Weather pleasant,
but rather cold. The Fifth Army Corps was reviewed by Major-Gen. Burnside.
Started out of camp at nine A.M., marched about four miles, and came to the
place where the review was held. The corps was drawn up in line, and passed in
review; was dismissed, and returned to camp. Capt. Martin started for home in
the first train for Aquia Creek the next morning.
SOURCE: John Lord
Parker, Henry Wilson's Regiment: History of the Twenty-second
Massachusetts Infantry, the Second Company Sharpshooters and the Third Light
Battery, in the War of the Rebellion, p. 271
Received our big
cook-stove. Our ammunition was examined, and nearly all condemned. Usual
routine of camp-duty. Orders were received to be ready to march at one o'clock,
Sunday, Jan. 18; countermanded till Monday at the same hour. Capt. Martin
returned from his furlough.
SOURCE: John Lord
Parker, Henry Wilson's Regiment: History of the Twenty-second
Massachusetts Infantry, the Second Company Sharpshooters and the Third Light
Battery, in the War of the Rebellion, p. 271
A bright frosty
morning.
This day I am
fifty-five years of age.
It is now reported
that Gen. Early made his escape, and that most of his men have straggled into
this city.
One body of
Sheridan's men are said to have been at Gordonsville yesterday, coming
hitherward, while another were near Scottsville, aiming for the South Side
Railroad.
The
Adjutant-General, having granted furloughs to the returned prisoners two days
ago, to-day revokes them. Will such vacillating policy conciliate the troops,
and incite them to heroic deeds?
The President and
his wife were at church yesterday; so they have not left the city; but Gen.
Lee's family, it is rumored, are packing up to leave.
I bought a quarter
of a cord of oak wood this morning to mix with the green pine, and paid $55 for
it.
Gen. Early's
cavalry, being mostly men of property, were two-thirds of them on furlough or
detail, when the enemy advanced on Charlottesville; and the infantry, being
poor, with no means either to bribe the authorities, to fee members of
Congress, or to aid their suffering families, declined to fight in defense of
the property of their rich and absent neighbors! We lost four guns beyond
Charlottesville, and our forces were completely routed.
There are rumors
to-day that a column of the enemy's cavalry has reached Hanover County. Gen. R.
E. Lee has ordered Major-Gen. Fitz Lee's cavalry to march against them.
Twelve M. They are
bringing boxes to the War Office, to pack up the archives. This certainly
indicates a sudden removal in an emergency. It is not understood whether they
go to Danville or to Lynchburg; that may depend upon Grant's movements. It may,
however, be Lee's purpose to attack Grant; meantime preparing to fall back in
the event of losing the day.
Four days hence we
have a day of fasting, etc., appointed by the President; and I understand there
are but three day's rations for the army—a nice calculation.
Gen. Johnston
telegraphs the Secretary that his army must suffer, if not allowed to get
commissary stores in the North Carolina depots. The Secretary replies that of
course his army must be fed, but hopes he can buy enough, etc., leaving the
stores already collected for Lee's army, which is in great straits.
SOURCE: John
Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate
States Capital, Volume 2, p. 441
Lebanon, Ky., June 1st, 1863.
I have been home on
furlough, and am on my way to rejoin my regiment. I reached Louisville last
night at midnight, and stayed at the Soldiers' Home until morning. Charles
Groesbeck came with me from Detroit, and we found two more of our boys and our
Chaplain here, waiting to take cars this morning.
We have a good
"drive" on our drum major. He reached Louisville on Friday and
reported to the post commander for a pass to his regiment. The Colonel gave him
a pass, all right, but to his utter dismay and disgust sent him to the barrack,
kept him there until this morning, then sent him to Lebanon under guard.
Charlie and I did not report, and came through like free men.
We have a march of
sixty miles before us, but a wagon train is going out, and we may get our
baggage carried part of the way.
We left Lebanon at
three o'clock and walked ten miles. Next morning at three o'clock we were again
on the road, intending to make Columbia, but, a heavy rain setting in, we took
possession of a barn about four miles out and stayed until morning. We had
walked twenty miles and carried our baggage, and were ready to walk eighteen in
the afternoon, which is the distance from this place to Jamestown, where we
expect to overtake the regiment.
SOURCE: David Lane,
A Soldier's Diary: The Story of a Volunteer, 1862-1865, p. 43
We have enjoyed three days of furlough, with no drill or duty to speak of, and most of the company are in good trim again. It has rained much lately, which shuts us in-doors, most of our time being occupied in writing and sleeping. We have just received our blankets, which we left at Washington, never expecting to see them again. They are very acceptable, as the nights are not of the mildest.
Our camp is very pleasantly located, a few rods nearer the Neuse than our first one. The barracks are formed in two wings, with cook-house in rear of each company, and quartermaster's department to be built in the square behind; the line officers in barracks by themselves on each flank, and staff in front of the right wing; the guard line being just outside of all, giving us a convenient parade ground. About six men are drawn from the company each day for camp guard and two for police, making that duty comparatively light; but other work comes in regular order, so we don't have much leisure time. Our routine is about as follows: Reveille at half-past six A.M. and roll-call; then basins to the front, and we go to the water, although we often find some running back to the barracks to get a little more sleep; breakfast, seven; surgeon's call, half-past seven; about this time the first sergeant makes his morning report; guard mounting at eight; then squad drilling from half-past eight till ten, unless the officers get tired of it; company drill, eleven to twelve; then one hour for dinner; company drill from one to two; battalion drill, three to four; company parade and roll-call at half-past four; dress parade, five; supper, six; tattoo and roll-call, half-past seven; taps, half-past eight. No rest for the weary, for between whiles Sergt. Thayer wants three men to get rations, or Sergt. Parsons wants one to sweep barracks, or perhaps the captain wants one to carry a loaded knapsack in front of his quarters for an hour or so for discipline. We wish the paymaster would come; we have been borrowing and lending to each other just to be able to remember the looks of a dollar. There is about three months' pay due us, which would alleviate our misery much just now, especially as Thanksgiving is near at hand.
SOURCE: John Jasper Wyeth, Leaves from a Diary Written While Serving in Co. E, 44 Mass. Dep’t of North Carolina from September 1862 to June 1863, p. 21
Camp Pittman, Va.
Our camp has been christened at last. We are building a huge oven, large enough
to supply our brigade with soft bread. Furloughs are being granted to a limited
number of officers and men. This will entitle our company to eight privates. In
our company the lot fell between Wait Wright, of Eaton Rapids, and myself. Our
cases were so similar the Colonel would not decide between us. He said we must
talk it over and agree which should go first, and that, as soon as one
returned, the other should go. I heard Mr. Wright's story and volunteered to
remain until his return, which will be fifteen days from the date of his
furlough. The past week has been very cold. It has snowed all day, and now—about
four o'clock is turning to rain, and bids fair to be a rainy night.
SOURCE: David Lane,
A Soldier's Diary: The Story of a Volunteer, 1862-1865, p. 28
Had no breakfast
this morning except some we borrowed of Capt. Hitt. The Quarter Master is a d----d
mean man in the opinion of our Comp. he issued no rations to us yesterday
evening, nor came from town this morning until after 9 O'clock Capt Parke is
Officer of the day to day Furlough granted to F. T. Clark Joel Knipp and Robt.
Chapman running from this date till Saturday 31st August.
SOURCE: Transactions
of the Illinois State Historical Society
for the Year 1909, p. 224
We have had another march, this time about ten miles, through Dedham and towards Boston; the nearest we came to the city was West Roxbury. Probably we will not see much more of Boston, for the rumors are getting thicker and more substantial; but on this march, the boys who went, saw enough to make them wish to keep on to the city.
Our company is under great obligations to the following Boston gentlemen for the sum of three hundred dollars, with which to buy the patent knapsack: J. M. Beebe & Co., F. Skinner & Co., Alex. Beal, C. W. Cartwright, W. P. Sargent, Read, Gardner & Co., Wilkinson, Stetson & Co., Horatio Harris, J. R. Tibbets, E. & F. King & Co., G. Rogers, and J. C. Converse & Co.; and it is understood measures are being taken to furnish the other companies, so we will be equipped alike. The only trouble being can they be finished in time. This week which looks like the last one to be passed here, has been dismal enough, it has rained a good part of the time, and to crown all, we can't smoke in the barracks. Corporals or no corporals, it is hard work to keep us down. We had a fair time, and many a smoke under cover.
Some one has seen a box of one of the staff officers, marked New Berne, so unless it was a blind, that is our destination, the boys don't care much where, but only to get started. The last few days have finished the business; it is muddy, damp, and growing colder gradually, and we want to get away. Our last furloughs are gone, and the sooner we go the better.
SOURCE: John Jasper Wyeth, Leaves from a Diary Written While Serving in Co. E, 44 Mass. Dep’t of North Carolina from September 1862 to June 1863, p. 11
Company returned
from furlough at Lake City.
SOURCE: Lewis C.
Paxson, Diary of Lewis C. Paxson: Stockton, N.J., 1862-1865, p. 4
a beautifull day it looked
like the spring of the year and Mr. I. R. Moore left our camps today to go home
on a furlough
SOURCE: Bartlett
Yancey Malone, The Diary of Bartlett Yancey Malone, p. 15
clear and cool And A. I.
Brincefield started home today on a sick furlough
SOURCE: Bartlett
Yancey Malone, The Diary of Bartlett Yancey Malone, p. 15
Our first morning in camp. We were rudely awakened and dragged from our bunks at six o’clock, very few being used to such early hours, except perhaps on 4th of July, and were expected to be on the parade ground before our eyes were fairly open.
My advice is if you ever enlist again, start with buckle or congress boots, or none at all, don’t wear laced ones. Why Thereby hangs a tale. One man who wore laced boots was late, consequently had to fall in at the foot of the column. In a minute or two, around came the adjutant and some other officer, who wanted a man for guard. The man who was late at roll-call, was detailed of course. He went without a word was posted on the edge of a pond his orders being “Keep this water from being defiled, allow no privates to bathe here, let only the officers bathe and the cooks draw water to cook with.” The orders were fulfilled, but the poor guard was forgotten, and paced up and mostly down (as it was a pleasant grassy sward,) till eleven o clock. That was his first experience of guard duty, and he always owed a grudge to the sergeant of that guard and his laced boots.
Meanwhile, the company, left standing in the street, with their towels, combs, &c., proceeded to the water, where the pride of many a family got down on his knees, and went through the farce of a toilet, and then back to breakfast.
To-day we have been busy cleaning up and getting ready for our friends from home. It has been as novel a day as last night was new, it is a great change, but we will conquer this, and probably worse.
Our friends began to arrive about three o clock, and by supper-time the barracks were well filled, many remaining to supper so shawls and blankets were spread upon the ground, and we gave them a sample of our food. The coffee was good but so hot, and having no saucer with which to cool the beverage, we had to leave it till the last course. Our plates were plated with tin, but very shallow, and as bean soup was our principal course we had some little trouble in engineering it from the cook s quarters to our tables. We must not forget the bread, it was made by the State, and by the looks, had been owned by the State since the Mexican war. We had never seen the like, and begged to be excused from enduring much of it at a time. (We afterwards found no occasion to grumble at our food, for as you may remember, we were looked after well during our whole service. We had as good rations as any one could wish, but here, within ten miles of home, we felt that this was rough on the boys.)
For a week, little was done but feed and drill us, to toughen us for the dim future, and the furloughs were granted very freely. We were soon astonished to find that we had for a surgeon, a man who meant business. Among other things, he thought government clothes were all that we needed, so spring and fall overcoats and fancy dry goods had to be bundled up and sent home. All our good things were cleaned out, everything was contraband excepting what the government
allowed. We had always thought it a free country, but this broke in on our individual ideas of personal freedom, and we began to think we were fast losing all trace of civil rights, and becoming soldiers pure and simple. Nothing could be brought into camp by our friends unless we could eat it before the next morning but goodies would come, and as we had to eat them, of course we were sick.
SOURCE: John Jasper Wyeth, Leaves from a Diary Written While Serving in Co. E, 44 Mass. Dep’t of North Carolina from September 1862 to June 1863, p. 6-7
Ordered to prepare
to receive our arms. Company received a furlough of six days. Remained at Fort
Snelling. Henderson's company armed with Austrian guns.
SOURCE: Lewis C.
Paxson, Diary of Lewis C. Paxson:
Stockton, N.J., 1862-1865, p. 4
I caught cold last
night, and feel a little slim to-day. Lew Holmes got a pass for himself and me
to go down town and that cured me. The run about in Hudson with the nice fresh
air of to-day, together with a five-day furlough, which was given out to-night,
has worked wonders for those that were lucky enough to get them. It seems the
men are all to have a five-day furlough, but not all at once. The Amenia crowd
drew first prize. I am delighted to go, and yet there will be the good-byes to
say again, and I don't know after all whether I am glad or sorry.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 9
Arrived at Sandy
Hook by two o'clock P. M. Relieved the First Battery, the pieces being turned
over to us. They started for home in the evening. Our camp is one mile from
Weavertown. The right section under Lieut. Vaughan, took position on Maryland
Heights, which command Loudon Heights and Harper's Ferry. Gen. Banks is in
command of this department. From this time, up to the thirteenth of August,
nothing exciting occurred. Battery drill in the morning and the manual of the
piece in the afternoon. Extremely hot weather during daytime. Capt. Reynolds
went home on a furlough.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 16
While hard at work
in the woods, hauling stocks for the mill, my furlough came, for eighteen days.
So I was relieved. On the 3d I left camp and got home on the morning of the
6th. It took me several days to get accustomed to living as a civilian, as I
have been in camp for two years at a stretch. I had a very good time, and will
always be grateful for the kindness shown me by every one while at home.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 56-7
We are still quiet. Nothing is going on except the continual fighting of the skirmishers, which amount to little more than a waste of powder and lead, although a man gets killed or wounded occasionally. The Yankees are keeping very quiet since the thrashing they received recently at this place and in front of Richmond. They will be apt to keep quiet now for some time-possibly for the remainder of the winter.
We are having rain. It fell all night and continues to-day. Billie's big coat came just in time for this cold spell of weather. He is as fat as a bear. The health of our troops is excellent and the spirit of the army is as fine as can be.
We shall know in a few days who is elected President of the United States. In my opinion Old Abraham will come in again, and I believe it would be best for us. McClellan might have the Union restored, if elected. I should prefer to remain at war for the rest of my life rather than to have any connection with the Yankees again.
You ask me to see Captain Pifer. I will do so if I happen to be near where he is again. He is now on the other (north) side of the James River with General Lee.
A man by the name of Simeon Werts is going home to-day on sick furlough for thirty days, and I shall send this letter to you by him. I shall also send my father some smoking tobacco, which we have been drawing monthly as part of our rations, and I shall send Dr. Clark some rolls of blistering ointment which we captured from the Yankees at Chancellorsville. I have more of it than I could use in two years. He has been very kind to you and I wish I had something more I could send him.
Our box of provisions from home still holds out, and if you will hurry up and come on, we may have some of it left when you arrive. I have just finished my breakfast, which consisted of hash, potatoes, biscuit, molasses and coffee. I do not mind the war as long as I can have plenty to eat and comfortable quarters. Your brother is very anxious for you to come out, and I believe you will enjoy it here this winter. It is most unfortunate that we have been able to see so little of each other during the four years of our married life.
The mails seem to be greatly deranged again, for I have not heard one word from you in two weeks. These clerks in the post-offices are the contemptible imps of cowardice who seek all the soft and safe places. They should be placed in the ranks and made to fight, and their places given to the young ladies who are refugees from within the enemy's lines and who would be glad to secure such employment.
Everything is quiet here now—only an occasional gun. Kershaw's Division has come back from the Valley and is now on the north side of the James River. The Yankees have not shelled Petersburg for several weeks, and it is beginning to have quite an air of business.
Grant agreed to cease shelling the city if General Lee would agree to keep all government property out of it. I do not believe Grant will make a serious attempt soon again to take Richmond or Petersburg.
A man is going home to-day on sick furlough, and I shall send this letter by him to be mailed to you from Columbia. I am glad you have decided positively to come on to Virginia. I will have everything ready for you when you arrive and will try to make you as comfortable as possible while you remain.
