Diary of Private Seth J. Wells, January 2, 1863

Struck out tents early this morning and marched to Colliersville, a distance of seven miles from Lafayette and twenty-four from Memphis. As soon as we had stacked our arms and broken ranks, John Cumbersworth and I went out a mile and a half from camp and got a fine hog. While we were skinning it our orderly-sergeant, Sullivan, Jesse Walker and Mike Walsh were captured not more than a quarter of a mile distant, by a band of rebel cavalry. Sullivan turned and ran and several shots were fired after him, which we heard plainly but we thought it was the boys shooting hogs. When we got into camp Bob Dew and Charlie Berry came in with their paroles, they having been caught by the same company. Five paroled from Co. K in one day. Five such days' work will muster Co. K out of service. The 17th Ill. at present musters about three hundred and fifty men. On guard tonight; storming fearfully.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, p. 25

Diary of Private Seth J. Wells, Monday, January 5, 1863

I am on guard at the depot today.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, p. 25

Diary of Private Seth J. Wells, January 8, 1863

Orders are very strict. If caught outside of the pickets the fine is ten dollars. We get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and stack our arms. I am on parole guard today. We expect to move in a day or two.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, p. 25

Diary of Private Seth J. Wells, January 12, 1863

We were called up at half past three this morning and were on the road inside an hour, and by sunrise were four miles on the way. We arrived at Germantown about 10 o'clock. It is a village. At five minutes before 12 o'clock we halted for dinner, and started again on our march at 1 o'clock, our regiment in advance. We reached the edge of a town at dusk where we learned that we were selected as guard at the navy yard. As we passed through the town, the little children followed us and hurrahed for Jeff Davis. We moved to the upper end of town and encamped on land adjoining the navy yard. Col. Norton bought five cords of wood for us. He made a speech in which he said Gen. Hamilton ordered McArthur to send his best disciplined regiment here as guard, and he wanted us to be strict, orderly, and diligent. He also said the duty was a kind of secret service (how so I do not understand). The guerillas crossed over last night, cut around and burned a steamer. We are very tired this evening, having made the heavy march of twenty-six miles.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, p. 26

Diary of Private Seth J. Wells, January 13, 1863

We moved into the navy yard this morning. Had seven men detailed for guard. I was one of them. We were put on camp, or chain guard. I don't see where the secret service comes in, for my part. I was down to see the ex-reb gunboat, "Gen. Bragg," she was injured at Vicksburg and is being repaired. There are five or six mortar boats lying close to shore.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, pp. 26-7

Diary of Private Seth J. Wells, January 14, 1863

I came off guard this morning. It rained very hard all the latter part of the night. Another boat load of troops came down last night, making five or six in all. They are from the Kansas Valley Division of Fremont's old forces.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, p. 27

Diary of Private Jenkin Lloyd Jones: Thursday, November 13, 1862

Grand Junction. Lieutenant Simpson went in search of the Battery early and left us to unload and guard the baggage. The teams arrived from the Battery 3 P. M. We loaded and started out about three miles and encamped where the team that left Corinth on the 8th had bivouacked for the night.

SOURCE: Jenkin Lloyd Jones, An Artilleryman's Diary, p. 12

Diary of Private John J. Wyeth, February 4, 1863

We are having an easy time so far, excepting for the cold weather. We have no guard or drill as yet; a part of the 27th M. V. do provost duty. There are rumors of a regimental guard, around our quarters; so all who could cleared out early and stayed all day. A party of us visited the courthouse, prison, and graveyard. All but the last, with a church close by, show marks of being used as targets. After picking ivy from the graveyard wall, to send home, we started out of town on a private scout. About a mile's walk brought us to a picket; who thought our visit farther had better be indefinitely postponed; so, after a pleasant chat with them, whom we found to be natives, deserters from the rebel army, and, of course, unionists, we took the "right about" and tramped towards camp arriving just in time for inspection and dress parade at half-past four P.M.

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. 36

Diary of Private John J. Wyeth, February 5, 1863

Had a ball in our old granary last night. Some who were to go on guard to-day turned in early, and all we know of it is, that those who went had a good time.

Our regiment is to help the 27th in their guard-duty. Our guard-house is a grocery store, close to the granary, and the duty is very light. It rained about all day, and the snow is consequently gone, leaving the roads in a fearfully bad condition.

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, pp. 36-7

Diary of Private John J. Wyeth, February 11, 1863

Drill, drill, all day, for a change. Our band has received the new pieces from Boston, and is now expected to shine. Among our many visitors from home is ex-Sergeant Wheelwright who came out on the schooner "Fry." He went on the Plymouth or "Ham Fat" tramp, and took to foraging naturally. He stole a mule the first thing, but had to give it up to an officer. Next we saw him on a horse, which he managed to keep. He does not take kindly to quinine or hard-tack; he likes the colonel's fare better. It is a mere matter of taste, though! There is not much doing, except drilling and trying each day to be the cleanest company, as then we get off guard for twenty-four hours, the greatest inducement that could be offered us. We have succeeded in being both the dirtiest and cleanest. At the first inspection we thought we were clean, but a mouldy milk-can condemned us, and we had to furnish double guard, but since then have carried off the honors once or twice.

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. 39

Diary of 4th Corporal Bartlett Yancey Malone: December 29, 1862

prity warm sunshiney day And I was on divishion gard at General Hoods headquarters

SOURCE: Bartlett Yancey Malone, The Diary of Bartlett Yancey Malone, p. 27

Diary of Private Seth J. Wells, December 22, 1862

On guard in Frank's place, he has gone foraging ten miles below. More troops passed on their way back.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, p. 20-1

Diary of Private Seth J. Wells, December 24, 1862

On picket guard today. Got my boots half soled. Gen. McPherson passed through here, and Logan's division is coming up and passing through. Our old brigade (Col. Stevenson's) also passed. A train came in a little after dark and was loaded with cotton. The country is stripped of everything and so we are on half rations. All the hogs and live stock have been killed. The Negroes are suffering and I think they would welcome their old masters. There are a great many leaving, a large carload left today. We have poorer fare than at any time since we enlisted.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, p. 21

Diary of Private Seth J. Wells, December 25, 1862

Christmas. I came off guard duty this morning. We drew half rations for four days and part of that was cornmeal. Our coffee is rye and in small quantities at that. The boys have gone out to see if they can find a stray hog or beef for Christmas dinner. Oh! if I could be at home today.

One o'clock. We just now received marching orders to be ready tomorrow morning. Frank, Bill, Buttons and Boggs of our mess, and Ragan and Doughty of the Peacock mess, fetched in a whole beef, and a few minutes later Abe, John and Scott brought in a whole hog. If we live on half rations it will not be of meat, as we have a hog and half a beef. It is very warm and pleasant today, I lay down and took a nap, but the flies were so troublesome I could hardly sleep.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, p. 21-2

Diary of Private John J. Wyeth, January 28, 1863

Another spell of weather. It has rained constantly for two days, with no intermission. Some of the regiments have been moved. The 24th Mass., 10th Conn., and 5th R. I., have gone; but we still stay behind, probably intended for some sort of a tramp. Lieut. Cumston goes on this expedition, and may see some tall fighting at Charleston while we are doing police and camp. guard duty! But as he is of "E," we will take the credit of Charleston, and put it on our pipes beside the rest. We gave him six rousing cheers, and a handshake as he went by the barracks to join his command.

Several Boston gentlemen have been here, some stopping with our officers, among them Mr. J. G. Russell, father of Geo. Russell, of our company,—but they have all moved down town, and we hear that when some of them undertook to leave for Boston, Col. Messinger, the Provost Marshal, would not let them start, on account of the movement of troops.

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. 35

Diary of Private Seth J. Wells: December 4, 1862

I was on guard today. It rained nearly all day, and toward night we had a real northerner.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, p. 15

Diary of Private Seth J. Wells: Sunday, December 7, 1862

I was detailed for guard this morning and stood before the provost marshall's office.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, p. 15

Diary of Private Jenkin Lloyd Jones: Sunday, September 21, 1862

Rienzi. Was another repetition of that a week ago only on a little larger scale. The horses were harnessed at 1 A. M. and we went out on the Ripley road three quarters of a mile, laid there half an hour waiting for the enemy, then filed left on our drilling ground, drilled half an hour, then came home and unharnessed. Received new gun carriages and caissons in the afternoon. Report of another great battle at Iuka in which 1000 of our men were killed in twenty-five minutes. Colonel Murphy of the 8th put under arrest for withdrawing his men. Stood guard duty.

SOURCE: Jenkin Lloyd Jones, An Artilleryman's Diary, p. 6-7

Diary of Private Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Monday, February 16, 1863

I went out piruting again to-day. Wagons got in to-day. I was put on Camp Guard; roots for being out. Soon after dark a detail was called for to go to Lewisburg; 'twas raining; I was detailed. Doak in command. Got there about 11 o'clock, could find nobody, went into Court House and slept in the Bar.

SOURCE: Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Diary of Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Member of Company D Terry's Texas Rangers, p. 8

Diary of Private Theodore Reichardt, Wednesday, January 1, 1862

Battery in camp near Poolesville; we, the centre section, on picket at Conrad's Ferry. Our picket duty, at this place, has been a very pleasant one, being very light, except the guard duty. Firing of videttes was very frequent during the night. But never did either party disturb the other with artillery practice during our stay. Sometimes signal rockets were sent up on the Maryland side, by rebel sympathizers, which were generally answered from the Virginia shore. General Stone had strong block-houses, of solid oak-timber, built on the line from Muddy Branch to Conrad's Ferry, for the defence of the Maryland side, large enough to hold three hundred men each. May it be remembered, pigs had to suffer in our neighborhood. The weather, having been pleasant for weeks, became very wintry after the first of January.

SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 30-1