Yesterday I came to the Union Hospital at Winchester to stay with a sick member of my company, Rufus G. Smith. He is very ill and cannot possibly recover. This disease is very prevalent in our army and is attributable to the constant exposure of our men.
SOURCE: William S. White, A Diary of the War; or What I Saw of It, p. 139
Dear Mary,17
I thought I must
write you a few lines in answer to your letter I was very happy to think you
was so good as to write me and hope you may not forget to do so again. That
paper of Candy I sent with John for you to pay for your letter. If I had have
had time I would have sent something I would have been glad to made you a visit
from Davenport as you requested me. But I had no time tell Woodworth and Parkes
they must write to me be a good girl and remember your
Cousin Billie
I went to supper
when the other sheet was full, but before we were half through Dress Parade was
called and we had to leave every thing to get cold but however I ate enough
such as it was
I was very glad to
hear that Hattie and Mother were going to Wis. Hope they may enjoy it
I just wish that you
could be here one day and see the soldiers and their fare there is a guard all
around our camp and one can not get out unless he has a pass or run the beat
Isaac and my self are going out in the country tomorrow if we can just for a
pleasure trip
There was a
secessionist or spy arrested here Friday. Maj. Lefingwell18 took him
to St. Louis, have not heard from him since but he may have to suffr, This
morning two men were arrested and brought in camp said to be from Missouri and
spies they are in the guard house I do not know what they will do with them
It was so dark I
just moved toward a camp fire I find it rather disagreable writing and will have
to close I was very glad to hear from you want you to write as often as you can
and I will do the same. If I had time I could write a great deal more you must
send all my letters if I have any to me by the directions below
You must excuse this
poorly written letter if you can read it but writing on a rough board
makes it look worse than it would,
Isaac was just here
and says he has not time to write, but tell you he is all right, the camp is very
healthy and my self and Fred are very well give my love to all and write soon
17 This letter is undated, but from the mention
of his mother's impending trip to Wisconsin we may infer that it was written
about October 1, 1861. Mary was William's cousin by marriage; she had married
his cousin Woodworth Parkes of Clinton. Hence Gulick writes or refers
to them frequently as "Mary & Woodie".
18 Wm. E. Leffingwell, according to
Lothrop's A History of the First Regiment Iowa Cavalry,
which is substantiated by the rosters of the Iowa Union forces, was not
actually commissioned with a higher rank than Captain of Company B. However, he
was for all practical purposes acting Major of the First Battalion, which was
detached from the regiment, placed in his charge, and sent to West Central
Missouri in the early part of October.
SOURCE: Benjamin F.
Shambaugh, The Iowa Journal of History and Politics, vol. 28
(1930), pp. 206-8.
About camp and
hospital yesterday, getting well every minute. Except that I am skin poor and
tire out easily, I am well. My little looking-glass first told me what a change
my sickness made in my looks, but I can see my old self coming back every day
now. A short meeting to-day, the only thing besides my diary to remind me it is
Sunday, God's day. He only asks one day in seven, and it seems as if more
attention should be paid it.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 98
Near Oxford.
Pleasant and sunny. Health never better. Lost my needle book, very sorry. Received
three days' mail; had two papers and a letter from home.
SOURCE: Jenkin Lloyd
Jones, An Artilleryman's Diary, p. 19
Near Oxford. Warm and pleasant. Health excellent. Dr. Miller returned from Wisconsin in the afternoon, much to the satisfaction of all. After roll call in the evening, he appeared before the Company and made a speech, after which three cheers were given to him. Seventy-five loads of cotton brought into headquarters.
SOURCE: Jenkin Lloyd
Jones, An Artilleryman's Diary, p. 19
Lumpkin's Mill. Christmas! Christmas! resounded through the
camp this morning; everyone turning the gay reminiscence of the past in their
minds and hoping again to enjoy. Laid quiet during the day. Ate a Christmas
dinner of dumplings and unleavened bread. The howitzers ordered to prepare to
march, going in charge of a provision train to Memphis. Troubled with bad cold.
SOURCE: Jenkin Lloyd
Jones, An Artilleryman's Diary, p. 21
Captain Bostwick
came to see me to-day. Two men died last night, one in the hospital and the
other in his tent. I don't feel as well to-day.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 88
Think I am really
better to-day. If I keep on I'll soon be out of this and with the boys again.
But they all come in to see the sick as often as they can and so we keep track
of each other.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 88
I have been very
sick. This is the first time I have felt able to make a mark with a pencil. I
was taken in the night, after the day I thought myself so much better. Was
taken out in the tent, from which I judge I have had fever.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 89
Getting better fast,
but can't write much yet.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 89
Don't feel quite so
smart as I did. This getting well is slow business.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 89
Not feeling so good
these last few days.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 90
Too much excitement
yesterday and I feel like two weeks ago. The doctor says I will have these
setbacks though and it is only a part of the process of getting well. A man
named Kipp died to-day. I don't know how many die out in the tent.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 91
Have been
downstairs. My legs just made out to get me there and back. Will they ever get
strong again? But I am getting there, slow but sure, as I can see by looking
back only a short time.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 92
Another fine day,
and another trip downstairs. My legs behaved better this time. Am not near so tired.
Now that I can write without getting tired I must put down some things I
remember, but which I could not write at the time. I shall always remember them
of course, but I want to see how near I can describe them on paper. First I
want to say how very kind my comrades have been all through. I can think of
many acts of kindness now that I paid little attention to then, but they kept
coming along just the same. Whatever else I think of, the thought of their care
for me and how they got passes and tramped miles to get me something to eat,
always taking it to Dr. Andrus first to see if it would do for me these
thoughts keep coming up and my load of gratitude keeps getting heavier. Can I
ever repay them? God has been good to me, better than I deserve. I was first
taken to the room where I am now writing. I remember but little of what
happened before I was taken out and put in the big hospital tent. It is a large
affair, made up of several tents joined together endwise and wide enough for
two rows of cots along the side, with an alley through the middle, towards
which our feet all pointed.
I remember the head
medical man coming through every day or so and the doctors would take him to
certain cots, where they would look on the fellows lying there and put down something
in a book. I soon noticed that most always such a one died in a short time, and
I watched for their coming to my cot. One day they did, and I remember how it
made me feel. Dr. Andrus was so worked down that a strange doctor was in
charge, but under Dr. Andrus, who had charge over all. When he came through I
motioned to him and he came and sat on the next cot, when I told him I would
get well if I could get something good to eat. "All right," said he,
"what will you have?" I told him a small piece of beefsteak. He sent
one of the nurses to his mess cook and he soon came back with a plate and on it
a little piece of steak which he prepared to feed me. But the smell was enough
and I could not even taste it. The doctor then proceeded to eat it, asking if I
could think of anything else. I thought a bottle of beer would surely taste
good and so he sent to the sutler's for it. But he had to drink that too, for I
could not. He laughed at me and though I was disappointed, it cheered me up
more than anything else had done for a long time. When I got so I could eat, I
surely thought he would starve me to death.
A poor fellow across
the tent opposite me got crazy and it took several men to hold him on his cot.
The doctor came and injected something in his breast which quieted him for the
night, but when it wore off he was just as bad and he finally died in one of
them. On my right lay a man sick unto death, while on my left lay another whose
appetite had come and who was begging everybody for something to eat. His company
boys brought him some bread and milk which he ate as if famished. The next
morning when I awoke and looked about to see how many faces were covered up I
found both my right and left hand neighbors had died in the night and their
blankets were drawn up over their faces. The sights I saw while I was able to
realize what was going on were not calculated to cheer me up and how I
acted when I was out of my head I don't know. At any rate I got better and was
brought back to this room, where I have since been.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, pp. 92-4
At 12. last night
the Jonnies made a charge out of their forts on the skirmish line, draw it in
on the left where the 7th Vermont was stationed, camps wise all around & on
the alert. brisk firing for an hour, some rain falling
about this time. At 3. A. M. co C. relieves Co E. on the skirmish line They
come in all whole & were not drivn back. reported that about 30 of the 29th
Iowa were gobbled by the 7th Vermont giving back & letting the Jonnies
in their rear; The day passes so so. Artillery firing from both sides. Reb
Mortar boats shell us considerably & heavy firing on the skirmish line all
day, some of the heavy guns to be put in position tonight. This evening the
reported capture of the men of the 29th is contradicted Co "C" is
relieved after dark & bring off 3 prisoners with them, they were out sharp
shooting & got to close They talk confidantly & say we can never take
Mobile or Spanish Fort which by their act is manned by 6000 reinforcing every
night, one Brigade of the 16th A. C. is sent off this P. M. as guard to supply
train with rations for Genl Steele who is in the vicinity of Blakely &
reports to Genl Canby that he can keep reinforcements from coming here by land
or allow it. Genl C. says to allow it. (this is rumor) There is a telegraph
from Genl Canbys Hd Qtrs to all the Div Hd Qtrs & to the landing at our new
base about 4 miles from our position. The Rebels use heavier guns today. Have a
chill this morning & feel quite ill all day.
SOURCE: “Diary of
John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa,
Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, pp. 581-2
Oxford. Nothing new.
Laid in camp. Many rumors afloat of Richmond taken, Bragg defeated, etc. Health
improving.
SOURCE: Jenkin Lloyd
Jones, An Artilleryman's Diary, p. 18
Oxford. Warm and
pleasant. Health improving. Diarrhea checked by abstaining from all eatables
except hard crackers. All teams sent foraging. 3rd Platoon had 1 hog, 2 geese.
SOURCE: Jenkin Lloyd
Jones, An Artilleryman's Diary, p. 18
To be noted. Our
company was declared the cleanest company! Consequently no
guard for us to-morrow.
Notwithstanding
our camp is quite sickly, we have had no
cases till now. Whitney was taken down suddenly while on guard on the night of
the 4th. He was quite sick for a few days, but is now better, and we hope will
be all right soon.
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. 41
Yesterday the chaplain's tent for public worship came and this morning we were all gathered there and the chaplain was praying, when snap went something in the top and down came the tent upon us. He didn't have time to say "Amen," to say nothing of the benediction. In the afternoon Isaac T. Winans, Jim Story and I went to see Walter and found him in a good bed and in a warm room. He is much better, but his wrists are swollen yet and look as if the joints had been pulled apart.
SOURCE: Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 83
