morning clear as a bell and as pleasant almost as a summers morning—Inspection of the Company by the Col. at 9 O'clock, church as usual. Passes were granted to quite a number to Birds Point.
SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 228
The battery was
inspected in the forenoon, and began to drill for the first time since we
crossed the river. Mrs. J. C. Johnson of Boston sent the battery a case of knit
jackets, one for each man,—one hundred and fifty in all. These jackets cost two
dollars apiece in Boston.
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
Rienzi. Arose to the sound of the bugle at 3 A. M.
Prepared for a general inspection, but Captain, apprehending a move, did not
call us out. Drew good bunks from the old camp of 2nd Missouri. After roll call
at 9 P. M. I went to bed hoping to have a good night's rest, but I was doomed
to disappointment, for ere two hours had elapsed, we were awakened by Corporal
Dixon telling us to pack up all our clothing and be in readiness to march. We
of course obeyed and waited for further orders, when about midnight,
"Strike your tents" was given. This done, the mules began driving in,
loading was commenced, the horses harnessed, and by one o'clock all was ready
to march. That which could not be taken was piled up ready for the march, but
the order did not come, so we were obliged to pick our place and lay down for a
short and uneasy sleep.
SOURCE: Jenkin Lloyd
Jones, An Artilleryman's Diary, p. 4
CAMP MILLINGTON, BALTIMORE.
From the time of our home-coming and the royal welcome given us by the 150th, I
have only made notes which I will try now to write out. Nothing out of the
ordinary routine of a soldier's life in camp has transpired. I am getting more
and more used to this, and the trifling occurrences that at first made such
deep impressions are soon forgotten now. Still, as some one may read this who
will never know of the details of a soldier's life in any other way, I shall
try and keep to my promise to tell the whole story.
The box of good
things that was mentioned in the letter I received while we lay in the street
at Baltimore, waiting for a train to take us to Gettysburg, came a few days
after our return to camp. In it was a great big package for me. I opened it and
there lay the roasted body of our old Shanghai rooster. He was minus head, feet
and feathers, but I knew him the minute I laid eyes on him.
I at once began to
figure how many stomachs like ours he would fill, and then gave out that many
invitations. All came, and brought their plates. With mouths watering, they
stood about as I prepared to carve.
At the first cut I
thought I smelled something, and at the next was sure I did. The old fellow,
tough as he was, was not able to stand close confinement in such hot weather,
and had taken on an odor that took away all appetite for roast chicken.
Terribly disappointed, we wrapped him up again, and taking him out of camp,
gave him as near a military funeral as we knew how. He was a brave old bird. I
have seen him whip Cuff, mother's little guardian of the garden patch. "He
sleeps his last sleep. He has fought his last battle. No sound shall awake him
to glory again."
Requests for passes
to visit the camp of the 150th are the pests of the commanding officers of our
regiment, and the same can be said of the 150th. As soon as guard-mount is
over, and the other details for camp duty made, the old guard (those who were
on duty the day before, and who are excused from all duty except dress parade
for the next twenty-four hours) try for a pass to visit the city or the 150th,
the two attractions now. John Van Alstyne often visits me, as well as others
with him with whom I am well acquainted. These visits I return as often as I
can get away. Our camp ground has been laid out in regular order and the
company streets graded and made to look very respectable. There is a broad
street, along one side of which are the officers' tents, the colonel's in the
center. Back of these are the quartermaster's and the commissary's stores, the
sutler's tent and the mules and horses. In front of the colonel's tent is the
flag-staff, and running out from the street are ten shorter streets, one for
each company, with cook-houses or tents at the bottom. Men are detailed every
day to clean up and keep in order all these and are called supernumeraries.
When it rains we that are not on duty lie in our tents and amuse ourselves in
any way we can, or visit from tent to tent as the fancy takes us. In fair
weather we have either company-drill or battalion-drill, and every now and then
the regiments are put together for brigade-drill. Any of it is hard work, but
it is what we are here for, and we find little fault. The weather is chilly. I
notice but little difference in the weather here and as we usually have it at
home. There we expect it, while here we do not and that I suppose makes it seem
harder to put up with.
One of our company,
Elmer Anderson, deserted and enlisted in an artillery regiment a few days ago.
He came into camp showing his papers and was arrested and put in the
guard-house. What the outcome will be I don't know, but it seems as if there
should be some way of preventing such things. Sunday mornings we have what we
call knapsack-drill. Why they save this for Sunday I don't know, but I suppose
there is some reason for it. We pack our knapsacks, brush up our guns, clothes,
shoes, etc., and march to the drill ground and form in columns by companies.
Company A on the right and B on the left. This brings Company A in front and
the first company to be inspected, after which they march back to camp and are
through for the day. Company B being the last, it is something like an hour we
stand there with our knapsacks open before us on the ground, everything in them
exposed to view of the passer-by, who is the inspection officer and the captain
whose company he is inspecting. With his sword tip he pokes over our
belongings, and if any dirty socks or handkerchief or any other article a
soldier ought not to have is found, a lesson is read to him on the spot and
repeated in plainer terms by the captain afterwards. As we must take everything
we own or have it stolen while we are away, we take a great many chances. I
shall never forget the first inspection. We knew nothing of what was coming,
and such an outfit as that inspection officer saw I don't think any other one
ever did. Little by little we learn the lesson, learn to put the best on top,
for not all knapsacks have their contents stirred up. A great deal of allowance
was made for us at first, but as we go along the screws of discipline are
slowly but surely turned on, and finally I suppose it will be easy to obey.
That one word, "obey," seems to be all that is required of us. No
matter how unreasonable an order seems to us, we have only to obey it or get in
trouble for not doing it.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 54-7
Inspection of arms
as usual by the Field Officers L. F. Williams Officer of the Guard to day.
Preaching in the camp to day by Chaplain of our Regt. at 11 o'clock Our
Chaplain is a Catholic.
SOURCE: Transactions
of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 227
Camp McClernand,
Cairo, Ills. Clear & cool Roll call as usual,—Inspection of the arms &
quarters—a portion of the Comp. went to town to church Services as usual by the
Chaplain, tis reported this morning that Capt. Ritters Comp. at Birds Point
while guarding a bridge on the R. R. 10 miles from camp were surrounded and
taken prisoners.
SOURCE: Transactions
of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 227
The battery was
inspected by Capt. Martin.
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. 269
Had inspection and
drill this 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. 270
Roll call as usual
at 5½ O'clock Inspection of men & tents at 9 o'clock by the Col. & Lt.
Col Pass granted to 8 men to visit Birds Point Also 1 large Squad to attend
Church.
Nothing doing to
day. John Brown & Elijah Hickman went into Town to day without a pass—came
back drunk Compelled to tie Hickman—will be put on extra duty to-morrow Weather
pleasant-continues dry.
SOURCE: Transactions
of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 224
Camp McClernand
Cairo Ills. The 48 of our camp, detailed
as patrol last night returned this morning at 5½ O'clock Roll call as usual.
Heavy and incessant firing heard this morning from 7 till 9 O'clock down the
river in the direction of Columbus. Two boat loads of Troops arrived this
morning from St. Louis. Inspection on Co. parade ground by the Field Officers
at 9 O'clock Dress Parade this evening at the usual hour
SOURCE: Transactions
of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 225
Newport News is a
military post, and is of no importance in any other sense. There were no
villages or cities here previous to the war. Now there are quite a number of
temporary buildings, and barracks to accommodate 60,000 men. It is an ideal
camping ground, lying on the north bank of Hampton Roads and inclining gently
to the northeast. The soil is light sand, which absorbs the rain as fast as it
falls and is never muddy. The Ninth Corps, composed of forty-eight regiments,
is extended in a direct line along the beach, covering about two miles in
length. Stringent rules have been adopted, which, if carried out, will greatly
enhance the efficiency of the men in field operations. We are to have revielle
at six, when every man must turn out to roll call; breakfast call at seven,
when we fall in line, march to the cook's quarters and receive our allowance of
"grub.” Immediately after breakfast we are marched to the creek, where
every man is required to wash hands, face and neck. From eight to half-past,
police duty, or cleaning up in front of tents; from eight-thirty to ten-thirty,
company drill; from this time until noon, clean guns, brasses and do any little
jobs we may have on hand; dinner at twelve; from one-thirty to two thirty,
skirmish drill; from three to four, battalion drill, after which is dress
parade; at eight-thirty, tattoo, or go to bed; at nine, taps, or lights out.
Saturday is set
apart for washing and cleaning up generally. Sunday morning at eight o'clock is
inspection of arms, and at two o'clock divine service.
Some of the boys
think the regular routine is reversed in our case—fighting first and drill
afterward. Poor fellows; I expect they will see fighting enough yet. I have not
seen a newspaper since our arrival, and know as little of what is going on in
the world as did Cruso on his desert island.
SOURCE: David Lane,
A Soldier's Diary: The Story of a Volunteer, 1862-1865, p. 34-5
To-day we were
inspected by Gen. Foster, an all-day duty, as we were on our feet from early
morning till late in the afternoon. The most important feature of the
inspection (to one at least of the company) was the presentation to him of his
shattered gun by Gen. Foster, with the permission to "Send it home as a
present from your general.” It was a relic second to none.
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
Knapsack drill
to-day,—something new to me, though I am told it is to take place every Sunday
morning when in camp. As we were not here yesterday, it was put off until
to-day. We marched out to the drill ground with our knapsacks on, expecting to
practice as usual, except that we were loaded that much heavier. As all our
belongings were in our knapsacks, they were quite heavy. We formed in column by
companies and were told to "unsling knapsacks." We all had to be
coached, but we finally stood at attention with our knapsacks lying on the
ground wide open before us. Then the colonel, the major and the captain of the
company being inspected, marched along and with the tip of their swords poked
over the contents, regardless of how precious they might be to us. And such a
sight as they saw! Besides our extra underclothing, some clean and some
unclean, there were Bibles, whiskey bottles, novels, packs of cards, love
letters and photographs, revolvers and dirk knives, pen and ink, paper and
envelopes and postage stamps, and an endless variety of odds and ends we had
picked up in our travels.
As soon as the
inspection was over with Company A, they were marched back to camp and so all
along the line until Company B, the last of all, was reached. When we got back
to camp some of the companies had been there long enough to get asleep. Nothing
more was required of us, and we put in the time as we chose, provided always
that we observed the camp regulations.
I may never have so
good a chance, so I will try and explain some of the things we have learned to
do and how we do it. Begin with roll-call. The orderly sergeant, Lew Holmes,
has our names in a book, arranged in alphabetical order in one place, and in
the order in which we march in another. If it is simply to see if we are all
here, he sings out "Fall in for roll-call" and we get in line, with
no regard to our proper places, and answer to our names as called from the
alphabetical list. If for drill, "Fall in for drill!" and then we take
our places with the tallest man at the right, and so on, till the last and
shortest man is in place on the left. We are then in a single line, by company
front. The orderly then points at the first man and says "One," which
the man repeats. He then points to the second man and says "Two,"
which is also repeated. So it goes down the line, the one, two, being repeated,
and each man being careful to remember whether he is odd or even. When that is
done, and it is very quickly done, the orderly commands, "Right
face!" The odd-numbered men simply swing on the left heel one quarter of
the way around and stand fast. The even-numbered men do the same, and in
addition step obliquely to the right of the odd-numbered man, bringing us in a
double line and one step apart, which distance we must carefully keep, so that
when the order "Front!" is given, we can, by reversing the movement
of "Right face!" come to our places without crowding. When coming to
a front, the line is not apt to be straight and the order "Right dress!"
is given, when the man on the right stands fast and the one next to him puts
himself squarely by his side. The next moves back or forth until he can just
see the buttons on the coat of the second man to his right,—that is, with his
head erect, he must look past one man and just see the buttons on the coat of
the second man from him. That makes the line as straight as you can draw a
string. "Left face!" is the same thing reversed. In marching, one has
only to keep step with the one next in front of him. If this is done, the blame
for irregular time all comes upon the file leaders, which are the two in front;
they must keep step together. If Company B is going out to drill by itself it
is now ready. If, however, the entire regiment is to drill together, as it has
a few times, Company A marches out first, and as the rear passes where Company
F is standing the latter falls in, close behind; and so each company, until
Company B, which is the left of the line, and the last to go, falls in and
fills up the line, Why the companies are arranged in the line as they are is a
mystery I have so far failed to find out. From right to left they come in the
following order: A, F, D, I, C, H, E, K, G and B. A is said to have the post of
honor, because in marching by the right flank it is ahead, and meets danger
first if there be any. Company B has the next most honorable position, because
in marching by the left flank it is in the lead. There is a great advantage in
being in the lead. On a march the files will open, more or less, and when a
halt is ordered the company in the lead stops short. The other companies keep
closing up the files, and by the time the ranks are closed
"Attention!" may sound, and another start be made. The first company
has had quite a breathing spell, while the last has had very little, if any. If
I were to enlist again, I would try hard to get in Company A, for all the
marching we have so far done has been by the right flank, Company A at the head
and Company B bringing up the rear. When we reach the field we are generally
broken up into companies, each company drilling in marching by the front,
wheeling to the right and left, and finally coming together again before
marching back to camp.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 34-6
Another inspection
to-day. This time our guns and accoutrements were inspected, and much fault was
found because we had not kept our guns from rusting. Only a few got off without
a scolding, and these were some that seem to love a gun and care for it as they
would a baby. This, with our everyday drill, and a general cleaning and
scouring up of our guns and the brass on our belts and cartridge boxes, has
kept us busy all day long. I had kept the inside of my gun clean, so I only had
the outside to scour up. Little by little we learn our lesson, learn to put the
best on top, and little by little the screws of discipline are turned on.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 36-7
Meeting to-day.
Chaplain Parker preached. He asked those who would stop swearing to hold up
their hands, and so far as I could see every hand went up. After inspection in
the morning we had nothing to do except to go to meeting and dress parade,
which I believe we are to have regularly. We march to the parade ground, which
is just back of our camp quarters, and form in line. The colonel, with the
major and adjutant on his right and left, station [themselves] in front, the
colonel opposite the colors, which are in the center, between Companies C and
H. The fifer and drummer pass along in front and back again when the colonel
puts us through the manual of arms. A great many civilians come out and it must
be a pretty sight, provided the orders are well executed. If we do well,
nothing is said, but if not, we are cautioned to do better next time.
How I wish I could
peep in on the old folks at home to-night! I imagine just how they are sitting
around, talking, perhaps of me, or better yet, writing me a letter.
There is no use
denying that I am homesick. I have been such a home-body, and my home life has
been so pleasant.
The comforts of my
home, though humble, have been many, and I have never missed them as I do
to-night. I have only been away a short time, but it seems longer to me than
all my life before. It has been crowded so full of strange and stirring events
that it seems as if I would go crazy unless I can see and talk with our folks
about it. Mr. Parker says confession is good for the soul, and I believe it,
for after confessing to my diary as I have I feel better already. I will crawl
in now and perhaps dream of home, which I often do, and which while it lasts,
is just as good as being there.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 40
To-day we have another beautiful Sabbath. The boys are engaged in cleaning up guns for inspection, and as we are not in the immediate vicinity of the enemy, and have no hope of marching orders, we may expect a day of comparative idleness, which is more to be dreaded than any hardship that could be imposed, as it disposes the men to immoral practices to kill time. In two hours at least half of us will be playing cards, while a few, true to the principles of religion instilled into their hearts in times past, will be reading their Bibles, or engaged in other devotional exercises. The news of the defeat of our army in Tennessee [Murfreesboro] has created quite an excitement in our camp, as nearly all of the soldiers here are from that State. We are impatient for orders to go to the defense of our own homes, and some of the men say they will go whether they get orders or not. As yet, however, good order and discipline have prevailed, and I believe will to the end.
As this was the
first day of the new year there was a general inspection of horses, arms, etc.
SOURCE: Richard R.
Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate
Cavalry, p. 105
All is quiet this morning; the order is to prepare for muster and inspection. The men are now busy cleaning up their guns and accoutrements. Everything seems to move smoothly along now at Corinth. The news from the north is cheering, from the fact that we are assured that the loyal people are more deeply aroused to the importance of the hour that will tell of the greatest trial through which liberty has passed for centuries.
HOSPITAL LIFE.
Thus far I have been unable to discover any charms in hospital life. With fair health the active camp is far preferable. This hospital is divided into three departments. The first is the officers' ward, the second is the hospital for the wounded and very sick, and the third is the convalescent camp. The first two are in large hospital tents and are furnished with cots, mattresses and other necessary conveniences. In the third are more than 600 men, quartered under shelter tents. I am in this department. It is not supposed that there are any sick men here. They are all either dead beats or afflicted with laziness, and a draft is made from among them twice a week for the front. I had been here only four days when I was drawn, but Garland of company C, who is an attache at Doctor Sadler's office, saw my name on the roll and scratched it off. Although there are none here supposed to be sick, there seems to be a singular fatality among them as we furnish about as large a quota every day for the little cemetery out here as they do from the sick hospital. But then in a population of 600 or more, three or four deaths a day is not surprising. I have been here three weeks and have been drafted four times, but with my friend Garland's help I have escaped. I should be pleased to be back with the boys if I was only half well, but I reckon I shall not be troubled with any more drafts.
Doctor Hoyt sent a man back the other day. The next morning he was sent up with a sharp note to Doctor Sadler, saying that he didn't send men to the hospital that were fit for duty and didn't want them sent back until they were. That roused Doctor Sadler's ire, and he says when Hoyt wants his men he can send for them.
Doctor Sadler has the whole charge of the convalescent camp, and has several young fellows, assistant surgeons so called, on his staff. Some of these fellows I should think had been nothing more than druggists' clerks at home, but by some hook or crook have been commissioned assistant surgeons and sent out. here. Every morning all who are able in all the ten wards go up to be examined and prescribed for by these new fledged doctors, and those not able to go seldom receive any medical attendance, but it is just as well and perhaps better that they do not go, as the skill of these young doctors is exceedingly limited. Doctor Sadler is a fine man and a skilful surgeon. He comes around occasionally, visiting those who are not able to go out and prescribes for them, and for a day or two afterwards the assistants will attend to those cases. These assistants make the examinations and draft the men for the front, after which they are again examined by Doctor Sadler and frequently a number of them will not be accepted, and the assistants oftentimes need not feel very much flattered by some remarks of the doctor.
This convalescent camp holds its own in spite of all the drafts made on it. Recruits arrive daily and the drafts are made twice a week, sending back 50 or 100 at each draft.
When a draft is made one of the assistants comes into a ward and orders it turned out, and every man not down sick abed turns out. The ward-master forms them in single rank and the inspection begins. They commence on the right and go through the ward, making the same examinations and asking the same questions of every man in the ward. They feel the pulse and look at the tongue, and if those are right they are booked for the front. They remind me of horse jockeys at Brighton, examining horses. Some of the boys who are well enough but are in no hurry to go back, chew wild cherry or oak bark to fur their tongues and are thus exempted until Doctor Sadler gets hold of them, when they have to go. We get some recruits from the other hospital, for as soon as a sick or wounded man there is declared convalescent he is sent here.
A good joke occurred one morning when one of them was drafted for the front. He had been slightly wounded in the leg and was getting around with a crutch. When his ward was ordered out for draft he fell in with the rest, and the doctor, not noticing the crutch, but finding his pulse and tongue all right, marked him as able-bodied. When Sadler inspected them, he said to this fellow: “What are you here for?” “Going to the front, I suppose; there is where I am ticketed for.” Sadler laughed, and said: “I'll excuse you.” Then turning to his assistant, remarked: “We are not yet so hard up for men as to want three-legged ones." That assistant looked as though he wished he was at home under his mother's best bed.
This whole hospital is under the management of a Doctor Fowler, and as far as I am able to judge is well and skilfully managed. The cuisine is excellent and far better than could be expected in a place like this. The hospital fund as fast as it accrues is expended for vegetables, fruits, milk, butter, cheese, preserves and many other things which the government is not supposed to furnish. The kitchen is in two departments, one where are cooked and served out the meats, soups, vegetables and other food for the convalescent. In the other are cooked the roasts, steaks, broths, beef tea and all kinds of light diet for the officers' ward and the sick and wounded department. The light diet is presided over by an angel of mercy in the person of a Miss Dame who is the hospital matron.
CAMP RUSSELL, December 17, 1864.
MY DARLING: — No certainty about things yet. We fired fifty guns yesterday and one hundred more today over General Thomas' great victories. How happy our men are. We had an inspection today of the brigade. The Twenty-third was pronounced the crack regiment in appearance, etc. It looks very finely — as large as you used to see it at Camp White, but so changed in officers and men. A great many new ones at Camp White; then three hundred of the Twelfth in July; and three hundred conscripts, volunteers, and substitutes since. I could see only six to ten in a company of the old men. They all smiled as I rode by. But as I passed away I couldn't help dropping a few natural tears. I felt as I did when I saw them mustered in at Camp Chase. Captain Abbott joined us today — a prisoner since Cloyd's Mountain. He is very happy to be back. He looks in good health, his arm not perfectly well.
Lieutenant McBride, the brave fellow who took Lieutenant Colonel Edgar and forty-two others at Winchester, is here again. Sweet and Snyder are back. Hastings is in capital spirits; says he will be well long before next spring campaign. Heiliger writes me that he wants to get a commission in Hancock's Veterans.
The band is playing its finest tonight. It contains all the old members and some good additions.
I have written the boys. I asked them how they would like to call the little soldier George Crook; they don't reply. - Love to all.
