Diary of Private John J. Wyeth, February 25, 1863

A fine day, but a hard one for all. We were ordered out early, and marched across the city, over the long bridge, to the large plain, where we were reviewed by Gen. Foster. It was a splendid sight. About all that is left to Gen. Foster of the 18th Corps was on the field,—about 12,000 or 13,000 men, including cavalry and artillery, and was the largest body of men we ever saw together; but it was tiresome to us who did the marching, and we were glad to be in the old quarters again.

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. 40

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, March 9, 1863

Went on a scout from Murfreesboro' with our whole division, marched 5 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 27

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, March 10, 1863

Marched 8 miles and encamped for the night.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 27

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, March 12, 1863

Went out on a scout three miles from camp. Twenty-eight rebel cavalry driving in our pickets, we fell into battle-line, but the rebels seeing our force skedaddled, and we returned again to camp the same day, making a march of 3 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 27

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, March 14, 1863

Returned to camp at Murfreesboro', having fulfilled our scout, remaining in this camp four days. A march of 16 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 27

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, March 18, 1863

Changed camp and moved two miles to a new camp south of the town, making a march of 2 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 27

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, March 20, 1863

Was rallied to march double-quick to reinforce Col. Hall at Milton, Tenn., and went out on the same day, having remained two days in this camp, making a march of 15 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 27

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, March 21, 1863

Returned from Milton battle-ground, Col. Hall having whipped the enemy before we reached him or his forces, and leaving many of the rebels wounded and dead on the ground, making a march of 15 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, pp. 27-8

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, March 26, 1863

Went on picket out on the field where Jeff. Davis made a speech to his men, 2½ miles from Murfreesboro' camp, making a march of 5 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 28

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, April 1, 1863

Went on picket on the Manchester pike four miles, making five days rest in camp there, and returned the next day to camp, making a march of 8 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 28

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, April 20, 1863

Started again from Murfreesboro' camp on a scout and arrived at Readyville, and encamped for the night two miles south of Fort Transit, making a march of 12 miles. Remained eighteen days in this camp without moving.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 28

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, April 21, 1863

Left Fort Transit and arrived at Woodbury, eight miles from this place, and was ordered fourteen miles further on the same day, and encamped for the night, making in all this day a march of 22 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 28

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, April 22, 1863

Left Camp Woodbury and arrived the same day at a place called Small-pox camp, having received its name from the fact that at this place the inhabitants never were clear of this fearful disease. Encamped for the night, making a march this day of 17 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 28

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, April 23, 1863

Left Small-pox camp and arrived at Liberty, driving out the rebel General Breckinridge and all his forces, causing them to flee in all directions, and leave their camp and camp equipment behind, including a variety of almost everything you can speak of. The headquarters of General Breckenridge were set on fire by our cavalry after entering the town, and by the time the infantry got in sight were burned to the ground. The inhabitants of the town seeing they were caught for the first time by our army, began to clear their houses of furniture and contents, carrying out their hardware and throwing their brittleware out of the windows, through the excitement that the town was to be burned down ere we would leave, in retaliation for some horrible murders committed on the soldiers of the Union army by those hellish fiends of their so-called Confederacy. After searching or scouting the town, it was ascertained that there was a large steam mill, filled to the brim with wheat, flour and corn, and on entering the mill we found hidden in a pile of bran a quantity of their ammunition, having been made or manufactured at Atlanta, Georgia. It was covered up by bran being thrown over it. We were ordered to remove it to our train, together with all the flour and wheat. It was no sooner said than done; then a match was applied to the mill, and soon nothing could be seen but a pile of coals and ruins. After firing several other buildings that they used for places of concealment of this kind, we moved to camp at Smith's Fork, DeKalb county, Tenn., the same day, and encamped for the night, making a march of 20 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, pp. 28-9

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, April 29, 1863

Left camp at Smith's Fork, DeKalb Co., Tenn., and marched five miles from this camp to Orbenstown, bringing with us many of the Union families of this county, whose whitened locks and old age, wealth and respectable appearance would make a heart, although it was as hard as stone, melt to look upon them, as they were compelled to leave their birth-place, and all that was near and dear to them, and flee from them to our protection and safety, to escape the jaws and clutches of those traitors of so desperate a character, in their old age, and robbed of their sweet homes and everything, in all probability for ever and ever, by those notorious scoundrel secesh or rebel traitors, as you or any other one may see proper to term them — for no hand can write, or artist paint, or tongue tell, the sufferings of the Union families in the Southern States, that fall into the jaws of those hellish fiends. You will please excuse me for setting forth these hard spelled words, for I can not help it, when thinking of the sufferings of our poor Union soldiers and many Union families. So our march was continued this same day to Milton battle-ground, a march of 16 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, pp. 29-30

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, April 30, 1863

Left Camp Milton battle-ground and took up our march for our old camp Murfreesboro', and arrived safe and sound in camp, having fulfilled our mission of another grand scout, making a march of 14 miles.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 30

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Monday, June 2, 1862

Moving only about two miles, we stopped for the night on the road leading from Jacinto to Marietta. Had quite a hard rain in the evening.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 174

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Tuesday, June 3, 1862

Moving two miles again, we halted for a few days at Marietta, a small village in Itawamba County, twenty-one miles from Jacinto.

A part of the army stopped at Baldwin, a station on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, twelve miles west of Marietta, while the rest went further south. The wagons belonging to our battalions were at Baldwin.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 174

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Sunday, June 8, 1862

After a march of about seventeen miles on the Fulton road, we camped within a few hundred yards of the Tombigbee River, near where Colonel Bennett's Battalion was camped.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 174

Diary of Private Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Wednesday, April 22, 1863

Rain ceased; bright and clear this morning. We came on to Alexandria. I spent the evening working with my mule's feet. After supper I went over to Lodge to assist in conferring some side degrees. I took 1001; staid till 11 o'clock. Came back and went to bed. In a few minutes ordered to saddle up. Yanks coming down on us like thousand of brick from Liberty, Snow Hill and all around. We marched all night. I and Jack and Bill Kyle got together. Couldn't keep up with Regiment. Stopped at daylight, got breakfast, fed horses and traveled on. Crossed river—nearly swimming. Came out three miles and camped.

SOURCE: Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Diary of Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Member of Company D Terry's Texas Rangers, p. 14