Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, May 11, 1863

Reveille at four o'clock; started on our march after a "hearty cup of coffee." Struck inland and marched around Lake St. Joseph, through one of the most beautiful countries I ever saw; the plantations large and residences elegant; one in particular, Judge Bowie's, was one of the most elegant places in the South; the flower garden eclipsed anything of the kind I ever saw. Most of the men had bouquets stuck in their muskets. My horse had his head decorated with them. This elegant place was in ruins by the time we got there. The house had been burned, as were most of the residences around the lake, and all the cotton gins. Most of the owners had fled and left their houses to the care of the servants. I must say that the officers did what they could to prevent it, and General Ransom halted the brigade and said he would have any of his command severely punished if caught in the act of setting fire to any building, yet while he was talking, flames burst forth from half a dozen houses. Marched eighteen miles.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, pp. 13-4

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, May 13, 1863

72d Ill. detailed as rear guard. A large train of supplies and ammunition going out to the armies in advance. Roads terribly dusty and weather exceedingly hot. Met hundreds of "contrabands" going into Grand Gulf. No one can imagine the picturesque and comic appearance of the negroes, all ages, shapes and sizes. All seemed happy at the idea of being free, but what is to become of them the men can be made soldiers, but women and children must suffer. Encamped in a beautiful grove; not having tents, we bivouacked in the open air.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 14

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, May 14, 1863

Commenced our march at 4 a. m. Marched to the Big Sandy River, where we had quite an exciting time. A courier from the river rode by and reported that Richmond had been taken. There was great enthusiasm among the men. Marched about twenty miles today.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 14

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, May 15, 1863

Weather warm and roads dusty. Marched over the battlefield of Port Gibson, where McPherson cleaned the rebels out most effectually. Twenty-two miles today.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 14

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, May 16, 1863

Started at four a. m. Reached Raymond by ten o'clock. The churches were full of the wounded rebels and our men, for there had been quite a fight here, as well as at Port Gibson. We had cleaned the rebels out and our men were in the best of spirits. While resting here, heard firing in the distance. Started at quick time; men were drawn up in line of battle about five miles from Raymond, across a road, but the enemy had gone around us. Orders came to move forward in a hurry. Met some brigades resting on the road, but General Wilson of Grant's staff hurried us forward across fields and arrived at Champion's Hill just as the enemy fled. We were pushed forward to the front and slept on the field of battle. Dead rebels and Union soldiers were lying all around us. The enemy had fled across the Big Black River. Our victory had been complete, captured over two thousand men, seventeen pieces of artillery and a number of battle flags. Marched twenty-five miles today.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 14

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel John Beatty, October 6, 1861

The Third and Sixth Ohio, with Loomis' battery, left camp at half-past three in the afternoon, and took the Huntersville turnpike for Big Springs, where Lee's army has been encamped for some months. At nine o'clock we reached Logan's Mill, where the column halted for the night. It had rained heavily for some hours, and was still raining. The boys went into camp thoroughly wet, and very hungry and tired; but they soon had a hundred fires kindled, and, gathering around these, prepared and ate supper.

I never looked upon a wilder or more interesting scene. The valley is blazing with camp-fires; the men flit around them like shadows. Now some indomitable spirit, determined that neither rain nor weather shall get him down, strikes up:

Oh! say, can you see by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

A hundred voices join in, and the very mountains, which loom up in the fire-light like great walls, whose tops are lost in the darkness, resound with a rude melody befiting so wild a night and so wild a scene. But the songs are not all patriotic. Love and fun make contribution also, and a voice, which may be that of the invincible Irishman, Corporal Casey, sings:

’T was a windy night, about two o'clock in the morning,

 An Irish lad, so tight, all the wind and weather scorning,

 At Judy Callaghan's door, sitting upon the paling,

 His love tale he did pour, and this is part of his wailing:

 Only say you'll be mistress Brallaghan;

 Don't say nay, charming Judy Callaghan.

A score of voices pick up the chorus, and the hills and mountains seem to join in the Corporal's appeal to the charming Judy:

Only say you'll be mistress Brallaghan;

Don't say nay, charming Judy Callaghan.

Lieutenant Root is in command of Loomis' battery. Just before reaching Logan's one of his provision wagons tumbled down a precipice, severely injuring three men and breaking the wagon in pieces.

SOURCE: John Beatty, The Citizen-soldier: Or, Memoirs of a Volunteer, pp. 75-7

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel John Beatty, October 7, 1861

Left Logan's mill before the sun was up. The rain continues, and the mud is deep. At eleven o'clock we reached what is known as Marshall's store, near which, until recently, the enemy had a pretty large camp. Halted at the place half an hour, and then moved four miles further on, where we found the roads impassable for our artillery and transportation.

Learning that the enemy had abandoned Big Springs and fallen back to Huntersville, the soldiers were permitted to break ranks, while Colonel Marrow and Major Keifer, with a company of cavalry, rode forward to the Springs. Colonel Nick Anderson, Adjutant Mitchell and I followed. We found on the road evidence of the recent presence of a very large force. Quite a number of wagons had been left behind. Many tents had been ripped, cut to pieces, or burned, so as to render them worthless. A large number of beef hides were strung along the road. One wagon, loaded with muskets, had been destroyed. All of which showed, simply, that before the rebels abandoned the place the roads had become so bad that they could not carry off their baggage.

The object of the expedition being now accomplished, we started back at three o'clock in the afternoon, and encamped for the night at Marshall's store.

SOURCE: John Beatty, The Citizen-soldier: Or, Memoirs of a Volunteer, p. 77

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel John Beatty, October 8, 1861

Resumed the march early, found the river waist high, and current swift; but the men all got over safely, and we reached camp at one o'clock.

The Third has been assigned to a new brigade, to be commanded by Brigadier-General Dumont, of Indiana.

The paymaster has come at last.

Willis, my new servant, is a colored gentleman of much experience and varied accomplishments. He has been a barber on a Mississippi river steamboat, and a daguerreian artist. He knows much of the South, and manipulates a fiddle with wonderful skill. He is enlivening the hours now with his violin.

Oblivious to rain, mud, and the monotony of the camp, my thoughts are carried by the music to other and pleasanter scenes; to the cottage home, to wife and children, to a time still further away when we had no children, when we were making the preliminary arrangements for starting in the world together, when her cheeks were ruddier than now, when wealth and fame and happiness seemed lying just before me, ready to be gathered in, and farther away still, to a gentle, blue-eyed mother—now long gone—teaching her child to lisp his first simple prayer.

SOURCE: John Beatty, The Citizen-soldier: Or, Memoirs of a Volunteer, pp. 77-8

Diary of Private Richard R. Hancock: Saturday, May 17, 1862

Passing on through Frankfort and Russellville, Alabama, and notifying the boys to be ready to start to camps next morning. I stopped for the night with my uncle, Ben Hancock, who lived four miles north of Russellville. Starting back the 18th, we rejoined our company the 19th at Jacinto.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 170

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Saturday, May 31, 1862

After the rear of the infantry passed we moved on down, covering the retreat on the left flank. Two companies of Colonel Forrest's Regiment were with us. We bivouacked about six miles from Boonville. Our wagons moved on with the main army. 

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 173

Diary of Private Theodore Reichardt, Friday, April 4, 1862

The Second Corps on the move. Started by eight o'clock A. M.; by four o'clock we went into park at Big Bethel, to camp for the night.

SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 37

Diary of Private Theodore Reichardt, Saturday, April 5, 1862

Marched at daybreak. Cannonading going on in front of Yorktown. General McClellan passed the line amidst great cheering of the troops. Strong intrenchments were found near Howard's Mills. At six o'clock P. М. we went to camp three miles from Yorktown.

SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 37

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, January 14, 1862

Weather still very cold, marching orders have been issued and at 10 O'clock we leave this place for a different locality. The 10th & 18th Regts. and one Battery of artillery in front—our Regt. next the 29th 30th 31st & 48th the train of wagons &c. Bal of artillery & cavalry bringing up the rear     Near sundown we encamped near a place called Blamville having marched a distance of 9 miles for the first day.

Firing has been heard all this afternoon in the direction of Columbus One or Two of our Gun Boats have dropped down and are answering them by throwing a few shot and shell into their intrenchments

SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 234

Diary of Corporal John W. Dennett, June 9, 1863

Cannonading heard toward Warrenton, in the afternoon.

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. 275

Diary of Corporal John W. Dennett, June 13, 1863

Received two months' pay. Left camp at seven o'clock at night, in an awful rain-storm; marched through the mud, and arrived at Hartwood Church at eleven o'clock. Went into camp for the night. Marched six miles.

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. 275

Diary of Corporal John W. Dennett, June 14, 1863

Reveille sounded at half-past two A.M. Started from Hartwood Church at nine o'clock, and marched to Weaverville. Went into camp at seven P.M., after a march of twenty-three miles. The day was very pleasant, and the roads good.

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. 275

Diary of Corporal John W. Dennett, June 15, 1863

Reveille sounded at two A.M. Left camp at five o'clock, and marched to Manassas Junction, where we went into position on the left of the railroad, at three р.м. Marched nineteen miles.

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. 275

Diary of Corporal John W. Dennett, June 17, 1863

Reveille was sounded at one A.M. Marched till half-past four, to Centreville, where we saw the Ninth Massachusetts Battery. Went into camp at three P.M., at a place called Gum Springs. The day was very hot, and the roads dusty, and several of the men were sun-struck. Eighteen miles.

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, pp. 275-6

Diary of Corporal John W. Dennett, June 22, 1863

Started from Middleburg at half-past nine A.M., and stopped in the road three hours while eight or ten thousand cavalry passed us. Saw a lot of rebel prisoners in a barn. Started about noon, and went back to the town, and went into battery about a mile from it. Stopped an hour, then limbered up, and started up and went back to camp at Aldie. Arrived at half-past four, and remained in camp till June 26.

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. 276

Diary of Corporal John W. Dennett, June 26, 1863

To-day begins the Pennsylvania campaign. Reveille sounded at four A.M. Left camp at six o'clock. Marched through Leesburg, and crossed the Potomac on a pontoon-bridge at Edwards's Ferry. Went into camp on the Maryland side at eight P.M. There was a fine rain almost all day, and the roads were very bad; but marched twenty-two miles.

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. 276