Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, January 4, 1862

Saturday morning     Cold & gloomy as usual misting rain Co. on police Duty to day the inclemency of the weather prohibits Drilling     Dress Parade as usual.

SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 233

Diary of Dr. Alfred L. Castleman, November 9, 1861

This morning, as I passed through the camp giving directions about cleaning and ventilating tents, whilst the regiment was on parade, my Colonel, seeing me so engaged, gave orders that no directions of mine need be obeyed till he sanctioned them. A very strange order; but as it releases me from responsibility for the health of the regiment, I shall henceforward leave the police regulations of the camp to him, and stay at the hospital. I think it will take but a short time to convince him of his mistake, and that he knows nothing of the sanitary wants of a camp.

SOURCE: Alfred L. Castleman, The Army of the Potomac. Behind the Scenes. A Diary of Unwritten History; From the Organization of the Army, by General George B. McClellan, to the close of the Campaign in Virginia about the First Day January, 1863, pp. 50-1

Diary of Private Lewis C. Paxson: Saturday, December 20, 1862

General policing by all parties outside. Fine weather. Patrol dismissed. Hayes' singing school.

SOURCE: Lewis C. Paxson, Diary of Lewis C. Paxson: Stockton, N.J., 1862-1865, p. 10

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, Saturday, November 2, 1861

Camp Cairo, Illinois. . . . colder than ever morning Drill as usual. Our Co. is on Police Duty to day L. F. Williams Captain of the Guard to day by order of H. A. Rust

Capt. Parke Capt. Merrill & Liut Stout are to day placed under arrest—by order of that Benevolent Old Creature, Col. Buford. The nature of the charges to be preferred against them is still a mystery to all. but some of the more knowing ones are slyly hinting around that a petition has been gotten up here in camp, setting forth the objections to Col. Buford as a Col. & respectfully soliciting him to resign his Office, & that said petition has been signed by said Officers for which offense his majesty has seen fit to place them under arrest: how true this is remains to be seen.

SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 230

Diary of Private John J. Wyeth, December 24, 1862

Wednesday, and our duties have commenced again: regular camp routine,—drill, guard, and police, the same as before the last march.

We are forgetting the sore feet, and gaining flesh every day, and an occasional run down town to Blagg's tends to rub off the rough edge of being cooped behind sentries.

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. 30

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, Monday, September 16, 1861

Police Duty as usual, respective Companies fixing up their camp ground. Nothing of importance to day except the arrival of a Comp. of 50 men from  Crittenden County Ky. for camp Butler. also Col. Jurchins (Turchin) 19th  Ills. Regt. came up the river from their camp on the KB. Side opposite Norfolk their destination is not yet known. The court martial of Capt. Hitts man for insubordination set to day, tis known what the sentence is

SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 226

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, Monday, September 23, 1861

Our Comp. is on Police Duty again to day—Battalion Drill this afternoon without arms the comp. all went through the drill very for the first time

SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 227

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, Tuesday, September 24, 1861

Camp McClernand, Cairo, Ills. Ten men on Police Duty again to day Nighswonger refused to act having been detailed—in consequence was put in the Guard House on Bread & water time indefinite. Private in the Guard House Also for drunkeness.

SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 227

Diary of Private John J. Wyeth, November 20, 1862

We have enjoyed three days of furlough, with no drill or duty to speak of, and most of the company are in good trim again. It has rained much lately, which shuts us in-doors, most of our time being occupied in writing and sleeping. We have just received our blankets, which we left at Washington, never expecting to see them again. They are very acceptable, as the nights are not of the mildest.

Our camp is very pleasantly located, a few rods nearer the Neuse than our first one. The barracks are formed in two wings, with cook-house in rear of each company, and quartermaster's department to be built in the square behind; the line officers in barracks by themselves on each flank, and staff in front of the right wing; the guard line being just outside of all, giving us a convenient parade ground. About six men are drawn from the company each day for camp guard and two for police, making that duty comparatively light; but other work comes in regular order, so we don't have much leisure time. Our routine is about as follows: Reveille at half-past six A.M. and roll-call; then basins to the front, and we go to the water, although we often find some running back to the barracks to get a little more sleep; breakfast, seven; surgeon's call, half-past seven; about this time the first sergeant makes his morning report; guard mounting at eight; then squad drilling from half-past eight till ten, unless the officers get tired of it; company drill, eleven to twelve; then one hour for dinner; company drill from one to two; battalion drill, three to four; company parade and roll-call at half-past four; dress parade, five; supper, six; tattoo and roll-call, half-past seven; taps, half-past eight. No rest for the weary, for between whiles Sergt. Thayer wants three men to get rations, or Sergt. Parsons wants one to sweep barracks, or perhaps the captain wants one to carry a loaded knapsack in front of his quarters for an hour or so for discipline. We wish the paymaster would come; we have been borrowing and lending to each other just to be able to remember the looks of a dollar. There is about three months' pay due us, which would alleviate our misery much just now, especially as Thanksgiving is near at hand.

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

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, Wednesday Morning, September 4, 1861

Cloudy drissling rain, very unpleasant underfoot—quite a No. not out at Roll Call—placed on Extra Duty in consequence. Our Co. placed on Police Duty to day-by order of the Col.

Camp McClernand Cairo Ills.

it is therefore exempt from drill to day no news of consequences. has rained at intervals all day The Two Gun Boats have returned, reported to have had a brush with a Gun Boat of the Enemy's—called Yankee—near a place called Hickman in which the latter was worsted Also bombarded the place. News of Jefferson Davis' death this evening generally not credited

SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 225

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, Thursday Morning, September 12, 1861

Duties of the morning gone through with as usual Our Company on Police Duty to day cleaning up the Parade ground & digging sinks. nothing of importance transpired to day. Dress Parade this evening as usual.

SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 226

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, Saturday, September 14, 1861

Duties as usual this morning. The Regt on Police duty today, cleaning up the regimental Parade ground. News encouraging from the seat of war to day. reported fight going on down the river near Norfolk on the Mo. side this evening.

SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 226

Diary of Private Lewis C. Paxson, Friday, August 29, 1862

I did police duty.

SOURCE: Lewis C. Paxson, Diary of Lewis C. Paxson: Stockton, N.J., 1862-1865, p. 3

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Thursday, August 13, 1863

It is rumored that our brigade is to go to Natchez, Mississippi, in a few days, but we cannot tell whether it is true or not. I was on police duty today, for the first time, down in Vicksburg. There are more than a hundred men detailed each day to keep order in the city, and nobody is allowed on the streets without a pass from the provost marshal. We work on eight-hour shifts, and each man has a certain part of a street to patrol for two hours at a time, after which he is off duty for a period of four hours. I was on duty in a residence district, and while I was walking my beat, a lady came out of her home for an afternoon's walk. I of course had to ask her to show her pass. I must have looked pretty fierce to her, with loaded gun, fixed bayonet and all accouterments on. I asked her kindly for her pass and she answered that she had none, whereupon I told her what my orders were; that she would have to return to her home and not come out on the streets again without a pass, or I would have to take her to the provost marshal's office. She thanked me very politely as I closed her gate, saying that she wanted to obey orders and that she would send out and procure a pass before going on the street again. This lady is certainly experiencing war at her own dooryard, yet she showed the good breeding of the Southern lady.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 134-5