It rained again nearly the whole day. We formed a line of
battle early this morning, but soon returned to our “ranches” with orders to
keep our accouterments on and be ready to form at a moment's notice.
Skirmishing commenced early all along the line and there was cannonading from
our side with no reply from the rebels. Things are progressing fine. There is
no news from the army around Richmond. I wrote a letter today to Robinson
Laport of the Twenty-fourth Iowa and received one from Miss Moore.1
_______________
1 Miss Moore, of Tipton. Iowa, wrote letters to encourage
the soldiers. — A. G. D.
Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B.,
Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 196
