morning dark & gloomy Drissling rain Roll call as usual but Drill omitted. no drilling to day whatever An order was issued by the Gen. about 11 O'clock to day for 10 men and one Lieut. with arms and 10 rounds of ammunition each Dress Parade as usual this evening.
SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 227
Rienzi. Woke by the bugle at 3:30 A. M.; went out to
roll call and drill. The weather fine. Washed shirt and stockings for first
time. Wrote home. Drilled by Syl. Sweet in the evening on the gun. The enemy
skirmished our pickets, wounded three; our horses were harnessed ready. I felt
a little flushed.
SOURCE: Jenkin Lloyd
Jones, An Artilleryman's Diary, p. 3
The air is purified
by rain during the night. At first dawn we go to the stream for a bath. Knowing
the difficulty to keep clear of lice and dirt, we take the first precaution.
Found plenty of the same opinion. Breakfast from our scanty lump of bread and
lump of bacon. Roll call at 8 o'clock whereat Rebel sergeants attend. The
purpose is to see if all are present. In the event of any being absent, the
detachment is deprived of rations for the day whether the missing man appears
or not. The bread is of course unsifted meal, mixed without leaven or
seasoning, baked in creased cards two feet square. The cry of
"raiders" awoke us last night. We were told by old prisoners
yesterday, about gangs of thieves composed of brutal men who steal everything
that they can use or sell to Rebels; and in some cases they brutally beat and
kill. These organizations have grown rapidly since arrival of new prisoners,
and act in concert in their nefarious practice. They boldly take blankets from
over men's heads, pieces of clothing, anything that can be carried away,
standing over men with clubs threatening to kill if they move. They are led by
desperate characters said to have been bounty jumpers. They bear the name of
raiders. Going among men of our company I found they had not realized their
danger; some had lost boots, knapsack with contents, blankets, provisions and
other things. In some parts, we hear of pocket picking, assaults with clubs,
steel knuckles and knives. This happens every night; in some places at day,
especially after new arrivals.
The rumor circulated
last night that there was a plot to break out of prison on an extensive plan,
has some weight and is the topic of the day. Near the gate an address is posted
signed by Henri Wirz, captain commanding prison, saying the plot is discovered;
he is fully apprised; warns all to abandon the design; that if any unusual
movement is made, the camp will be immediately swept with grape and cannister
from the artilery; that all must know what the effect will be on a field so
thickly covered with men. Evidently the strictest vigilance is kept over us day
and night as shown by the movements of the military posts from the outside.
Inquiring in
reference to the matter, I learned that a large number of western men had
formed a plan to undermine a section of the stockade from which point the
artillery and other arms were most available, and had tunneled along the wall
underground, having approached it from a tunnel from the interior with a view,
at a given signal, when the wall is sufficiently weakened, to rush upon it with
as much force as could be concentrated, push it down and sieze the guns while
the Rebels are sleeping. It was a daring plot, easily discovered and defeated.
Thompson and I go in
search of "Paradise Lost" to quaff from the Parnassian springs of
Milton. After a long search, for we became bewildered in the crowds, we found
our friend who welcomed us. After exchanging addresses and a glance with the
mind's eye over his field of philosophy, we bore away the prize. Could that
great author, Milton, have thought of a title more appropriate to the place
into which the work of his genius has fallen? Foe without, foe within, robbery,
murder, sickness, starvation, death, rottenness, brutality and degradation
everywhere! Fumes of corruption greet our nostrils; the air is impregnated with
morbific effluvium. It seems impossible that fearful epidemic can be stayed. A
few weeks hence but few may be left to tell the tale of misery. The sacred
realm of nature and its virgin purity have been invaded by the crushing power
of tyranny and ravished by the cruel hand of false ambition. Where but lately
the songs of happy birds rang from lofty pines through heavenly air, today we
hear the groans of men in unrestrained agony. On the foul atmosphere is wafted
the expiring breath of men wasted and wasting in their prime. Daily they sink
as if their feet were planted on a thinly crusted marsh,
and, as they sink,
there is nothing to which their hands can cling; no power can reach that would
save, while around hisses the foe who madly thrust us into this worse than den
of lions.
W. H. Harriman,
Zanesville, Ohio, 15th U. S. Infantry, our new acquaintance, is a finely
organized man, possessing a calm, genial nature, of sterling intelligence. He
has patience, faith, hope, and enjoys their blessed fruits. He has a fine sense
of things, takes a comprehensive view of the crisis, how results one way or
another, will affect the interests of mankind. The right is clear to him; he
has faith it will triumph; regrets that any doubt. His knowledge of things
common to schools and men of thought, proves him of a reflective mind; his
candor, brotherly conduct, render him a noble companion.
We are camped in the
midst of Ohio boys belonging to the 7th cavalry. Thirteen were taken, only
seven alive. One has a malignant sore on his arm caused by vaccination. It has
eaten to the bone, nearly around the arm; gangrene is spreading. He is very
poor; soon must die. (Note—June 13th, he died. He had a wife and comfortable
possesions in Ohio.)
A sergeant of the
same company is afflicted with scurvy in the feet. They are terribly swollen,
nearly black, give almost unendurable pain; still he is kind, cheerfully sings
for our diversion in the inimitable tone the western country boys have in their
songs, "The Battle of Mill Spring," "Putting on Airs,"
etc., accompanied by his brother whose limb is contracted from the same
disease. (Note—He became helpless, was carried to the hospital in a hopeless
condition in June.)
I speak of this as a
few incidents among hundreds all over the camp, illustrative of patient
suffering of as noble young men as grace family households, under circumstances
that have no parallel in affliction.
At 8 o'clock this
evening a sentinel fired. Going to the vicinity I learned a man who came in
today, knowing nothing of the dead lines, lay down near it, was shot in the
side and borne away by friends.
SOURCE: John Worrell
Northrop, Chronicles from the Diary of a War Prisoner in Andersonville
and Other Military Prisons of the South in 1864, p. 60-2
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
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
Another hot day. How
hot I don't know, but it wilted me. I tumbled down, completely used up while at
drill. Several others did the same. We seem to be getting over it to-night, as
the air cools off. The nights are cool, and that is all that keeps us from
melting. Not cool enough, however, to stop the mosquitoes. The heat, together
with our changed condition of living, is beginning to get in its work. Several
are in the hospital.
Later. There is
great excitement in Company B to-night. Orderly Sergeant Lewis Holmes, the one
we voted to be our orderly, is to be set back and a corporal named Gilbert
Kniffen is to be put in his place. As soon as the companies were organized at
Hudson, we were allowed to vote which of the five sergeants of Company B should
be orderly sergeant. We did not know then, but have since learned that the
orderly sergeant stands next in the line of promotion to the commissioned
officers. Kniffen is only a corporal, but he has friends at home who have
influence, and this influence has been brought to bear so heavy that this move
has been decided upon.
9 p. m. It is all
over, and Lew Holmes is still orderly sergeant of Co. B, 128th N. Y. Vols. We,
the enlisted men of the company, talked the thing over and decided we would not
put up with it. We did not know if we would be able to prevent it, but we
finally decided we would stand by Holmes, and fight the thing to a finish,
whatever the outcome might be. When we spoke to Captain Bostwick he acted as if
he was ashamed of himself, but he said the change had already been made and
could not be unmade. We told him we could unmake it, and would, or die in the
company street. So the matter rested until time for roll-call, when Kniffin
came out with the book and called the name of William H. Appleby, the first
name on the list. To his honor be it said, he remained silent, and was
immediately put in the mule-stable, which was our guard-house. The next man's
name was called, and he went to join Appleby. This went on until the guardhouse
was full, when a council of the company officers was held, after which the
captain gave us a lecture, telling us what insurbordination [sic] meant, and
that the whole regiment, if necessary, would be used to enforce obedience. We
had agreed not to talk back, but to simply refuse to answer to our names when
called by Corporal Kniffin, or in any way acknowledge him as orderly sergeant,
so we said nothing. The men were brought back from the guard-house, and Kniffin
again called William H. Appleby. He did not answer and was again put in the
guard-house. After a few more had been sent to keep him company another halt
was made, the prisoners were again brought out, and the captain called the
roll, when every man responded promptly. We were then ordered to break ranks
and so the matter stands. But we have won our first battle, we feel sure of
that, although we are warned that a company, and if necessary the whole
regiment, will be called upon to shoot any who do not answer roll-call in the
morning. My name is so near the bottom of the list it was not reached, and so I
had nothing to do but look on and listen, but I am as determined as any, and I
flap my wings and crow just as loudly as William H. Appleby does.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 41-3
Back in Camp
Millington, and the rest of the day is ours. A letter from Miss Hull, in answer
to one written her mother. It was full of home news, and I feel as if I had
been there. My homesick fit has left me, but it was a terror while it lasted. I
believe it is more common than we think. I see many faces yet that look just as
mine felt. Like me they keep it to themselves, or possibly tell it to their
diaries, as I did to mine. I am not the only one who keeps a diary. There are
plenty of others who do, and others still who say they can remember enough of
it without writing it down. In the afternoon Lieutenant Dutcher invited me to
go for a walk. We followed the Baltimore & Ohio R. R. for about a mile and
came to abandoned camp grounds nearly all the way. We found some housekeeping
necessities which we brought back with us. After dress parade, we visited about
until roll-call, and are going to bed early, for to-morrow the grind begins
again. Good-night.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 45
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
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
Our oxen gone. Roll
call at 1 a. m. After Indians. We arrived at Fort Abercrombie all right. Waded
Red river. Left Ottertail river at daylight. Indians tried to burn us up on the
prairie. Cannon after them. Wright and Shulz killed acting as escort for
messenger to our command.
SOURCE: Lewis C.
Paxson, Diary of Lewis C. Paxson: Stockton, N.J., 1862-1865, p. 5
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
Roll call at 5 and ½
O'clock Officers at 7 A. M. Squad drill as usual. Lieut. L. F. Williams with a
grant of 5 days absence left for Pike Co. on business concerning the Co.
SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State
Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 223
Roll call as usual 5½
A. M. Meeting at 10 A. M. Rather dull in [camp]. drissling rain in the
afternoon An order to leave to-morrow. Quite a No. of men have the ague. It is
getting to be quite sickly here Hospital is pretty near full of sick. Thirteen
men from Smiths Comp. from Galena came this evening and joined our Comp. 1861
SOURCE: Transactions
of the Illinois State Historical Society
for the Year 1909, p. 223
Camp at Jacksonville
Morgan co. Ills. Roll call at 5 Breakfast at 5½ O'clock. Immediately after
breakfast the 13 men who joined last evening were examined and sworn into the
service.
Left Camp Butler
with 6 other Companies at ½ past 10 O'clock marched to Jim Town left on the
train at ½ past 11, arrived at Jacksonville at 3 P. M. marched from the depot to
our present encampment nearly 1½ miles very hot and dusty. Had rations enough
left of the amt. drawn of the commissary at Camp Butler for our supper Would
not issue rations to us this evening, for tomorrow through some mistake or
other Have a nice pleasant place for our Camp high dry and healthy.
SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State
Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 223-4
Camp Defiance Cairo
Ills. Roll call, Squad drill this morning. after breakfast men set to
work-cleaning up the groun[d.] Repeated firing of cannon in the artillery drill
at Birds Point-One man nearly killed by the discharge of a cannon Morning
report made out and handed in at Head Quarters 2 men in addition to last report—Aggregate
No. of men in Parkes comp now 98. both sworn into the service by the Col.
Rations of bread short this morning through the rascality or neglect of the
Quartermaster—great dissatisfaction throughout the camp on account of it. Col.
saw to the matter and bread here by half after 8 O'clock tonight.
SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State
Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 224
I RECEIVE AN APPOINTMENT.
The ward next me on the left is a colored one, and contains from 60 to 80 men, according to recruits and drafts. Until recently they have been pretty much on their own hook, no one seeming to care for them. Some days ago Doctor Sadler asked me if I would take charge of them. I said I should like to do anything where I could be of any use.
He gave me my instructions and some blank reports, and set me up in business. My duties are to attend roll-calls, surgeon's calls, keep an account of arrivals, discharges, desertions, deaths, march them up to the kitchen three times a day for rations and make my report to him every morning. Entering on the discharge of my duties the first thing I did was to set them to work cleaning and fixing up their quarters, so they would be more comfortable.
A couple of hours' work showed a great improvement in the condition of things, and while it was being done it gave me a chance to find out who among them were the worst off and needed the most care and favors. A sick nigger is a curious institution and you can't tell so well about him as you can about a sick mule. He can put on the sickest look of anything I ever saw and appear as though he would die in seven minutes, but a nigger is never really sick but once, and is then sure to die. There is no more help for one than there is for a sick pig. I have three that are sick and I have no more faith in their getting well than I have that Gen. Lee will drive Gen. Grant from before Petersburg. Two of them are now unable to attend the surgeon's call in the morning and the other I expect will be in a few days. I have about 10 hobbling around with canes, spavined, ring-boned and foundered. The others are simply a little war-worn and tired.
The kitchen is about 30 rods from the camp, and when I march them up there there are so many lame ones they straggle the whole distance. Doctor Sadler called my attention to this and said he should like to see them march in little better order. I replied: “Surgeon, come out in the morning and see the parade; you will see them marching a 28 inch step and closed up to 18 inches from stem to stern.” He promised he would. The next morning at breakfast call I formed every one of those darkies that carried canes on the right, and the very lamest I put at the head of the column, and gave them a send-off. It was a comical show, they marched at the rate of about one mile an hour, and those in the rear kept calling out to those in advance : “Why don ye goo long dar! Hurry up dar; shan' get breakfas' fo' noon.” They kept closed up a good deal better than they kept the step as the rear crowded the advance to push them along. We were cheered along the route as almost everybody was out to see the fun. We marched in review before the doctor, and by the way he laughed and shook himself I thought he was well satisfied with the parade, at any rate he complimented me on my success when I carried in my morning report.
One day one of my fellows came to me for a pass to go fishing. He said he could catch as many bull-heads as would do us two for three days. I gave him a pass, but didn't see anything of him again for four days. When I asked him where he had been so long, he looked pretty sober for a minute or two, and then rolling around the whites of his eyes and showing his teeth, said: "Yah, yah, yah! ize no idee ize don gon so long; yah, yah, yah."
