Diary of Private Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Monday, June 15, 1863

I took dinner to-day with Mr. Guess. Relieved this evening. Five of us went on scout; got supper at Mr. Mankin's. I left my valise at Mr. Guess's. I forgot to note leaving undershirt and pair of drawers at Mr. Brown's on Falling Water.

SOURCE: Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Diary of Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Member of Company D Terry's Texas Rangers, p. 19

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Saturday, April 29, 1865

Work on Muster & Pay rolls all day, boat cam up last night bringing Mobile papers of the 28th with information that at the Mouth of Red river The Rebs were communicating for flag of truce relative to a speedy surrender by Kirby Smith of all the army west of the Mississippi. Many Citizens came in today some from 20 & 25 miles back & all express themselves astonished at the good treatment they rec from our soldiers. We wait patiently for something official from high authority confirmatory of the surrender of Joe Jonston. There is a report that somewhere near there is a rebel force of 400 & that the 1st Brig are ordered out on a scout with 2 days rations, Dick Taylor has not surrendered but is reported with his staff in Mobile. Papers note the arrival at Mobile of a paymaster & rumor says he is paying there. Take a walk after supper with Sergt Miller.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 596

Diary of Private John J. Wyeth, March 30, 1863

SIEGE AT WASHINGTON.

It has rained nearly all this week, and until yesterday we have been loafing, trying to kill time. Last night our company was on picket again up the road towards Tarboro, coming in this morning about six o'clock. They had a most miserable time. Twitchell was sent to the hospital sick. A few of us were on guard here, so escaped picket duty.

Gen. Foster arrived here this morning, and by noon Companies A and G, under command of Capt. J. M. Richardson of "A," with one howitzer, were tramping across the bridge towards New Berne on a scout. Those who could went to the water's edge to watch them. They were soon in action, meeting a force of rebels who handled them severely. Finding quite a strong force protected by breastworks, they were ordered back, to give the "Louisiana" a chance to shell the woods. Capt. Richardson of "A" was wounded twice in the left arm.

They left Sergt. Hobart, Corp. Lawrence, and John Leonard of "G," who were taken prisoners. The rebels closed on them and carried them off. Several others were struck, but none seriously hurt. About every man at the head of the column was hit. Capt. Richardson was heard to say, "It is rough to go through what I have (five or six battles) without a scratch, and get hurt in this affair."

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. 44

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

Went to Murfreesboro' on a visit from camp, as we were resting in camp on this day from the fatigue of our scout ; being two miles to town and two back again, making 4 miles. Gave up our Sibley tents and set up our dog or shelter tents for the first time, and have a fine berth. A clear day, very warm and dry, and all quiet in camp.

The following table will give you the names of the towns traveled through up to this time in the States of Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama:

KENTUCKY.	TENNESSEE.	ALABAMA.
Louisville,	Mitchelsville,	Rogersville,
Elizabethtown,	Springhill,	Florence,
Mumfordsville,	Nashville,	Lawrenceburg,
Woodsonville,	Franklin,	Mount Pleasant,
Horse Cave,	Columbia,	Fayetteville.
Cave City,	Linnville,
Bowling Green,	Pulaski,
Franklin,	Winchester,
Brunettstown,	Salem,
Fishersville,	Jasper,
Taylorsville,	Chattanooga, on the line of Ga., Ala. and Tenn.,
Bloomfield,	Watrace,*
Chaplin,	Altamont,*
Maxville,	Manchester,*
Perryville, battle,	Shelbyville,*
Lebanon,	Tullahoma,*
Louisville,	Smithland,*
Nolinville,	Nashville,*
Lavern,	Lavern,*
New Albany, Ind.	Murfreesboro', battle 30 Dec, '61 [sic]
Louisville,
Clarksville,

It is unnecessary for me to set forth the number of miles between the towns mentioned above, as it can be found carried out in the preceding pages of this book. I will now call your attention to a few of our foraging and picket marches, and number of miles marched on those occasions.

_______________

* A counter-march into this State.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, pp. 31-2

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, January 28, 1863

Morning cold the mud froze so it bears a man up, The Cavilry took a skout yesterday afternoon & about 200 of them went out to a Rebble ball at Lagrange 15 miles west of Helena, they took 5 Rebbles Soldiers & spies in our uniform & 8 Citizens & some of them ran when the cavelry rode up, & John Westenberger from near Centerville Iowa who is in the 3rd Iowa Cavelry dismounted & ran after them hallowing halt but they did not heed & he shot down a Reb Capt Gib or Gibbs he died in a few minutes. Westenberger tended me¹ when I built Wadlingtons house at Centerville. I finished pointing up our cabbin I feel very unwell my bones all ache & my back is verry painfull.

_______________

¹ The writer was a brick and stone mason by trade.

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, pp. 106-7

Diary of Private Seth J. Wells, Sunday, February 1, 1863

We went forty miles last night. This is a rainy day. Fortune seems to be against us when we float the Mississippi. Our rations in the bread line since we left Bolivar have been mostly hard-tack with cornmeal. We occasionally draw flour. The hard crackers we draw are better now than they have been before. The boats have moved very slowly against the current today. We arrived at Providence the middle of the afternoon, landed above the town, and went ashore. Our company and company F surrounded the town but caught no one. Capt. Wheeler and three or four of us entered the Post Office and searched it. We found a few letters and papers. We broke open the ballot box which was full of tickets voted for Jeff Davis. Abe and I each got us a set of chess men. I got a six-inch drafting rule, also some pamphlets giving the object and description of the K. G. C., or Knights of the Golden Circle. Providence, before the war, must have been a beautiful town, but now it is almost deserted. A few women and children were standing in the doors, nearly scared to death. They scarcely knew what to expect from the long dreaded Yankees. The Post Office is a large brick building, in the back part of which was the equipment of the Sons of Malta. We caught no guerillas. We threw out our pickets and slept upon the boat, Abe and I upon the hurricane deck, as our wood pile was burned up. It was quite cool for this country, one might say cold. We lay in the boat until the middle of the afternoon. A detail from the brigade went out mule-back this morning on a scout. When we heard that guerillas were out a few miles in the country, our company and company G were ordered out. Col. Dietzler said there was no use in going farther as there were none there, but the boys wanted a little exercise, so they took us about two miles to a nice plantation, where we killed a lot of chickens. Gus Schultz and I caught eight, I caught five and found some eggs. John Cumberworth, also of our mess, got a frying pan which we needed very much. One of our boys was thrown from a mule. It commenced raining just as we started back, and before we arrived at camp we were completely soaked through. We were called aboard and dropped off below town where we remained until morning. The night was very cold and the ground was frozen quite solid. This morning there was a detail of nearly half the brigade for fatigue. We were put to work digging away the levees to let the water into Lake Providence, which is one mile back from the river. There was once a channel between the river and lake in high water, but it is dammed up. The lake makes connections with Red River through bayous. Providence is equally divided into three parts, they are separated by the old channel, which forms a common for the town. The town is a little higher than the channel, but lower than the levee. The inhabitants are badly scared and are moving out. It will all be inundated when we get the levee cut through. The engineers say there are four feet and six inches of fall between the surface of the river and the surface of the ground below the levee. We worked until noon, and then another relief came on. The regiment moved down to the boats and camped on the other side of the levee. We got a large barroom stove for our tent. This evening there was a detail sent across the river to a large plantation for Nigs. One hundred and forty were caught and sent to Vicksburg. We saw peach trees in bloom today. We met Gen. McArthur and bodyguard when we were coming out.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, pp. 36-8

Diary of Private William S. White, August 17, 1862

Left Petersburg last evening with a force of some 1,000 or 1,200 men, on a scouting expedition into Prince George county, where the Federals have been committing some depredations. We were on the road all night, and are now some eight miles from Prince George Courthouse, and but a short distance from the James River. The object of this expedition is to learn whether or not McClellan has moved all of his forces from the neighborhood of Harrison's Landing, and to fire upon his transports, should they be in the river.

SOURCE: William S. White, A Diary of the War; or What I Saw of It, p. 126

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, 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: Friday, June 6, 1862

McKnight's Company went on a scout toward Bay Spring. They brought no news of interest.

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

Diary of Private Seth J. Wells, January 30, 1863

I was detailed on fatigue this morning. The detail from our regiment worked on the big break in the levee. We did a good day's work, and slightly checked the current. The Mississippi continues to rise. Uncle Ben, Scott and Patterson returned from their three days' scout. They had been up the river after beef and had secured fifty head. Mail came in last night, Frank received a letter from Rosalie, dated Jan. 4. Just to think, they have had no snow yet in the north. Generals U. S. Grant and Ross have arrived.

SOURCE: Seth James Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells, Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, p. 35

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Sunday, May 25, 1862

McKnight's Company went on a scout up the Tuscumbia road, but brought back no news of interest.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 172

Diary of Private John J. Wyeth, February 4, 1863

We are having an easy time so far, excepting for the cold weather. We have no guard or drill as yet; a part of the 27th M. V. do provost duty. There are rumors of a regimental guard, around our quarters; so all who could cleared out early and stayed all day. A party of us visited the courthouse, prison, and graveyard. All but the last, with a church close by, show marks of being used as targets. After picking ivy from the graveyard wall, to send home, we started out of town on a private scout. About a mile's walk brought us to a picket; who thought our visit farther had better be indefinitely postponed; so, after a pleasant chat with them, whom we found to be natives, deserters from the rebel army, and, of course, unionists, we took the "right about" and tramped towards camp arriving just in time for inspection and dress parade at half-past four P.M.

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. 36

Diary of Private Richard R. Hancock: Monday, May 5, 1862

After cooking three days' rations, we struck tents and loaded our wagons. The wagons were sent to Booneville, twelve miles from Jacinto, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. McNairy moved his men back to Jacinto, and quartered them in the various unoccupied houses. Allison's Company had splendid quarters in the court-house. Two scouts were sent out, one to Burnsville, the other to Glendale, six miles west of the former place, on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. Found no Federals. We remained at Jacinto for some days, scouting and picketing.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 167

Diary of Private Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Saturday, March 21, 1863

Brigade went out on scout. Our Company supported battery, drove the Yanks back to their main camp and returned.

SOURCE: Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Diary of Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Member of Company D Terry's Texas Rangers, p. 10

Diary of Private Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Tuesday, March 31, 1863

Went on a scout out to Eaglesville. Met a Yankee scout just this side of E. We charged them and run them one and a half miles, capturing six and wounding several.

SOURCE: Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Diary of Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Member of Company D Terry's Texas Rangers, p. 11

Diary of Private Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Tuesday, March 3, 1863

Company went on scout. Unshod horses did not go, so I staid.

SOURCE: Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Diary of Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Member of Company D Terry's Texas Rangers, p. 9

Diary of Private Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Saturday, March 14, 1863

Squadron went on scout. I went to shop and on bread detail.

SOURCE: Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Diary of Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Member of Company D Terry's Texas Rangers, p. 10

Diary of Captain Joseph Stockton, February 19, 1863

Left camp on the 16th on a scout to hunt up Blythe's forces. Orders came upon us suddenly to prepare two days rations and go in light marching order. Men strapped a rubber and one common blanket across their shoulders and were soon ready, all glad of the change as camp life had become very monotonous. Our force consisted of some 500 cavalry, 800 infantry (our regiment and part of the 11th) and two pieces of artillery. It had been raining for some time and the roads were horrible. Marched about twenty-one miles the first day. The rebels had burned all the bridges and we had to cut down trees to cross over the streams. Rained the first day. About 6 o'clock in the evening we went into camp, without any tents. Sleep was almost impossible. Reached Blythe's camp on the morning of the 17th, but the bird had flown. Company A were thrown out as skirmishers and moving forward in that way came upon Blythe's camp. They had been forced to retreat so fast that they had left all their camp utensils and provisions covered up with leaves and hid under branches of trees cut down. We destroyed everything we could find and commenced our march homeward, Co. A as rear guard. We kept skirmishing with the Rebs who would come just near enough to get a shot at us. Raining hard all the time. Marching terrible through a swamp when it was so dark you could not distinguish the men in front, we waded through water for an hour; when we came to Horn Lake river it was so swollen and deep from the rain that we could not ford it and as all the bridges have been burned down we cut down two large trees which fell across the stream and by the light of a single lamp crossed on these. We went into camp about four miles from the river but sleep was impossible owing to the rain. I sat on a log most of the night and tumbled off once in the mud from being asleep. I was a tough looking picture. Next morning we reached camp and all glad to get back. It was on this march that an incident occurred which was very amusing. We had halted and stacked arms at noon near a farm house where the men went for chickens, geese, pigs and everything eatable they could get, when all at once a lot of the men came rushing out of the yard yelling what was thought to be "Rebs." Men rushed for their arms-officers mounted, when it was discovered instead of Rebs it was bees. A lot of men in search of provisions had come upon a number of bee-hives and in trying to get the honey upset the hives and the whole swarm of bees set upon them. They were routed and fled, the bees attacked the horses and men so vigorously that we had to move the regiment.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 8