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
About six inches of
snow fell last night and it has snowed all day. The citizens say it is the
heaviest storm they have seen in a number of years. By night it was about ten
inches deep. The paymaster paid off all but our company today.
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. 27
Camp near Hickman's
Bridge, Ky. I did not join the regiment as soon as I expected, owing to the
negligence of the Medical Director, whose duty it was to furnish me
transportation. As I had no money, I was forced to await his pleasure. The
regiment took cars for this place the day they crossed over, so I was left in
Cincinnati until Friday evening to live as best I might. I crossed the river on
Friday, and next morning took cars for Nicholasville, fourteen miles beyond
Lexington, and one hundred fifteen miles from Cincinnati. I was just in time to
get two months' pay. I should have drawn for two months more, but there was a
mistake in the pay rolls, which cannot be corrected until next muster. The
Paymaster says he is going to pay us again next month, and the next time muster
us out of the service.
We have a very
pleasant camp, in a shady grove, and an abundance of pure, sparkling water,
which I appreciate now as I never did before.
SOURCE: David Lane,
A Soldier's Diary: The Story of a Volunteer, 1862-1865, p. 77
Received four
months' pay, which was of the greatest service to the officers and men and put
all in a good humor. Sutlers shops were patronized extensively and the express
office crowded with soldiers sending money to the loved ones at home. On the
other side, gambling is carried on extensively till the sharpers have fleeced
the green ones out of their last cent. Officers try their best to prevent it, but
the men will steal away whenever they can get a chance. It is about as hard to
keep them from gambling as getting whisky, and where an officer could not get a
drop men can get all they want.
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, p. 12
Mustered for two
months' pay. Started from Potomac Creek at half-past one P.M., with eight days'
rations. Each off-horse had a bag of grain on his back. We marched to Hartwood
Church, and went into camp at six P.M., having marched eight 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. 274
We were paid off, $57.75. Guard reduced to three posts. N. F. Randolph paid me $40, making us square. I wrote some in Q. M. department. Commenced to pallisade. Received $25 bounty and $2 premium.
SOURCE: Lewis C. Paxson, Diary of Lewis C. Paxson: Stockton, N.J., 1862-1865, p. 8
Have been paid off; $24.70 I got, and we all went ashore and washed up. The bunks on the Arago have been used so long by so many that they are lousy and most everyone has them. I, however, have found none as yet. We are kept on shore as much as possible, as a guard against disease, which would surely come when so many are crowded in so small a space. As there is no way to spend money here except for oysters, a great many gamble it away, then borrow again from those that win and pay any interest asked for. There is more and more sickness every day. Many are taken to a hospital at Fortress Monroe, which I am told is not far away.
SOURCE: Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 63-4
Morning weather cool
though during the day tis very pleasant The news of Jeff Thompson's defeat at
Fredrictown by our forces causes much rejoicing in camp the news came this
evening by telegraph Lt. Allen has succeeded in getting his pay to day—due for
the Mo. of September & a furlough home for seven days he leaves to-morrow
morning on the 4 O'clock train, prospects for a storm
SOURCE: Transactions
of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 229
1 Napoleon B. Buford was a graduate of
West Point, law student, assistant professor at West Point, 1833 to 1835, civil
engineer, Illinois merchant, banker and railroad builder. At the
outbreak of the Civil War, his banking business was ruined due to large
investments in Southern State bonds. He gave up all his property to
satisfy his obligations and was commissioned Colonel of the 27th Illinois Volunteers
by Governor Yates. For his gallant conduct at the battles of Belmont, Island
No. 10, and Union City he was commissioned Brigadier-General by the President.
When he left the service, he held the commission of Major-General. Eddy, Patriotism of Illinois, II., pp.
56-57.
SOURCE: Transactions
of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 230
Battery mustered for four months' pay. Sergt. Brown returned from furlough. Capt. Martin went to Washington.
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. 272
To-day we were mustered for two months' pay, and of course we were happy till our ardor was cooled by our captain, who told us it might be three months before we received our money. All the consolation to us is, our names are on the list. Our barracks are up in arms, as we are getting ready for the entertainment this evening. Those who are not practising or ordering round are working like beavers putting things to rights.
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. 31
Received two months' pay on the 22nd. I may repeat here a little incident that occurred which was very pleasant to me. Through some accident for which I was not responsible, the first enlistment roll was lost and in making out a duplicate I had to guess at the time the men were enlisted (this was for my company.) As they got pay from the date of enlistment it made a difference of a few days with a number of men, so I refunded out of my own money all that they lost taking their own word for it. Last night I was surprised by having it all returned with the following note:
Captain Stockton,
Sir:—As a slight expression of our esteem, and a debt of gratitude we hereby acknowledge for the fatherly care you have extended us since the organization of the company, caring for our interests individually and collectively, and for this last act of generosity arising from that innate sense of justice dwelling in the human heart, sacrificing self for the good of others and believing in the Golden Rule of doing unto others as you would have that they should do unto you, we tender you the enclosed by the hand of our representative, Oliver Rice, Orderly Sergeant, and ask your acceptance of the same.
It was signed by all I had paid the money to and was a most agreeable and happy surprise to myself. Colonel Starring said it was the best thing he had seen in the service.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 8-9
Received two months
pay. News arrived in the evening of the Union victory at Springfield, Kentucky,
and death of the rebel General Zollicoffer, in honor of which a national salute
of thirty-four guns was fired. Quiet in camp, the latter part of January.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 31
Drew flour this morning for the first time in eight months. We are to stay here to-day and draw ten months' pay. Our pay-rolls are in the hands of Sergeant English, who is, probably, a prisoner, and, consequently, we will make no draw.
SOURCE: Edwin L. Drake, Editor, The Annals of the Army of Tennessee and Early Western History, Vol. 1, p. 280-1
morning clear air and bracing. Drilling from 6 to 7 O'clock. to day is Pay Day Comps. A. & E. are paid first—as they are going off on a scouting expidition—To-morrow we get paid, the boys are over joyed at getting their pay, have been disappointed so often that they had no confidence any more as to the promised pay day. Have no Battalion Drill to day. A stern wheel Boat came up the River this afternoon with a flag of Truce flying The purport of her visit is no known This Brigade was ordered down town on Double Quick this evening and paraded about an hour on the levy
SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 228
Started at six A.M.,
and arrived in camp at Potomac Creek at eleven o'clock. Time occupied in once
more fixing up our old quarters, that being the second time we had returned to
them. We were paid off for four months.
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. 272
The paymaster looked
in on us. He is the first we have had any dealings with, and we are glad he
came, for most of "E" have been "hard up." We received pay
from August 29th to November 1st,—$27.30 each. We expected to get the whole,
and were disappointed; for when many of us squared up, it took about all that
we received to settle our debts. We are drilled now as a brigade nearly every
day, firing blank cartridges; consequently our guns need extra cleaning, and we
get more marching. Evidently they mean our brigade to be number one.
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. 31
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
McNairy's Battalion drew five months' pay, from the 1st of August to December 31st, 1861. Each private drew twenty-four dollars per month. There were quite a number of troops camped near Decatur, but they were being rapidly conveyed by rail to Corinth, Mississippi.
SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 137
In camp in Pleasant
Valley all day. Mustered for two months' pay.
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. 268
