Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, January 11, 1863

10 Oc I took part of the Company & went out on Picket 1½ miles from Camp posted my Pickets & plased my videtts, we occupied a picturesque place the ground was verry broken deep gulshes & high knobbs, heavily timbered with Beach Oak & Poplar tall trees in the gulches, the tops but little above the points & the length of the tree would almost or quite reach across from point to point. there was a perfect chattering with squerrels the videtts saw in the afternoon 1 koon several foxes & a great number of squerrels, we passed the Sabbath watchfull & pleasantly, the pickets to our right was of the 3rd Iowa Cavelry & the Lieut & several of the men ware from Davis Co Iowa. Afternoon our Reg had orders & moved to the fort for its defence the Reg that was there having gone with the fleet that leaves this day & night.

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 104

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, January 13, 1863

Rained moderately untill 12 Oc night, when it commenced to pour it down in torrants & continued incessantly all the night long At 9½ Oc morning I was required to report with 10 men & a Corporal at head quarters for Picket duty & at the hour we started out I stationed my pickets & placed my videtts I then took a little exploring ramble beyont to see if I could make any discovery but discovered no enemy & returned by the way of my post on Sunday night & found my watch kee that I then had lost the last time I was on picket At 10 Ос night Lieut Stanton & one of his men of the 3rd Iowa Cavelry came to apprize me that there was a squad of rebble cavelry had aproched his videtts but their horses had neighed & the rebbles put back my man & I was in anxious expectation from that till day but they came not at 3 Oc afternoon I was at the burrying of Thos W Coddington private from near Hillsborough Iowa Chaplain Ingalls informed me that he died verry happy

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 104

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, January 14, 1863

At 11 Oc forenoon we ware relieved from our post & started in rejoicing in hopes of getting to the fire & dry ourselves for we had no shelter from the pelting rain of the past night & this day, & we know how to simpathize with the poor fellows that have to stand the ballance of the day & night At about 3 Oc this morning one of the videtts of the 3rd Iowa Cavelry fired 3 shots at something he supposed to be an enemy but done no execution & he posibly might have been mistaken the night was verry dark but from the time of the firing we ware in expectation all the time untill day light, & even then many expected there would be a dash upon us by Cavelry, we ware the advance pickets through the night & after daylight the pickets of the 3rd Iowa Cavelry again posted themselves beyond us

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, pp. 104-5

Diary of Private Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Tuesday, April 21, 1863

I remained in town some two hours. Went over to Camp, moved my mule to where 'twould be safe in case of a move and went down to Mrs. Jordon Stokes. I had a good long conversation with her. Got a paper from her and just as I was leaving Kyle came in. I loaned him the paper and went over to Cousin Mec's to take dinner. Hank Sullivan came in after dinner. Fox Trammel and Jim Davis came for dinner. The Miss Thompsons, sisters, came in. I went into the parlor with Hank and was introduced to them. We then had some music. An hour or two passed rapidly. We took leave. I promised to call again in the evening. I went over to Mrs. Stokes and after making addition left a letter which she kindly promised to send to Nashville and mail for my Father. I got some more papers. She and Mrs. Muirhead, her mother, tried to make a proselyte of me to Lincolnism or Unionism, as they would term it. Commenced raining. We left soon after I got back; came out near Cherry Valley and camped. I was on picket; the Reserve in a barn; the Videttes in a blacksmith shop; a good time of it.

SOURCE: Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Diary of Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Member of Company D Terry's Texas Rangers, p. 13

Diary of Private Theodore Reichardt, Wednesday, January 1, 1862

Battery in camp near Poolesville; we, the centre section, on picket at Conrad's Ferry. Our picket duty, at this place, has been a very pleasant one, being very light, except the guard duty. Firing of videttes was very frequent during the night. But never did either party disturb the other with artillery practice during our stay. Sometimes signal rockets were sent up on the Maryland side, by rebel sympathizers, which were generally answered from the Virginia shore. General Stone had strong block-houses, of solid oak-timber, built on the line from Muddy Branch to Conrad's Ferry, for the defence of the Maryland side, large enough to hold three hundred men each. May it be remembered, pigs had to suffer in our neighborhood. The weather, having been pleasant for weeks, became very wintry after the first of January.

SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 30-1

Diary of Private William S. White, June 19, 1861

A BIG SCAMPER.

Reported by our videttes that the enemy, ten thousand strong, were moving rapidly on the Warwick road, and would attack us from the rear.

Magruder instantly ordered a retreat, and the troops made very quick time for men not frightened.

There was a good deal of hard swearing, some throwing away of baggage, and in fact a little touch of stampede, but when we reached Yorktown the ten thousand Yankees turned out to be only a marauding party of some fifty or more.

Hardly had we gotten into Yorktown when my detachment was ordered to return to Bethel, with a squadron of cavalry, to guard a wagon train sent back to recover the stores left there.

This time we were mounted but were pretty well broken down when we reached Bethel, as the train moved very slowly. Upon reaching the church I had the good fortune to find a cold boiled ham, and with the aid of ship crackers, I soon made a good square meal. As soon as we loaded up the wagon train, we started back for Yorktown; being much fatigued and very sleepy I could scarcely keep my seat in the saddle. A fifteen mile march, and a thirty mile ride on horseback, in one day is no easy matter.

SOURCE: William S. White, A Diary of the War; or What I Saw of It, p. 101-2