Friday, 16th—Pleasant weather. We cleaned up our camping ground today and built “ranches” covering them with our rubber ponchos. General Hinkenlooper, a West Pointer, is in command of our brigade and has given orders to put on camp guard.
June 15th. Nothing special has taken place since the last date. Public auction in town today. All government property must be sold. An agent here in charge. Horses, mules, saddles, wagons, ambulances. Some of our company have been on duty and in charge of the corral for several days. Will be glad to see the [...]
Thursday, 15th—The men found so much fault with our camp on the low ground and made so much complaint about it at headquarters that our division was ordered to move to higher ground. We moved today to a large piece of sparsely-timbered land, high and rolling, where we will have a fine camp. It is [...]
June 15th. Our Confederacy has gone with one crash — the report of the pistol fired at Lincoln. THE END Reading this for the first time, in all these many years, I wish to bear record that God never failed me, through stranger vicissitudes than I ever dared record. Whatever the anguish, whatever the extremity, [...]
Wednesday, 14th—The weather is sultry. We occupied the day in cleaning our clothing and accouterments. The long journey of eight hundred miles on coal cars and transports was pretty hard on our clothes as well as trying on the men, for we had no protection from the hot sun nor shelter from the rain. The [...]
June 13.–Van Amburgh’s circus was in town to-day and crowds attended and many of our most highly respected citizens, but Grandmother had other things for us to consider.
Tuesday, 13th—We had a thunder shower early this morning. The Eleventh Iowa signed the muster rolls this morning and we expect to get our pay in a few days. The Army of the Tennessee is in camp in and around Louisville. The veterans are becoming very much dissatisfied, as they were expecting to be discharged [...]
Monday, 12th—The boats ran all night, and we passed Cincinnati about 1 a. m. At daylight we landed at Ornod, Indiana, remaining there about two hours, till the fog lifted. We arrived at Louisville about 4 p. m., and disembarking, marched out about eight miles below town where we went into bivouac. This is a [...]
June 12th.—Andy, made lord of all by the madman, Booth, says, “Destruction only to the wealthy classes.” Better teach the negroes to stand alone before you break up all they leaned on, O Yankees! After all, the number who possess over $20,000 are very few. Andy has shattered some fond hopes. He denounces Northern men [...]
Sunday, 11th—Our boats ran all night. This is a bright sunshiny Sunday. All went well and everything was quiet until about 4 p. m. when our boat struck a snag. We were nearing Manchester, Ohio, when we ran upon an old sunken stone barge, the bottom of our boat was torn off and it sank [...]
Saturday, 10th—We had a heavy thunderstorm and rain early this morning, which made it very disagreeable for us on our open coal cars. We arrived at Parkersburg on the Ohio at daylight and left the cars. We cooked and ate our breakfast and then at about 8 o’clock went aboard the transports, and at 4 [...]
Quitman, Van Buren County, Ark., June 10, 1865. Lieutenant Colonel John Levering, Assistant Adjutant-General, Seventh Army Corps, Department of Arkansas, Little Rock, Ark: General: I dislike very much to so often trespass upon your time, knowing the vast amount of business that necessarily comes before a district commander and of greater importance than this can [...]
Friday, 9th—Our train ran all night, except for two or three times when we were standing on some sidetrack. Arriving at the foot of the Cumberland mountains our train was divided and another engine put on to pull one-half the train up the mountains. The train moved up very slowly, which gave us a chance [...]
June 8.—There have been unusual attractions down town for the past two days. About 5 PM. a man belonging to the Ravel troupe walked a rope, stretched across Main street from the third story of the Webster House to the chimney of the building opposite. He is said to be Blondin’s only rival and certainly [...]
Thursday, 8th—We left Washington City at 1 a. m. and arrived at the junction of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad about 8 o’clock, where we changed to the line running through Harper’s Ferry, which place we passed through. Our brigade is in the rear, the Eleventh Iowa being on the rear train, as we were [...]
Wednesday, 7th—The First Brigade of our division left at 5 o’clock this morning for Louisville. Our brigade left camp at 3 o’clock this afternoon and marched to the Baltimore & Ohio station, where we boarded the cars. We were put on open coal cars, and there were so many to the car that we could [...]
Tuesday, 6th—We received orders to leave for Louisville, and drawing four days’ rations turned over to the general quartermaster our regimental teams and wagons. We expect to start in the morning. The Third Division of our corps started this morning, while the First Division left yesterday morning. The troops are leaving Washington as fast as [...]
June 5th. The anniversary of the battle of Piedmont. Thank God the cruel war is over. Playing ball, pitching quoits, helping the farmers, is the way we pass the time while waiting for orders to be mustered out. We have many friends in this town and vicinity. Helping in various kinds of work and also [...]
Monday, 5th—This forenoon we had a temperance speech by Wm. Roach of Iowa at the headquarters bivouac of the Eleventh Iowa. Blank pledges of the Washington Temperance Society were distributed and a good many of the boys signed the blanks after they were filled out.[1] The men mustered out from our division, the Fourth, started [...]
Sunday, 4th—We had company inspection this morning. The weather is very hot and we all remained close to our “ranches” today. We could not go to the city anyway, for without a pass it is difficult to get by the provost guard.
June 3d. Still having a pleasant time at this town, and continue our walks through the country. – Berries and cherries are beginning to ripen. Allowed to help our- selves with all we can eat, as we do much work for the farmers, helping at various kinds of work. Stores are opening up in town, [...]
June 3.—I was invited up to Sonnenberg yesterday and Lottie and Abbie Clark called for me at 5:30 P.M., with their pony and democrat wagon. Jennie Rankine was the only other lady present and, for a wonder, the party consisted of six gentlemen and ?ve ladies, which has not often been the case during the [...]
Saturday, 3d—The weather continues quite hot. All men in our brigade whose time is out by the 1st of October were mustered out today and they turned over their guns and accouterments. Twelve boys from our company received their discharge and will be sent home.
June 2d. Our regiment is the only one left at this post. Details continue to hunt and collect government property. Some western regiments pass through this town on the B. & O. R. R. bound for home, singing and cheering, happy.
Friday, 2d—For the first time we saw mustered-out soldiers leaving for their homes today.