June 23d. Our Colonel, Henry Peale, in command of this post. Headquarters in town. Our regiment ordered into town for a dress parade at 5 P. M., at the public square in front of headquarters. Our service in the army is no doubt about over with. We shall be glad to leave old Virginia for [...]
June 20th. By the disposal of all the government property our duty seems to come to an end. Nothing more for us to do. We may now be ordered home, or to some other point for duty. We are all anxious to get home.
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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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.
June 1st. Fine weather. All is very quiet. The country has on its summer dress. Looks ?ne. The most important question with us is, home, sweet home, when do we go. Soldier’s life at this time is a dull one. Our only interest is our dress parades. We have many visitors from town.
June 1st.—The New York Herald quotes General Sherman as saying, “Columbia was burned by Hampton’s sheer stupidity.” But then who burned everything on the way in Sherman’s march to Columbia, and in the line of march Sherman took after leaving Columbia? We came, for three days of travel, over a road that had been laid [...]
May 26th. At one o’clock this morning the guard was called out to stop a negro dance, some trouble having broken out, caused by outsiders. The guard must act as police, keep things quiet. At 9 A. M. relieved and returned to camp.
May 21st. As we have plenty of rations we trade with the farmers, coffee, sugar, hardtack, for butter, eggs, and vegetables, and some milk. The cows eat garlic which gives to the butter and milk a bad taste, but we manage to eat the stuff, if we don’t really like the taste. We paid money [...]
May 21st.—They say Governor Magrath has absconded, and that the Yankees have said, “If you have no visible governor, we will send you one.” If we had one and they found him, they would clap him in prison instanter. The negroes have flocked to the Yankee squad which has recently come, but they were snubbed, [...]
May 20th. Our regular routine has been kept up for the past few days. Guard duty, drill, dress parade, Sunday morning inspection. When at liberty continue to take long walks out into the surrounding country. Call on the farmers. They laugh about the Yankee soldiers making friends with the cows. We tell them that’s because [...]
Near Alexandria. Va., May 19, 1865. Rained all night. Reveille at 2 p.m., and started off before daylight. Men waded two or three creeks to their middles. March miserably conducted. Passed the church that Washington attended, built in 1783. It has nearly all, except roof and walls, been carried away by relic maniacs. Our division [...]
Occoquan Creek, May 18, 1865. Another day’s march. Heavy rain and thunder storm commenced ten minutes before our wagons got in, and then the wind blew so hard that we could not get our tent up for an hour, and everybody got thoroughly soaked.
May 18th.—A feeling of sadness hovers over me now, day and night, which no words of mine can express. There is a chance for plenty of character study in this Mulberry house, if one only had the heart for it. Colonel Chesnut, now ninety-three, blind and deaf, is apparently as strong as ever, and certainly [...]
Aquia Creek, Va., May 17, 1865. We passed over the whole line of Burnside’s battle ground this morning. (It was no fight, only a Yankee slaughter.) Through Fredericksburg, the most shelled town I ever saw; crossed the Rappahannock on a miserable shaky pontoon, and have been traveling ever since in the camps of the Potomac [...]
Five miles south of Fredericksburg, May 16, 1865. Our division and brigade in advance of corps to-day. Made 24 miles by 2 p.m. Fences all gone on the road, but houses all standing. From a bluff three miles back had a beautiful view of about 15 miles of the Rappahannock valley and in all that [...]
May 16th.—We are scattered and stunned, the remnant of heart left alive within us filled with brotherly hate. We sit and wait until the drunken tailor who rules the United States of America issues a proclamation, and defines our anomalous position. Such a hue and cry, but whose fault? Everybody is blamed by somebody else. [...]
South of Bowling Green, Va., May 15, 1865. Crossed the Pamunky river this morning and the Mattapony this p.m. Beautiful country, but most desolate looking. Stopped at a house for the “cute and original” purpose of asking for a drink of water. While a servant went to the spring had a very interesting chat with [...]
Near Hanover, C. H., Va., May 14, 1865. Only made nine miles to-day on account of the Pamunky river here being bad. We camp to-night in the Hanover “slashes,” one mile east of the birthplace of Henry Clay, and about two miles from the residence of Patrick Henry. The court house is where the latter [...]
North Bank of Chickahominy River, May 13, 1865. We crossed the James river this a.m. Our division, the rear of the corps, paraded a little around Richmond, saw Libby Prison, Castle Thunder, the bronze statue of Washington, Lee’s and Davis’ residence, and a number of women. Some handkerchiefs flying. Two women told us they were [...]
May 12, 1865. The 17th Corps has the road to-day. Heavy thunder storm last night with a great deal of rain. Four men of our division were killed by lightning about 200 yards from our tent. One of them, William Hall, belonged to Company D of our regiment. Two men were killed in a tent [...]
May 11, 1865. The 14th and 20th crossed the river and went as far as Hanover to-day.