13th.–Beautiful day; and all quiet. What a pity that we must lose this fine weather. Already, as I predicted, I can hear many of McClellan’s friends, who were depressed yesterday, admitting that he had failed, and expressing their gratification at the change of Commanders. It will go hard only with the aspirants in high places, [...]

12th.–Quiet in camp all day. It seems hard that we must lose this beautiful weather, when winter is so near at hand; but I suppose it is necessary to allow the new Commander-in-Chief to perfect his plans. General Fitz-John Porter re-arrested to-day, and taken to Washington, on charge of disobedience of General Pope’s orders, at [...]

  11th–In camp all day. Beautiful and clear but windy. Heavy firing towards night some twelve or twenty miles to the southwest. McClellan relieved, and to-day Burnside succeeds. Surely, “De kingdom’s comin’, And de day ob jubelo.” Some of the army depressed to-night in consequence of the change. Natural enough, but it will be all [...]

10th.–Reconnoisance by our Brigade to-day. Marched over precisely the same road we came yesterday, to the same place, and returned to-night to the place whence we started the morning; distance going and returning, sixteen miles, over a tremendous mountain: “The King of France, with forty thousand men, Marched up the hill, and then marched down [...]

Sunday, 9th.–How little like Sunday the day has been; marching, whooping, hollering. Few even know it is Sunday. From present appearances, one would judge that– “The sound of the church going bells, These valleys and rocks never heard.” March to-day with all teams in advance. What does it mean? Are we again retreating with our [...]

8th.–More pleasant than yesterday. In camp all day. There is a rumor that the enemy have taken one hundred and fifty of our teams in the Shenandoah Valley, and that they are again at Harper’s Ferry. The report is not credited here,[1] but it is certain that they have cut the railroad four miles east [...]

7th –Cold and blustery last night. Ice half an inch thick, with driving snow storm this morning; very uncomfortable. No move to-day.

6th.–Marched ten or twelve miles to-day. Crossed railroad below Manassas Gap, and encamped near the village of White Plains. There has been no firing in hearing yesterday or to-day.

5th.–Broke camp at 2 in the afternoon; moved four or five miles in a southerly direction, still keeping a few miles to the east of the Blue Ridge. No enemy encountered, and none found to-day by our advanced guard. Troops in fine health and spirits.

4th.–We have marched about ten miles, and are encamped at Union, a dirty little worn out village. It looks as if it was dying of dry gangrene, and was too weak to wash its face. Cannonading heard all day, and although we are marching from ten to fourteen miles a day; we do not seem [...]

3d.–Division left camp at 7 this A. M., crossed the Potomac at Berlin, on a pontoon bridge, and march in a southwestern direction through Lovettsville. The Blue Ridge loomed up all day, to our right, and separated us from the Shenandoah Valley. All day we hear heavy firing beyond the Ridge, at Snicker’s Gap, through [...]

Sunday, 2d.–All quiet to-day, preparatory to moving. Spent most of the day in calling on and receiving calls from the officers and soldiers of the regiment. All seemed glad to welcome me back. I hope and believe they were sincere. Went to church in the afternoon, but heard no sermon.

November 1st.–At 12 o’clock, night, I reached camp, two miles north of Berlin, Maryland. Again I have left the pleasures of a cheerful, happy home, to encounter the hardships of camp life and to engage in the turmoil, the trials and the dangers of a war in which it is difficult to tell whether the [...]

30th.–Left Hagerstown at 8 this forenoon. Stopped five hours at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and now again am on the way to ––, and I hope to meet with no more delays. 31st.–Reached home a little after midnight, found my family all well, and I verily believe are glad to see me. [The month of October was [...]

29th.–To-day received the anxiously expected furlough, and now for my dear, dear home, from which I have been absent for nearly a year and a half. Now for a visit to my dear wife and children! I have ridden since night to Hagerstown, where I shall stop till morning, then hie me onward. My hand [...]

28th.–Rode to Sharpsburg to-day to procure some medicines, of which we are sadly deficient. Found a purveyor there, but he had no medicines except morphine and brandy. I passed over Antietam battle-field. The smell was horrible. The road was lined with carriages and wagons conveying coffins and boxes for the removal of dead bodies, and [...]

27th.–” All quiet on the Potomac,” and no movement of troops to-day.”

26th.–Another quiet day in camp. I applied to-day for a furlough, which I doubt not will be granted. I have worked hard and constantly for sixteen months, and as I am now for a time disabled, I can conceive of no reason why I may not be relieved for a few weeks. No attempted solution [...]

25th–Well, Gen. Lee is, safely to himself, out of Maryland, into which he came in the confident expectation of adding at least fifty thousand men to his army, but which he left with fifteen thousand less than he brought in. My hand is excessively painful, though all constitutional symptoms have left. Suppuration has fairly set [...]

24th.–All quiet this morning. The day is beautiful and bright. I am feeling badly, but as my wound has began to superate, I think I shall be better shortly. I have great confidence in the recuperative power of my constitution, and trust it will be sufficient to eliminate this poison. We have now had time [...]

23rd.–Hung around, and did not get into motion till to 2 P. M. Marched four or five miles down the river and bivouaced. The pain in my finger grows more severe and extends to the scapula. It is a sickening pain and proves to be the result of a scratch by a spiculum of bone, [...]

Monday, 22nd.–A beautiful morning and all quiet, except that the officers are pitching tents and fixing up tables, as if for a stay. But that is no indication of what is in store for us; even before night we may be ordered to pull up and move again. But this would be very cruel. Our [...]

Sunday, 21st.–The rebel army, reported at eighty thousand, but probably a small portion of it, numbering less than one quarter of that estimate, was encamped last night, within two miles of where we halted this morning. They left, however, on our approach, and we did not get sight of them. We moved again at 9 [...]

20th.–11 o’clock A. M.–I worked too hard yesterday, and was so tired that I could not sleep last night. Fortunate for me that we have not moved to-day; I must have been left. I am feeling better now, however, and if we rest till evening I shall be able to go on. Terrible fighting ahead, [...]