July 1st. Arrived home last night at 9 o’clock. Great was the welcome home. Crowds were in waiting to receive us. Hearts full of thanksgiving that we were permitted to return to good old Connecticut. Soon made our way to our various homes.
June 30th. Very early this ?ne June morning our ?fe and drum corps went to the uppermost deck and beat the reveille, and played at all the river landings as the boat proceeded on up the river. It made good time, landing at Hartford about 7 o’clock, after a very pleasant journey from Martinsburg, West [...]
June 29th. After an all-night’s ride we arrived in Philadelphia early this morning. Left the cars, taking up the line of march, on through the city. Stopped at the refreshment rooms of the Cooper Shop, when a good breakfast was served by the good people of the city. Many soldiers will remember the Cooper Shop [...]
June 28th. Harper’s Ferry. A ?ne morning. Early on board train, waiting for it to move. At 8 A. M. the train began to move slowly along the banks of the Shenandoah River, on over the iron bridge across the Potomac River, into Maryland. The cheering was loud, with shouts of “ Good-bye old Virginia.” [...]
June 27th. Taps sounded later than usual last night. When the lights were put out we could not sleep for joy, as we were all so happy over the prospect of going home. I cannot write and do justice to those happy hours. Will remain with me as long as memory lasts. The hymns heard [...]
June 27th.—An awful story from Sumter. An old gentleman, who thought his son dead or in a Yankee prison, heard some one try the front door. It was about midnight, and these are squally times. He called out, “What is that?” There came no answer. After a while he heard some one trying to open [...]
June 26th. A bright Sunday morning. Everybody happy. Our last day in camp at Martinsburg, the Shenandoah Valley, where we have seen and passed through hard service during the past three years. As the time draws near we are anxious to go home, but there is somewhat of a feeling of sadness on leaving old [...]
June 25th. Orders received to prepare for muster-out. Details have been made from each company to help make out the muster-out papers. The .companies that were out of town on duty, ordered to report at regimental quarters. All duties given up. Peace and quiet reigns in town and through the country.
June 24th. Yesterday afternoon our regiment formed at camp, marched into town. Line was formed fronting headquarters, for dress parade and review by our Colonel. To our great surprise, sitting on the veranda at the house used for headquarters, with Colonel Peale, was the arch-traitor, Charles J. Faulkner, hated by the Union people and despised [...]
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.