Tuesday, 20th—Very pleasant weather. I sold my watch to Samuel Bair for $25.00, receiving $20.00 in cash, the balance remaining unpaid. They have fine macadamized roads out from the city, and there are men working on them all the time, but they would be killing on soldiers marching over them.
Monday, 19th—It is very pleasant, having cleared off during the night. We had regimental inspection again this morning. Our camps are filled with all kinds of agents from the city, trying to sell their nostrums to the boys; even the “dents” come out to pull teeth or to clean them for the boys.
Sunday, 18th—We had regimental inspection at 10 a. m. by Captain Foster. The weather is very hot and this afternoon we had a heavy thunderstorm. I was sergeant of the regimental guard and during the night, on account of the rain, I had the guard relieved.
Saturday, 17th—Still pleasant. We have not yet received our pay. A part of the Fifteenth Corps has been paid, and the paymaster is paying the men of the First Brigade.
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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.
Friday, 2d—For the first time we saw mustered-out soldiers leaving for their homes today.
Thursday, 1st—The weather is quite sultry. There is nothing of importance. Our camp duty is very light here. The ground is rough, and it would be impossible to find a place for a drill ground or even a parade ground.
Wednesday, 31st—I got a pass and went to the city again. I spent most of the day in the patent office and in the Smithsonian Institution. I also got my watch repaired, which cost me $3.00. The city seems to be astir; new buildings are growing up all over and some of the Government buildings [...]
Tuesday, 30th—The weather is pleasant and seems to be settled. There is nothing new.
Monday, 29th—It is reported in camp that the western men in General Sherman’s army will be transferred to Louisville, Kentucky, by rail and by transports on the Ohio, there to be mustered out of the service. The veterans are anxious to get their discharge, for since the war is over we have no desire to [...]
Sunday, 28th—It is clear and pleasant today. We cleaned up our camping ground and put up our “ranches” in regular order. News came that the rebel general, Kirby Smith. commanding south and west of the Mississippi, had surrendered his army and the navy.
Saturday, 27th—It is cloudy and still raining some. I received a pass and with six other boys of our company went to the city to spend the day. We went through some of the public buildings, the capital, patent office and the treasury building; they are fine buildings, all being built of marble. We viewed [...]