Tuesday, 4th–A squad of the boys went out on a scouting expedition, but did not accomplish much in the way of getting supplies for the company.

Monday, 3d–The captain with eight men went out on a scouting trip to rout some “secesh” from an island in the Missouri river, where they were trying to recruit a company.

Sunday, 2d–Nothing of importance. We had preaching in the forenoon and prayer meeting in the afternoon.

Saturday, 1st–I commenced cooking for twenty men of our company. None of the boys likes cooking, so the seven messes have been consolidated into three with a cook for each. Mess numbers 1 and 2 have been united, becoming mess number 1, and I am to be the cook.

Friday, 31st–This is the end of January. Company E has been at Lookout Station thirty-seven days, and while our army service has not been hard, yet we are anxious to leave for more active service.

Thursday, 30th–A part of our company went out into the timber to gather persimmons. They are very plentiful in this locality; the trees are quite large and some of them are loaded with the finest fruit.

Wednesday, 29th–Our company has had a fine time while at Lookout Station and the men are all in good health with the exception of two or three who are suffering from varioloid as a result of vaccination.

Tuesday, 28th–One of the Missouri boys who enlisted in our company while at Jefferson City asked me to go with him to spend the evening with a family about two miles out, where there were three or four young ladies. One of the young women was his best girl and he wished to bid her [...]

Monday, 27th–The regimental surgeon came down from California to look over the convalescents in our company; he revaccinated all on whom the vaccine had not worked.

Sunday, 26th–We had preaching in our quarters this forenoon and in the evening a few gathered for prayer meeting. Our quarters were not very inviting for a minister. There was no tuning fork for the music and we had no chairs, most of the boys standing during the preaching.

Saturday, 25th–The report came that we were to be brigaded today–the Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Iowa Regiments are in one brigade. Hurrah for Iowa! The four regiments are to form an Iowa brigade and the organization will date from today.

Friday, 24th–It snowed a very little today. Soldiers are marching past here for St. Louis. The roads are in a fearful condition. Our company would like to leave this place for more active service. Our picket and patrol duty is very light, though it is all-night duty. None of the men on the scouting expeditions [...]

Thursday, 23d–It is warm today. Nothing of importance. The land around Lookout Station is heavily timbered and there are no large farms. Negroes are very scarce here. The war has put a blight on this part of the State.

Wednesday, 22d–Orderly Clark, Sergeants Spencer, Sweet and White went out on a scouting expedition and brought in a pair of ponies and some things to eat.

Tuesday, 21st–Nothing of importance. Everything is very quiet in this locality. We have nothing but the regular camp duty to perform. Mess number 7 have now used up all their cooked rice.

Monday, 20th–It snowed some today and turned colder; the weather is very changeable. I wrote a letter to father and enclosed $20.00 of the $26.00 I received from the Government on the 8th inst.

Sunday, 19th–Lieutenant Durbin and some of the boys went out scouting. They brought in a lot of corn to feed the horses; also some walnuts, hickory nuts, corn meal and molasses. The lieutenant took a “secesh” flag from a schoolma’am.

Saturday, 18th–Some of the boys went out on a scouting expedition, but did not meet with any success.

Friday, 17th–Warm and pleasant. Nothing of importance. Some of the boys are quite sick from the effects of vaccination, though on some of them it did not work. Mine worked fine, and some of the boys took virus from my arm and vaccinated themselves. The surgeon vaccinated a few of the boys as many as [...]

Thursday, 16th–A squad of the boys went out scouting[1] and took one man a prisoner, besides bringing in nine mules and six hogs. They took the man to headquarters, turned the mules over to the regimental quartermaster, and the hogs we made use of as so much extra pork for the company. [1] This was [...]

Wednesday, 15th–Nothing of importance. Got some more pies and doughnuts from a man and his wife who come in three times a week with them, to sell to the boys. We usually lay in a good supply.

Tuesday, 14th–Lieutenant Compton with five men went out to capture the man who fired into a passenger train last summer and killed the conductor. When the man saw them approaching to surround his house, he started to run for the timber. He refused to surrender and the men fired on him, shooting him through the [...]

Monday, 13th–Some of the boys have been getting whiskey in this locality and today Lieutenant Compton with Carl Frink and John White went to find where they were getting it, but they returned late in the evening without finding the distilling plant.

Sunday, 12th–Dr. Smith, a resident here, had his horse stolen last night. This morning Lieutenant Durbin with ten men went out to find the thief, but they returned this evening without finding him.