Saturday, 11th–Our company were all vaccinated today as a protection against smallpox. The regimental surgeon came down from California to do the work. Our captain called the company up in line, and every man had to take his medicine.
Friday, 10th–It is cool and cloudy, with some rain. We get our mail every day, as the railroad is open between here and St. Louis.
Thursday, 9th–Some of the boys go out into the country almost every day on foraging expeditions and bring in an abundance of things to eat, so that with our regular rations we are pretty well supplied.
Wednesday, 8th–The boys have been gathering persimmons and walnuts today–got lots of them.
Tuesday, 7th–Nothing of importance. It rained all day. Our company is divided into messes, seven in all, and each has a cook. Each mess draws its rations every five days, according to number, and the rations are placed in the care of the cooks. Some of the cooks are not well posted on cooking. Cook [...]
Monday, 6th–This is a very fine day. The boys went out on another ‘possum hunt and brought in six.
Sunday, 5th–Nothing of importance. Everything is very quiet and it appears lonesome today. Our company had no preaching today, as our chaplain is with another part of the regiment. The weather has become quite warm. Regular picket and patrol duty at night.
Saturday, 4th–Some of the boys went out today on a ‘possum hunt. They were very successful, as this is a good ‘possum country, especially over on the banks of the Missouri river.
Friday, 3d–Mrs. Hemmenway gave some of the boys permission to have a dance at her home last night. Quite a number of the boys went and they declare that they had a good time. The girls of the locality were there and most of them either smoked or chewed tobacco. They would dance a while, [...]
Thursday, 2d–Nothing of importance. The weather is quite cold, but since we are in a building with stoves and plenty of wood, we do not suffer from the cold. Lookout Station is a small town on the railroad between California and Jefferson City; there is a store, tavern, and twelve residences, some of which are [...]
Wednesday, 1st–I am back with the company again. The boys are having a big chicken dinner today, Lieutenant Compton having bought four dozen chickens and presented them to the company for a New Year’s dinner.
Tuesday, 31st–The boys are all preparing for New Year’s Day celebration. Thus ends 1861.[1] [1] The last day of 1661 found our regiment stationed as follows: Company E at Lookout Station, Companies B, G, K and H at California, Companies A, C, D, F and I at Fulton, all in the State of Missouri, and [...]
Monday, 30th–We made all the citizens at this place take the oath; they have to take the oath not to aid or shelter those who are fighting against the Union. There are but few men left in this locality, they having enlisted, some of them in the Union army, but most of them with the [...]
Sunday, 29th–I am staying at the tavern on account of having taken a severe cold. As we are here without the regimental surgeon, the captain marked me “not fit for duty.” The landlady is very kind to me and is helping break up my cold. The company had to clean up this morning for inspection.
Saturday, 28th–We had to send two patrols of five men each down the railroad track each way from the station. There is always some danger of the track’s being torn up by organized bands of the “secesh” in this locality.[1] [1] William Dwiggans died of typhoid fever on this day, in the hospital at Jefferson [...]
Friday, 27th–We went into winter quarters here, and that with the intention of cleaning the “secesh” out of this part of the country. Our company is the only one here, and our captain is in command of the post. There are but few houses in this place, and we are quartered in a vacant storeroom, [...]
Thursday, 26th–By orders Company E boarded the cars this morning for Lookout Station farther on, about twelve miles from California. I bade my bunk-mate, James Fossett, goodby at the hospital, where he is confined with inflammatory rheumatism. His suffering is something intense, and he is unable to turn himself in bed, but I left him [...]
Wednesday, 25th–This is a beautiful day, the snow having nearly all disappeared. The boys had a fine time today, this being our first Christmas experience in the army. There was no roast turkey with cranberry sauce and we all missed mother’s mince pies, cake and doughnuts. But we bought some pies and cakes of the [...]
Tuesday, 24th–We raised a flag pole today and ran up the Stars and Stripes high in the air, amidst cheering and singing the old song, “Columbia.” “Long may it wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave !” This afternoon we went over town and compelled all the secessionists to [...]
Monday, 23d–We arrived at California about sunup, almost frozen; it cleared off during the night and a cold northwest wind was blowing. Leaving the train we entered the several churches in town and built fires to warm by, Company E going into a Catholic church, where the sexton and his wife brought us some hot [...]
Sunday, 22d–It snowed all day, the snow falling in large flakes, and the weather is fast turning colder. I was detailed on camp guard and with my overcoat on walked my beat for two hours at a time. At about 4 o’clock in the afternoon five companies of our regiment received marching orders to go [...]
Saturday, 21st–Nothing of importance today. I went on guard. There is some talk of making Jefferson City headquarters for the various detachments of the army within fifty miles of this place.
Friday, 20th–We finished cleaning our clothing and accouterments and spent the rest of the day in cleaning up our camp and parade ground, besides bringing in firewood from the timber near by. When we got back we found the Thirteenth Iowa here in camp, having arrived on the 11th day of the month, during our [...]
Thursday, 19th–We reached Jefferson City this morning at sunup after an uncomfortable night’s ride. The water in the river is very low and it seems that we were fastened on sandbars half the time. Then when the boat was under way, the boat hands, one on each side of the vessel, were constantly calling the [...]
Wednesday, 18th–The four companies of cavalry that accompanied us up the river (also by boat) went on a scouting expedition yesterday toward the town of Glasgow. They captured and brought in this morning one hundred and fifty-five kegs of powder which they found hid in haystacks. We stored the powder in the hull of our [...]