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, [...]

19th.–At daylight this morning I was called up by an orderly with an order to repair to the battle-field at once and organize another hospital, and with the intelligence that during the night the enemy had been permitted to escape across the river, and had left some three hundred of our wounded, who had fallen [...]

Wednesday, 17th.–A day of momentous events. The battle of Antietam is fought. I had before been near battles, at battles, in battles; but never till to-day was I through a battle. For miles around me, it has been one continuous battle field. Look where I would, and when I would, the battle was all around [...]

16th–The mystery is solved. At 8 o’clock yesterday morning, Harper’s Ferry capitulated, (report says, with eight thousand men, forty cannon, and one thousand two hundred horses,) and we have been for two days in sight, and marching less than five miles a day, by a circuitous route. It looks as if the old game is [...]

15th.–1 o’clock A. M.–I am now through dressing the wounds of those in my hospital. The next house to me is also an hospital, (a large church in the village of Burkettsville.) In it I hear the cries and moans of distress. To me, the sounds seem at this distance to be those of men [...]

14th.–At 9 o’clock last night we took up our march across Catochtin Mountain. At 9 1-2, as we climbed the mountain side, the moon rose beautifully lighting up hill and valley, and shrub, and tree. ‘Twas all beautiful. The mountain air was brisk and cool. A march of four miles carried us over the mountain, [...]

Saturday, 13th.–Moved this morning at 7, leaving Frederick behind us. At 8, crossed the Monocacy, (a beautiful stream,) at Buckeytown, Maryland. Here heavy firing in the direction of Frederick, but as the day advances, swinging around towards Harper’s Ferry, from which we infer that Burnside is driving the enemy. Burnside is one of our reliable [...]

12th.–Dreamed last night of social scenes and comforts, and woke up a little home sick. I was not made better by the appearance of a cup of wishy-washy coffee which was set before me; but, observing my old man carefully washing himself, after he had served my breakfast, I enquired of him, why so particular [...]

11th.–Generals Hancock’s and Brook’s brigades started this morning, on a reconnoisance towards Sugar Loaf Mountain. There is no longer a doubt that the enemy is in possession of Frederick, and has been for some days. Reconnoitering party discovered no enemy in force. It has rained to-day, and I now prepare to lie down, sick and [...]