Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

Wednesday, 17th–Our division started at 6 o’clock this morning, leaving all our baggage in the tents. Each man is carrying sixty rounds of ammunition, and only such teams as are needed to haul extra ammunition are taken along. The whole Union army, excepting a small garrison left at Corinth, is on the move. We are marching out to the northwest, but the men do not know where they are headed for. We marched twenty-five miles today, and went into bivouac for the night. We got our gum blankets just in time, as it rained nearly all day, and the roads became very muddy, especially where the artillery went. The men built fires tonight to dry their clothes.