Thursday, 2d–This is a beautiful morning and we started early on our march. We had better roads than yesterday, on higher ground, and covered thirteen miles. We drove the rebels forward all day, doing some lively skirmishing in the front. The rebels have all crossed the Salkehatchie river, but have possession of the two bridges [...]
Wednesday, 1st–We left camp early this morning for the grand raid through South Carolina, under the command of General Sherman. But our march will not be an easy one, for the rebels will do their best to hold us in check. There are one hundred thousand men within a radius of twenty miles, and there’s [...]
Tuesday, 31st–We remained in bivouac all day and have heard no news. We drew some clothing today. Our camp is located about thirty miles northwest of Beaufort. The country is very level and heavily timbered, chiefly with pine. It is thinly settled and the farms are small with nothing of consequence raised on them. The [...]
Monday, 30th–We marched about three miles this morning and then went into bivouac to await further orders. The report is that we are now ready to make the grand raid through South Carolina. The Seventeenth and Fifteenth Corps are to form the right wing, as in the campaign through Georgia, with General O. O. Howard [...]
Sunday, 29th–Our company left camp in the old fort at 10 o’clock and reached the brigade headquarters at Garden Corners about noon. Our entire division then moved forward about ten miles and went into bivouac for the night. The roads were fine for marching, having had no rain for four days.
Saturday, 28th–Our company received orders to move on to the front tomorrow. The weather is quite pleasant. Some of the trains of the Fifteenth Corps came in from the landing this evening, but the corps has not yet arrived.
Friday, 27th–We are still on duty at the old fort, and everything is going well. The trains have now quit going to Beaufort and we expect to receive orders to leave soon.
Thursday, 26th–It is still clear and quite cool with the wind from the northwest. This is the coldest day we have had this winter here in the South, yet there is no ice even in a bucket of water.
Wednesday, 25th–It has cleared off now and is quite cool. It does not take long in this sandy region for the roads to dry off, and in three or four days they will be in good condition. We expect to leave here soon. The men are becoming very restless, being at one place so long. [...]
Tuesday, 24th–It is still raining, which makes the fifth day of steady rain, and at times it comes down in torrents. We are very fortunate in having shacks set up on the top of the old fort where we are located, for if we were camping down on the level ground, we could not possibly [...]
Monday, 23d–It is still raining, and our men have made a new landing within six miles of Pocotaligo. It is at one of the inlets which has a channel deep enough for small steamboats to come up. This will shorten the haul of our provisions about twenty miles—no small item in this land of sandy [...]
Sunday, 22d–A detail from our regiment was sent out along the road today to help the loaded wagons across the deep mud-holes, as they come through from Beaufort. It is reported that the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps have crossed into South Carolina and are floundering in the mud bottoms of the Savannah river.
Saturday, 21st–It is still raining. The teams are going back and forth day and night, hauling provisions. The roads are so bad now at places that the teams get stuck in the mud.
Friday, 20th–It rained all day and the roads are becoming quite muddy.
Thursday, 19th–There is nothing new. We are still on picket on the main road to Beaufort.
Wednesday, 18th–The weather is very pleasant. We are still on duty guarding the main road to Beaufort. The trains have all gone in for supplies. All is quiet in front. This low country, before the war, was planted to cotton, the planters living in town while their plantations were managed by overseers and worked by [...]
Tuesday, 17th–Our brigade was inspected at 1 p. m. today by the brigade commander. There is very little sickness among the men in spite of the fact that we have been in this low, flat country for a fortnight. The land where we are stationed is barely above the sea level, and we easily see [...]
Monday, 16th–All is quiet in front. Company E moved back four or five miles to a large rebel fort on the main road to Beaufort, and on an inlet of the ocean. We are to remain here on picket duty until further orders. The main part of the regiment has fortified. Our company put up [...]
Sunday, 15th–The rebels fell back last night and our men pushed forward this morning. We moved six miles and again went into camp. One regiment and the Thirteenth Iowa was left at Pocotaligo for picket duty and to act as train guard for the trains passing to and fro from Beaufort, hauling provisions out to [...]
Saturday, 14th–Our army commenced to move at 7 this morning and by 10 o’clock the last detachment had crossed Broad river. We moved on about ten miles, driving the rebels and skirmishing with them all the way. The Iowa Brigade lost one man killed, a lieutenant of Company A, Fifteenth Iowa. The expedition consists of [...]
Friday, 13th–For some reason we did not break camp and get started until 4 p. m. and then moved only four miles and went into bivouac. We routed the rebels from the south bank of the Broad river and laid down the pontoons for the army to cross over. Two of our regiments crossed the [...]
Thursday, 12th–All is quiet in camp. The weather is very pleasant and everything has the appearance of spring. The trees seem alive with birds, many different kinds, some of which are very sweet singers. Sometimes the sun is so bright that it reminds one of June days in the North. We received orders to be [...]
Wednesday, 11th–It is clear and quite cool. We learn that a part of the Fifteenth Army Corps landed at Beaufort today and will come out this way and go into camp. We expect to be joined by the other two corps from Savannah as soon as they succeed in crossing the river, when we shall [...]
Tuesday, 10th–Our division moved out to the front about five miles and went into camp again. We had to move because we had burned up all the fallen timber around our camp, while at the new camp we will have plenty. It rained quite hard this afternoon and then turned colder at night. The country [...]
January 9th, 1865 I had been suffering with the toothache for some days when on this day it became so bad that I made up my mind to go to the doctor and have the tooth extracted. I arrived at the doctor’s tent, he directed me to an ancient chair and asked me to show [...]