Monday, 10th–Had an all-day rain. The entire army moved forward today, some starting at 8 a. m. We packed our knapsacks early this morning, but did not start until 10 o’clock. While we were waiting, some of the Twenty-fourth Iowa Regiment which had arrived at Goldsboro came over to our “ranches” for a visit. We [...]

Sunday, 9th–Very pleasant weather. Our division was inspected this forenoon by General Smith. Two regiments in the division did not pass inspection and were sent back to their “ranches” with the order to get themselves up in better style and come back at 4 o’clock for inspection. The Eleventh Iowa was complimented for its neat [...]

Saturday, 8th–All is quiet. Sherman’s army received orders to march on the 10th. Our wagon trains are loaded with thirty-five days’ rations, and we are to carry five days’ rations in our haversacks. The news is so good that all are anxious to move at once. The boys are all happy, thinking that this will [...]

Friday, 7th–Weather still pleasant. Company drill two hours a day. Our brigade came out in review and was inspected by General Smith. A statement was read to us by the assistant adjutant general of our brigade, stating our loss at Richmond, and also that of the enemy. Our loss was seven thousand killed and two [...]

Wednesday, 5th–The regimental chaplains are occupying the pulpits of the different churches of Goldsboro and conducting nightly meetings. A large number of the boys are attending and a great many are coming forward and professing the name of the Lord. May the work continue until all have made the profession.

Tuesday, 4th–The quartermaster distributed new clothing today. I drew a hat, a pair of shoes and a pair of socks. We are enjoying full rations again, and also our new clothing. We no longer have to search our haversacks for a crumb of hardtack.

Monday, 3d–Fine weather continues, and camp routine the same. We are enjoying our fine camp ground, and to prevent our becoming stale, we have to keep up regular drill for our next campaign.

Sunday, 2d–Regular camp routine is the order. We had company inspection this morning besides two hours’ drill. A great many of us attended church in town this morning, also in the evening.

Saturday, 1st–The weather is pleasant. No news of any importance. The camp here is the best we have had since leaving Vicksburg. Our “ranch” is eight feet square, boarded up seven feet high, and has a gable roof of the proper pitch covered over with our rubber ponchos, nailed to the rafters; it will protect [...]

Friday, 31st–Cloudy and windy today. We are ordered to have company drill four hours a day and dress parade at 5 o’clock in the evening. This is all the duty we have to perform; do not even have camp guard or provost duty. We have no picket duty to do, as the Twentieth Corps is [...]

Thursday, 30th–It is quite stormy and rainy today. All is quiet in camp, and there is no news of importance.

Wednesday, 29th–It is quite rainy. We are now in spring quarters. Some of the boys in the regiment get teams from the quartermaster, go out to some vacant house or barn, and get what lumber they want to build “ranches.” J. D. Moore and William Green went out this morning with a team and brought [...]

Tuesday, 28th–We have had pleasant weather for several days, but today it is cloudy, with some rain. The men drew new clothing today just as fast as the quartermaster could receive the supply from the general quartermaster. Nearly every man in the regiment is drawing a full suit, out and out. Some of the men [...]

Monday, 27th–We cleaned up our camp today, and are building “ranches” with the expectation of staying here a while. We have a fine camp ground and plenty of water. Large foraging parties are sent out for corn and fodder. All is quiet in the front. No news of any importance.

Sunday, 26th–Pleasant weather. The Eleventh Iowa was sent out with a foraging train to get corn and fodder for the mules and horses of our brigade. They had to go a distance of thirteen miles to get the feed. I being on camp duty did not go. A train of cars came in from Newbern [...]

Saturday, 25th–We remained in camp all day. Large foraging parties were sent out to get feed for the mules and horses. Our train loaded with supplies returned from Kingston, down on the river. A construction train came in from Kingston, repairing the railroad. The Twenty-third Corps from Schofield’s army has been moved to Kingston. All [...]

Friday, 24th–We left bivouac at 7 a. m. and marched to the Neuse river, which we crossed near Goldsboro on a pontoon bridge. As we passed through town, we were reviewed by General Sherman, passing him by platoon form, and marching to martial music. The men looked pretty hard after such a long raid, ragged [...]

Thursday, 23d–An order from General Sherman was read this morning, stating that the campaign was over,[1] and that we should now prepare to take a short rest. We left the rifle pits at 7 o’clock, marched fifteen miles, and bivouacked within five miles of Goldsboro. Our army is concentrating there, and we are to get [...]

Wednesday, 22d–Companies E and F of the Eleventh Iowa were sent out at 6 o’clock this morning on the skirmish line, but there were no rebels to be seen in our front. They left during the night, crossing the Neuse river, and retreating towards Raleigh, the state capital. Kilpatrick’s cavalry pursued them for several miles. [...]

Tuesday, 21st–We advanced our line of battle a half mile, driving in the rebel skirmishers. Our loss was quite large in killed and wounded. All our artillery was brought into action and at times this afternoon the roar of cannon was fearful; but the rebels made no reply. Their loss in killed and wounded was [...]

Monday, 20th–Reveille sounded at 1 a. m. At 3 o’clock with the Fifteenth Corps in front, we took up the line of march and moved forward twenty-one miles, where we found the rebels fortified on the west side of the Neuse river near Bentonville. We drove them back inside of their works, and forming a [...]

Sunday, 19th–We were off at 7 a. m. and marched ten miles through fine country. The roads were good and no swamps to cross. They had good crops here last year, and there was plenty of forage, so this evening we had our haversacks replenished. There was some heavy cannonading off on the left in [...]

Saturday, 18th–We started at 8 a. m. and marched twelve miles, the Third Division being in the advance. We had to cross a swamp four miles wide and the water in places was knee-deep. Our progress was slow because we had to lay a great deal of corduroy so that the artillery and trains could [...]

Friday, 17th–Our division is still in the lead. We started at 7 a. m. and marched fifteen miles. Our regiment was train guard and we did not get into bivouac until midnight. The rebels are in our front and hard to drive; their main force, however, is on our left, in front of the Fourteenth [...]