Thursday, 8th–Cool and cloudy with some rain today. All is quiet.[1] [1] Sherman’s army went into permanent camp in the vicinity of Atlanta for a much needed rest. The camps were in the timber and the men had good water.—A. G. D.
Wednesday, 7th–The weather is still quite pleasant. There is nothing of any importance. All is quiet. Ward E is on the ground floor of the same building as Ward D, but at the rear of the building, and is a poor place to put sick men for any length of time, as it is poorly [...]
Tuesday, 6th–News came that General Sherman was still in pursuit of the rebels, and that he has captured a great many of them. This morning I was transferred from Ward D to Ward E as wardmaster, the master of Ward E having been sent to the front. I have charge of eleven sick men and [...]
Monday, 5th–Clear and quite pleasant. All things are quiet.[1] [1] Men were leaving every day for the front and but few were brought to our hospitals, since the Union army was in possession of Atlanta, where hospitals were being established, while those at Rome were to be closed just as soon as the sick there [...]
Sunday, 4th–It is cool and quite pleasant. No news of any importance. The boys in my ward are all getting along fine, with the exception of two or three, and it is doubtful whether they will ever again be well.
Saturday, 3d–A report[1] came in today that General Sherman has his headquarters in Atlanta, and that the rebel army is in retreat with our army after them.[2] News came also of the surrender of Fort Morgan at Mobile, Alabama; also that General Grant is shelling Petersburg with fifteen-inch shells. All things are quiet here at [...]
Friday, 2d–Cloudy and warm–threatened rain. No news.[1] I wrote two letters today, one to Lewis Elseffer and one to Mrs. Mary Ham, Iowa City, Iowa. [1] On this day John Hilton of Company E was severely wounded in the right side at Lovejoy Station. This was the last day’s fighting in the siege of Atlanta. [...]
Thursday, 1st–It is quite warm. Nothing of importance.[1] The number of men in the hospitals is decreasing rapidly, for so many are going home on furloughs and no more are coming in.[2] [1] On September 1st Crocker’s Iowa Brigade advanced from Jonesboro to Flint creek with the remainder of Sherman’s army. The loss during the [...]
Wednesday, 31st–The same old thing over again. Nothing new from the front.[1] The sick and also the attendants here in the hospital were mustered for pay today. This is muster day throughout the entire army. [1] Crocker’s Iowa Brigade at this time was down at Jonesboro, below Atlanta, stationed on the Atlanta & Montgomery Railroad, [...]
Tuesday, 30th–It is warm and sultry. There are not so many sick and wounded coming in as there were a few days ago. Quite a number, at their own request, are being sent out to the front. When the convalescents are able for duty, they can’t stand it to remain here; the first thought is [...]
Monday, 29th–News came that General Grant had an engagement with the rebels on the Danville railroad near Petersburg, Virginia. The loss was heavy on both sides, but Grant succeeded in holding his place. The fight took place on the 21st of the month.
Sunday, 28th–No news. All things quiet. Rome, Georgia.
Saturday, 27th–All things are quiet. The furloughed men left on the train this morning for their homes. This has been another very busy day with us, being our regular clean-up day. No news from the front.
Friday, 26th–A large number of the boys are going home on furloughs. Their papers came in from the front today, signed up, and the boys are to start home tomorrow. Thomas R. McConnoll and John Zitler of our company are among them. I am sending $25.00 home to father by John Zitler. That makes a [...]
Thursday, 25th–There are now from five thousand to six thousand sick and wounded here, and still more are coming. Though some of the sick are gaining slowly, yet there are from five to six deaths daily; there have been as many as eight deaths in a day, and not less than three a day for [...]
Wednesday, 24th–William Snow died in our ward last night. This is a dreadfully hot day, and since our ward is so crowded, we make this a special scrub-day, to cool the atmosphere as well as to keep the place clean.
Tuesday, 23d–Foggy this morning and sultry throughout the day. David Huff of our company died here today in the field hospital east of town, of the wound he received on the 12th of the month. He was a schoolmate of mine, and a good boy. He will be missed by all of the boys of [...]
Monday, 22d–It is quite cool and pleasant this morning and things appear quite lively in town. I wrote a letter to Mr. G. G. Evans, Philadelphia, ordering a gold pen, for which I enclosed $5.00.[1] [1] Mr. Downing says that was the last of his $5.00, for he never heard from the order.—Ed.
Sunday, 21st–It is the same thing over again—lonesome, lonesome, lonesome. The first thing in the morning is to serve each man with food according to his condition and the doctor’s orders, and then deal out the medicine. There is a death every day.
Saturday, 20th–This is general scrub day. We had a busy day in the hospital fitting out cots for the latest arrivals. Our ward is crowded to the limit, there being more sick and wounded here now than at any previous time. Our hospital number 4 contains only the sick. All is quiet. No news from [...]
Friday, 19th–A man by the name of Henry Neeley, a patient in our ward, died this afternoon of consumption. We were giving him cod liver oil, a tablespoonful six times a day. Nothing new from the front.
Thursday, 18th–It is the same old thing over and over. The first thing we do when sick and wounded soldiers come to the hospital, is to pack all their clothing, blankets, knapsacks and the like, store their accouterments and guns in a dry place, and deal out to each a cotton shirt, drawers, socks and [...]
Wednesday, 17th–No rain today—the first day without rain during this month. A train load of sick and wounded came in today from the front. The railroad is in running order again after the raid by General Wheeler, in which he tore up about two miles of track near Dalton, Georgia. It is reported that Wheeler [...]
Tuesday, 16th–There was a heavy rain this afternoon. All is quiet and there is no train in today from the front. I sold my American lever watch today for $33.50, which is $4.50 more than I paid for it in Davenport, Iowa.
Monday, 15th–It is quite warm. All is quiet. There is nothing new from the front. A large number of men left the hospital this morning for the front. I would like to go, too, but the doctor tells me that I can do more good by staying here and caring for the sick. This is [...]