Saturday, 26th–The weather is cool but quite pleasant. We lay in camp awaiting the completion of the pontoon bridge. At 10 o’clock we began our march and by 3 in the afternoon both corps had crossed the river. The Fifteenth Corps had an engagement with the rebels on the 22d inst. near Macon, and after [...]

Friday, 25th–Our brigade marched out early this morning and relieved the First Brigade at the railroad bridge across the Oconee river, the rebels being just beyond. We burned the bridge and after waiting there a short time, got orders to march back to Toomsboro, which place we reached by 7 p. m. From there we [...]

Thursday, 24th–We lay in camp all day. The rebels are still in our front, and there is some cannonading off on our left where the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps are on the move and destroying property. The Seventeenth Corps burned all the railroad property from Gordon down to the Oconee river. The first brigade of [...]

Wednesday, 23d–We started at 7 a. m. and marched twelve miles, when we bivouacked for the night. It is reported that a force of two thousand rebels is in our front beyond the Oconee river, and that there has been some skirmishing. We crossed the Savannah railroad here at Station No. 15. This station was [...]

Tuesday, 22d–The weather has turned cold. We left our bivouac early this morning with the wagon train and at 10 o’clock caught up with our division at Gordon, where they were in camp last night. Gordon is fifteen miles from Milledgeville and is the junction of the railroad running from there to Savannah. General Sherman [...]

Monday, 21st–We started on our march this morning in a rain which continued all day. We marched fifteen miles and went into camp. The artillery have the preference of the road and because of the muddy roads our division wagon train could not keep up. Our regiment was on train guard. We corralled the wagons [...]

Sunday, 20th–It is still raining and the roads have become so muddy that it is impossible for the artillery to keep up with the infantry. There are some well-improved plantations along the way which have had good crops this season and we find plenty of sweet potatoes and fresh pork. We are on short rations [...]

Saturday, 19th–There was some rain last night and the roads today are very slippery, which as the country is so hilly, makes difficult marching. We marched fifteen miles and went into bivouac. Our division was in the rear of the Seventeenth Corps, the infantry marching at one side of the road so that the artillery [...]

Friday, 18th–We were on the road by 8 o’clock and after marching ten miles, lay by until 10 p. m., when we were ordered to fall in again. After an hour’s march we came to the Ockmulgee river, which we crossed by pontoons at Ockmulgee Mills. The entire Seventeenth Corps came together again here and [...]

Thursday, 17th–We broke camp at 5 o’clock, marched eighteen miles, and went into bivouac for the night. Our regiment was train guard and the Sixteenth Iowa was rear guard of our brigade. We marched through some fine country today, and though heavily timbered, it is well improved. It is good country for foraging. We found [...]

Wednesday, 16th–Reveille sounded early this morning, and after marching twenty-five miles we went into bivouac tired and worn. Our division marched all day over a by-road on the inside of the right wing, and although the country was heavily timbered, yet we had a good road. We passed by some fine plantations, well improved with [...]

Tuesday, 15th–Started early this morning for the Southern coast, somewhere, and we don’t care, so long as Sherman is leading us. The Army of the Tennessee forms the right, while the Army of the Cumberland is moving off in the direction of Milledgeville, Georgia. There are about sixty thousand men of all arms, and they [...]

Monday, 14th–This morning was cool and pleasant. We started early and marched five miles, going into camp a mile south of Atlanta. We tore up the railroad tracks through Atlanta and burned all the public buildings. There was a fine large station here, and a splendid engine house, but both were burned. Very few citizens [...]

Sunday, 13th–We started early this morning for Atlanta and after marching twenty miles went into camp for the night. A detachment of the Twentieth Army Corps is stationed at the railroad bridge crossing the Chattahoochee river. They will soon destroy the bridge, and also the track clear to Atlanta. All is quiet in the front. [...]

Saturday, 12th–Our corps marched out on the railroad between Marietta and Big Shanty and tore it up, burning all the ties and bending the irons. The iron rails were thrown into the fires and then twisted up. The last train went North about noon, and no more mail will be sent out from this part [...]

Friday, 11th–All is quiet in camp. We have company drill twice a day now for the purpose of drilling our conscripts. We received orders that the last mail would leave for the North tomorrow morning and that all who wanted to write farewell letters home would have to attend to it before that time. The [...]

Thursday, 10th–All is quiet in camp. I borrowed $25.00 from William Barrett until next pay day. Several trains came in from the North this morning. We received a large mail. All men unable to stand the march on our Southern expedition are being sent North. Each regiment will be allowed but one wagon, and the [...]

Wednesday, 9th–It is still raining. I went out on picket this morning. We received orders to be ready to move at a moment’s notice, for the purpose of tearing up the railroad tracks. Citizens all around Atlanta, hearing that the Yankees are going to leave the place, are coming in larger numbers to go North. [...]

Tuesday, 8th–Still in camp. Some rain today. Ten train loads of army supplies left for the North. A great many refugees are being sent north, as it will be impossible for them to make a living down here during the coming winter. This is election day and everything is very quiet in camp, as political [...]

Monday, 7th–It is cloudy and quite cool. The Eleventh Iowa received six months’ pay this afternoon, besides another installment of the bounty. I got $148.00 in pay and $100.00 of bounty money. Our army is preparing to evacuate Atlanta. The general quartermaster is loading every train going north with the surplus commissariat and all extra [...]

Sunday, 6th–Our division was moved in close to town today and went into camp. We received orders to remain here a few days, to draw clothing and receive our pay. This was glorious news. We pulled down vacant houses and proceeded to build bunks and “ranches” with the lumber, covering them with our rubber ponchos. [...]

Saturday, 5th–We left our fires early this morning and marching toward Marietta, went into bivouac for the remainder of the day and night within five miles of the town. Captain Anderson of Company A, Eleventh Iowa, arrived from Iowa this evening with one hundred and fifty conscripts for our regiment to serve one year. They [...]

Friday, 4th–Left Dallas this morning, marched ten miles, and went into camp near Lost mountain. I went out with a foraging party from our regiment. We brought in five head of cattle and seven hogs, and also some cane molasses and corn meal. We also searched for cabbage, but the negroes did not know what [...]

Thursday, 3d–Still raining. Our march today covered sixteen miles and the troops are very much fatigued. We camped for the night in Dallas, Georgia, one division, the Fourth, going into vacant houses and buildings in the town. The citizens all left the place upon our approach. There had been a cotton mill here, but it [...]