Sunday, 5th–Rain again this forenoon and clear this afternoon. We started early this morning, our regiment leading the advance division, and at 3 o’clock reached our destination, Rome, Georgia. The sixteen miles covered today was over very muddy roads, such as we have had for the last fifty miles, and all were greatly fatigued. Some [...]
Saturday, 4th–We started at 8 o’clock and marched fifteen miles today. Have had rain for three days now, but late in the afternoon it cleared off. We had to wade a river, the water being only three or four feet deep, and the boys had great fun in trying to carry the powder on their [...]
Friday, 3d–It rained nearly all day and changed the dust into mud, which made the marching very heavy. We left camp at 8 o’clock and leaving the valley, traveled over a spur of Lookout mountain nine miles across. We marched eighteen miles today and bivouacked on the Chattanooga river. We passed a house of mourning [...]
Thursday, 2d–A fine shower about noon cooled the air and laid the dust. The entire corps lay in camp all day, the men washing and mending their clothes, and the blacksmiths shoeing the horses and mules. We are in the valley between the Sandy and Lookout mountains, which are heavily timbered with pine and ash. [...]
Wednesday, 1st–Our brigade started at 5 this morning, but covered only twelve miles. We marched down the Sandy mountains into the valley and went into bivouac along the banks of Sandy creek. The rear of the army did not get into camp until midnight. The wagon trains could move but slowly over the rough, rocky [...]
Tuesday, 31st–We broke camp in the early morning and started on another day’s march, our brigade leaving at 7 o’clock and taking up the rear. We climbed the mountains again and after marching sixteen miles went into camp on the very top. This has been a hard march; the men are suffering as never before [...]
Monday, 30th–The weather is getting quite warm and the roads are dusty. Our advance guard broke camp at daylight, while our brigade did not get under way until 10 o’clock. We crossed a ridge of mountains this afternoon and this evening went into camp in the valley close to Warrenton. The mountains are heavily timbered, [...]
Sunday, 29th–It was 9 o’clock before we got started this morning and though the country here between two mountains is very rough, we covered fourteen miles and went into camp in the mountains for the first time. Large foraging parties were sent out this morning to secure meat. Our advance lines had a skirmish with [...]
Saturday, 28th–We started at 7 o’clock this morning and dragging along slowly with our heavy trains, went into bivouac when we reached Somerville at 3 o’clock. Most of our road was over very rough country and besides we had to wade one river, the bridges being gone. Somerville is a mere village with a courthouse, [...]
Friday, 27th–We remained in bivouac until 2 o’clock waiting for rations. After getting our rations we crossed the Tennessee river by pontoon bridges and started on our way for Rome, Georgia. The railroad bridge of the Memphis & Ohio, here at Decatur, was destroyed by our gunboats soon after the battle of Shiloh. It took [...]
Thursday, 26th–We left our bivouac at 6 o’clock this morning and marched twelve miles. Within a few miles of Decatur we went into bivouac for the night. Advance brigades of our army were skirmishing with the rebels today and it is reported that the colonel of the Seventeenth New Jersey Regiment was killed. Our men [...]
Wednesday, 25th–We packed our knapsacks and sent them by rail to Rome, Georgia. The advance of our corps started early this morning for Decatur, Alabama, but our brigade taking up the rear did not leave Huntsville till in the afternoon. From Decatur we are to proceed to Rome, Georgia. We marched through fine farming country [...]
Tuesday, 24th–We remained here at Huntsville all day resting. I went to the camp of the Fifty-ninth Indiana and found my cousin, Hamilton Shepherd, and the sons of some of our old friends from my old home at Bloomfield, Indiana. The order is that we are to start for Chattanooga[1] in the morning, and we [...]
Monday, 23d–It has been very warm but pleasant for several days. Reveille roused us this morning at 3 o’clock and at 4 our brigade started, taking the advance. Our last night’s bivouac is just twelve miles northwest of Huntsville and we had a fine road to travel on coming into town. There is some very [...]
Sunday, 22d–We started at 5:30 this morning and marched till 2 o’clock, when we again went into bivouac. Our brigade today was just in front of the rear. We passed through some very fine country with well-improved farms. Today we bade old Tennessee farewell and entered Alabama. What a cruel thing this war is! May [...]
Saturday, 21st–Reveille sounded at 3 o’clock and at 5 we took up the line of march, our company being rear guard for the brigade. We marched seventeen miles and went into bivouac several miles beyond Elkhorn, which we reached at 1 o’clock. Here we waded the Elkhorn[1] river, which is from three to five feet [...]
Friday, 20th–We are having nice weather. We lay here at Pulaski all day in order to draw rations and to rest. We spent the day in washing clothes and cooking navy beans and fresh beef. The troops of our corps were ordered to pack all extra clothing in their knapsacks and turn them over to [...]
Thursday, 19th–We started our drove of cattle early this morning and the brigade broke camp at 8 o’clock and followed. We reached Pulaski at 2 o’clock, a distance of sixteen miles, and went into camp. Our road, rough and rocky, followed a winding creek which I think we had to wade twenty-four times during the [...]
Wednesday, 18th–The troops in advance of us started early this morning, but our brigade did not move until 11 o’clock. We had a hard day’s march, having to cross a large swamp, wade four creeks, and cross one river twice: yet we covered fourteen miles with the cattle, and got into bivouac near Clarenceville[1] at [...]
Tuesday, 17th–We marched fifteen miles today. Our brigade had the cattle in charge and at 10 o’clock we had to stop and let them rest, the heat and rough stony roads being too much for them. The other brigades of our corps passed us, going on ahead. We started again at 4 o’clock, but did [...]
Monday, 16th–Reveille sounded at 3 o’clock and at 5 we started on our way to Waynesburg. We reached the place at noon and went into camp for the rest of the day. The troops kept coming in from Clifton all the afternoon.[1] Our corps, the Seventeenth, is all together again, and now in command of [...]
Sunday, 15th–We had regimental inspection this morning at 10 o’clock. Two regiments came out from Clifton as reinforcements for ours. We turned over all our tents, except one for every five men and this evening received orders to be ready to march in the morning at 5 o’clock for Waynesburg, Tennessee. Jason Sparks arrived this [...]
Saturday, 14th–The weather is quite warm and pleasant. A large fleet of transports arrived at Clifton this morning, loaded with troops and supplies, the wagons and teams of the Seventeenth Corps being on board. We also received a large mail. News came that General Grant had defeated the rebels in a two days’ battle before [...]
Friday, 13th–I went out as corporal of the picket this evening at 5 o’clock. There was in all a detail of one hundred and twelve sent out from the two regiments, besides the commissioned and non-commissioned officers. The guards are stationed from one to two miles from camp, where the cattle are corralled.
Thursday, 12th–It is very foggy this morning and our camp is low and unhealthy. We had inspection this morning and then company drill for an hour. John White and I then took a walk, and going outside of the pickets, we climbed some very high bluffs and found some of the nicest springs that I [...]