Saturday, 27th. Up bright and early and on our way by sunrise. Marched till about noon, then halted and took a lunch. Found some good peaches and apples. Col. Small, Chief of Commissary of this dep’t, passed us in a four-horse rig. Met Capt. Welch and command just before entering Sarcoxie. Seemed good to see [...]

Friday, 26th. Renewed our march at sunrise after breakfast. Our course lay mostly through the woods, a little over rough prairie. After 25 miles march, reached Mt. Vernon at 4 P. M. Gen Brown’s command here mostly Mo. troops, one Arkansas regiment. Made requisition and drew corn. Pretty little town. Took supper with teamsters. Sold [...]

Thursday, 25th. In the morning went to town and did some chores for the Capt. Made out a requisition and got corn. Helped Chamberlain get some clothing and issue it. Got me a blue overcoat, pants and lariat. Wrote brief letter to Fannie A. In P. M. detachment started for Mt. Vernon. Encamped at “Little [...]

Wednesday, 24th. After breakfast and taking care of our horses, we went to meet the command. A mile and a half out I waited for the rest to come. Got grapes to eat. Read the morning papers. Stirring news of a week for us. We three boys visited the earthworks. Saw artillery in Pea Ridge [...]

Tuesday, 23rd. Up, dressed and work done and off at sunrise. Our course lay mostly through the woods till within nine miles of Springfield. Stopped at a splendid spring and lunched before striking the prairie. Capt. looked for cover and finally we camped there. Found plenty of peaches and hazelnuts. Archie, Chamberlain and I went [...]

Monday, 22nd. Breakfast at 4:15 A. M. Marched at sunrise, passing through Greenfield, a very pretty little village. One encouraging sign, seldom seen of late months, a comfortable schoolhouse. Stopped two miles out of town, by a spring for dinner. Capt., one or two others and myself explored a cave near by. Found the layers [...]

Sunday, 21st. Marched at sunrise. Ate breakfast at hotel. Went back after starting to look for Lt. Stewart. Met him coming. He had been out to stay with some friends and his horse had broken loose. Stopped after 15 miles at Mr. L.’s. Splendid spring, bathed in the cold water. Some of the mixed colored [...]

Saturday, 20th. Reveille at sunrise. Boys got the coffee and bacon ready at the creek. Went down with Archie, washed and breakfasted. As we passed the Big Drywood, we noticed our bed of rough crooked poles. Reached Lamar at 4 P. M. Orders for no man to enter any house or to disturb any property [...]

Friday, 19th. In the morning went to the post commissary for provisions. Met on my return to camp the poor man we had prisoner, with his wife. I stopped and conversed with them. The woman at first seemed angry but she soon quieted. When I bid them goodbye, they invited me to call, if I [...]

Thursday, 18th. Visited with Capt. Nettleton. Mail came bringing letter from Melissa. Wrote home and to Fannie Andrews.

Wednesday, 17th. Did very little in the morning. Charlie came up for the mail–not arrived. Played three games of checkers. At dinner talked of books read. Saw Capt. Nettleton, returned from Lamar to do some work. Intend to return with him, if Col. Abbey will permit it. Hope Buckshot will get well rapidly enough.

Tuesday, 16th. A rainy, cold and dismal day. Brownell finished a little clamshell ring for me. I polished it up nicely. In the afternoon and evening read “John Brent.” Enjoyed it well. Never read a more thrilling story of a ride. The description of the horse Don Fulano, and his powers was grand. The horse [...]

Monday, 15th. Okie and I went to town and got provisions for five days’ rations. Saw Haynes and went to his tent and took dinner with him. Had a good time. Read a letter from Fred Allen. Went into the hospital and visited Bigelow and Ohio boys. Saw Laundon and walked to camp with him. [...]

Sunday, 14th. In the morning washed out some shirts, went to the creek and bathed and cleaned up generally. Mac Murray came up and spent the afternoon. He is a good boy. In the evening borrowed “Agnes of Sorrento” from Q. M. S. Mason and read till about 11 o’clock, by Capt. Welch’s permission. The [...]

Saturday, 13th. In the afternoon a brigade left under General Salomon for Carthage. Dispatches from Col. Weir came, stating a fight was soon expected. I went down and got provisions for 88 men going from our regiment under Capt. Welch. No mail again. Read the latest papers.

Friday, 12th. Spent a good part of the day building me a bed. Got some boards at a house near camp. Drove down some stakes, made some crossbars and fastened them and laid boards on top, making a very comfortable cot. Archie, Ed and Reeve full of the Old Nick at night. Nothing of interest [...]

Thursday, 11th. Went down to the post commissary to get provisions. Saw Delos and went down with him to see Charlie. He agreed upon proposal to fill out a program Fred had sent on for the celebration of the 10th, Charlie’s birthday, and anniversary of our enlistment. Issued rations during the day. Charlie came up [...]

Wednesday, 10th. Word came to Major Burnett that the officers of the 2nd Ohio must be unanimous in choosing a colonel or someone from the regular army would be chosen. Officers met, ballot impromptu, Major Miner 7, Major Purington 7, Major Burnett 6. 1st ballot, Major Miner 7, Major Burnett 7, Major Purington 6. 2nd [...]

Tuesday, 9th. In the afternoon wrote to Ella Clark. Spent the day much as other days, reading, writing and loafing about hearing the news and waiting for the news. Report that Jackson had been captured. Evening papers contradicted the rumor and gave the Rebels the decided advantage. Driving our men towards Washington. Stirring news from [...]

Monday, 8th. Wrote a short letter to Melissa. Considerable talk among officers about the colonelcy. Tod says Ratliff can not be colonel. So it is thought Major Miner will be the favored one. He says he will either run the regiment or be out of it! Considerable prejudice against him among the men on account [...]

Sunday, 7th. At breakfast Capt. Seward and Bernard said Nettleton had returned. After breakfast saw him and received a note from Sister Melissa expressing her delight at the visit with “her dear Lu” and giving a description of Minnie’s marriage. Sent a nice handkerchief. Read some during the day. In the evening Capt. Nettleton called, [...]

Saturday the 6th. Hugh White cooked for us. Sandy got out of the guardhouse. Hugh cooked first rate. Read and rested. In the evening received a letter from Melissa and a Herald from Uncle Albert announcing the marriage of Sister Minnie and giving an account of the Oberlin Commencement. He commended Will Hudson’s “The Heroic [...]

Friday, 5th. Went down to the river and washed. Charlie and Delos came up with a letter from Fred Allen, good. Proposed a plan for celebrating C’s birthday. Report about camp that N. and M. were to be married. Rode to town. Went and saw some miscellaneous horses. Went to the hospital and saw Merrick [...]

Thursday, 4th. Read some in “Othello.” Enjoyed some parts much. News came that Jackson had been taken with 20,000 men. Proved a lie. Tried to write a decently neat letter to Ella Clark, didn’t succeed very well. Didn’t finish in time for the evening mail. A good letter came from Fannie–a little behind time. Enjoyed [...]