29th. Thursday. Went to Neosho Falls, nine miles, to see the Indians play ball. Gay time and gay dinner. Visited them in their camp and home. Saw some slaves among them. Was disgusted with their primeval customs. Saw Seminoles and Delawares. About 7,000 encamped along the river.

28th. Wednesday. Wrote to Fannie in time for the mail. Read Will’s old journal.

27th. Woods and I issued five days’ rations. We boys carried ours to the woman where we board.

26th. Helped unload seven loads of provisions. Played ball a little while. Reminded me of old times.

May 25th. Sunday. Wrote home, grazed my horse and rested.

24th. Saturday. Reveille at 4 A. M. Breakfasted, loaded wagon and horsed at six A. M. Grazed about five miles. Splendid prairie view. But one little bunch of woods in sight. Reached Iola about three o’clock. Good visit with the boys.

23rd. Started at 8 A. M. for Iola. Marched fifteen miles. Saw George. Shaved by Charlie Fairbanks. Encamped out in the open air by Turkey Creek. A. B. and I cooked our suppers. Happy time. A grand ridge of mounds surrounds us.

22nd. Drew rations. Archie grazed both horses. We washed our clothes.

21st. Wednesday. Archie and I went out and grazed our horses. Good time. Saw George Ashman. Bathed.

20th. Tuesday. Nettleton and Stewart went to Leavenworth. Rained.

19th. Made arrangements for another horse. Had the one lost examined and got an order from the General for another. Very pretty bay, well satisfied.

18th. Sunday. Wrote to Fannie. Attended preaching by Mr. Hawkins, from Isaiah 1st, 3rd verse, “My people doth not consider.”

17th. Saturday. Went up town and saw George Ashman. Went to the hotel and got breakfast. Cooked our own meals. Letter from Fannie Andrews.

16th. Rain obliged us to arise at five. Stayed under the wagon a while. Then went to the creek to wash. Reveille blew just before I got back. Lt. Hubbard arrested Brooks and me because somebody had wanted us and could not find us. Released us as soon as we came into camp. Rode partly [...]

15th. Thursday. Archie and I cooked a respectable meal. Took our ease until five P. M. Then we marched again. Reached East Drywood at midnight. Capt. Stanhope and Lt. Rush were ahead and were chased by thirty jay hawkers. Column halted. I went on with the advance two or three miles, no sign of any [...]

14th. Wednesday. Left Carthage at 8. Most of the boys footed it. My horse was well enough but I thought I would fare as the rest did. Stopped to graze our horses at ten miles. I was very tired. Got my haversack and gave my horse into Tom’s care. I went to a little bush [...]

13th. Issued four days’ rations. Most all the horses were condemned for sore backs. Sent to mill for one day’s ration of flour. Companies fell out several times from false alarms. I accidentally fired a gun while drilling with Reeve and Archie.

May 12th. Monday. Major Miner arrived at three A. M. Major Purington left early to report under arrest at Fort Scott. Miner commenced a rigid discipline and introduced a new system. Quite an alarm from shooting at an ox. Companies turned out.

11th. Sunday. Issued rations, slept and read Independent. Wrote to Fannie Andrews.

10th. Saturday. Boys broke into P. O. and a store. Major was very angry and arrested Lt. Lockwood there and made three boys walk to Carthage. Boys were mad. This morning I was sick of service or rather longed to get into some other department. Spencer, Archie and I went ahead and got a good [...]

9th. Friday. During the night we expected an attack every hour. Pickets fired two or three times. Companies were called out into line for a fight early in the morning–at four. Mounted at eight and went six or eight miles and fed oats and corn. Traveled through a fine valley, hills on both sides. Reached [...]

8th. Thursday. Marched on towards Cowskin Prairie. A little skirmish on the road. Our course lay mostly among the Ozark Hills. A rich country and beautiful scenery. Reminded me of Vermont scenes. Enjoyed the ride much. As we struck Cowskin Prairie, a little beyond Elk Mill, we saw a band of thirty armed and mounted [...]

7th. Wednesday. At 2 A. M. prepared for another day’s march. At 3 were on the way. Reached Sparlan’s, a noted secesh, at nine A. M. Fed and ate breakfast. Jayhawked his store. They said the boys destroyed a great deal of property ruthlessly. Continued the march. During the day Orff and Purington had a [...]

May 6th. Issued five days’ rations, sugar and coffee. Started on the march southwest at one o’clock. Companies “L”, “M”, “G”, “D” and “A” under Major Purington, and two Dutch companies under Lt. Col. Orff. Marched eighteen miles to Redding Mills. Secesh galvanized. Found plenty of corn and sheaf oats. Occupied a house deserted a [...]