Washington April 4th (Saturday)
I left Washington on the 16th March on a two weeks leave of absence and spent the time visiting my family at Sag Harbor L.I. I returned the 2nd Inst (Thursday). I had a very pleasant visit and regreted leaving home more than I ever did before. This is a miserable life to live, away from home. I must manage to live with my family and if I stay in Washington we must make it our home here after next Summer. Not much of importance has occured as regards the War during the past two or three weeks. Matters are very much as they stood when I left here. No decided and important Battles have been fought but considerable skirmishing, and some rather hard fighting, at Port Hudson on the Miss River and quite a success at Sommerset in Kentucky under our Col Gilmore. No movement from Falmouth or on the Rappahanock yet or upon Charleston S.C. that we have as yet heard of, altho an attack is daily expected. I will hereafter note down important events as they occur in regard to the War without confineing myself to a strict diary of events which have no particular interest in themselves. As my absence has broken my Journal I may consider myself more at liberty since the fence is down.