Tuesday, 7th–We had another all day, cold, drizzling rain. We left our bivouac at 7 o’clock and after marching fourteen miles stopped for the night. With every mile the road got better as we moved upon higher ground, and the forage also became more plentiful. Just after we had stacked arms to go into bivouac, [...]

Monday, 6th–The weather changed again, and we had a rather cold, drizzling rain nearly all day. We left our trenches at 7 o’clock this morning and were all day in marching ten miles, the country being so very swampy. We had a great deal of corduroy to build, and the rebels blocked our way by [...]

Sunday, 5th–The atmosphere is clear and it is getting quite warm. We remained in our rifle pits all day, but had to put up our shelter tents, for we actually suffered from the heat. All is quiet in front. We had company inspection this morning and dress parade in the evening. We drew two days’ [...]

Saturday, 4th–We remained in line of battle all night, not being allowed to build any fires. This morning we moved out about two miles nearer the upper bridge, the rebels having left the vicinity during the night. We remained here, fortifying the bridge. Our teams and batteries came across the bridge this morning. General Mower’s [...]

Friday, 3d–It rained quietly nearly all day, and we remained in camp until 1 p. m., when we received marching orders. Our division under General Giles E. Smith then made ready to wade and swim the river midway between the two bridges. The river is one and one-fourth miles wide, having at least one hundred [...]

Thursday, 2d–This is a beautiful morning and we started early on our march. We had better roads than yesterday, on higher ground, and covered thirteen miles. We drove the rebels forward all day, doing some lively skirmishing in the front. The rebels have all crossed the Salkehatchie river, but have possession of the two bridges [...]

Wednesday, 1st–We left camp early this morning for the grand raid through South Carolina, under the command of General Sherman. But our march will not be an easy one, for the rebels will do their best to hold us in check. There are one hundred thousand men within a radius of twenty miles, and there’s [...]

Tuesday, 31st–We remained in bivouac all day and have heard no news. We drew some clothing today. Our camp is located about thirty miles northwest of Beaufort. The country is very level and heavily timbered, chiefly with pine. It is thinly settled and the farms are small with nothing of consequence raised on them. The [...]

Monday, 30th–We marched about three miles this morning and then went into bivouac to await further orders. The report is that we are now ready to make the grand raid through South Carolina. The Seventeenth and Fifteenth Corps are to form the right wing, as in the campaign through Georgia, with General O. O. Howard [...]

Sunday, 29th–Our company left camp in the old fort at 10 o’clock and reached the brigade headquarters at Garden Corners about noon. Our entire division then moved forward about ten miles and went into bivouac for the night. The roads were fine for marching, having had no rain for four days.

Saturday, 28th–Our company received orders to move on to the front tomorrow. The weather is quite pleasant. Some of the trains of the Fifteenth Corps came in from the landing this evening, but the corps has not yet arrived.

Friday, 27th–We are still on duty at the old fort, and everything is going well. The trains have now quit going to Beaufort and we expect to receive orders to leave soon.

Thursday, 26th–It is still clear and quite cool with the wind from the northwest. This is the coldest day we have had this winter here in the South, yet there is no ice even in a bucket of water.

Wednesday, 25th–It has cleared off now and is quite cool. It does not take long in this sandy region for the roads to dry off, and in three or four days they will be in good condition. We expect to leave here soon. The men are becoming very restless, being at one place so long. [...]

Tuesday, 24th–It is still raining, which makes the fifth day of steady rain, and at times it comes down in torrents. We are very fortunate in having shacks set up on the top of the old fort where we are located, for if we were camping down on the level ground, we could not possibly [...]

Monday, 23d–It is still raining, and our men have made a new landing within six miles of Pocotaligo. It is at one of the inlets which has a channel deep enough for small steamboats to come up. This will shorten the haul of our provisions about twenty miles—no small item in this land of sandy [...]

Sunday, 22d–A detail from our regiment was sent out along the road today to help the loaded wagons across the deep mud-holes, as they come through from Beaufort. It is reported that the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps have crossed into South Carolina and are floundering in the mud bottoms of the Savannah river.

Saturday, 21st–It is still raining. The teams are going back and forth day and night, hauling provisions. The roads are so bad now at places that the teams get stuck in the mud.

Friday, 20th–It rained all day and the roads are becoming quite muddy.

Thursday, 19th–There is nothing new. We are still on picket on the main road to Beaufort.

Wednesday, 18th–The weather is very pleasant. We are still on duty guarding the main road to Beaufort. The trains have all gone in for supplies. All is quiet in front. This low country, before the war, was planted to cotton, the planters living in town while their plantations were managed by overseers and worked by [...]

Tuesday, 17th–Our brigade was inspected at 1 p. m. today by the brigade commander. There is very little sickness among the men in spite of the fact that we have been in this low, flat country for a fortnight. The land where we are stationed is barely above the sea level, and we easily see [...]

Monday, 16th–All is quiet in front. Company E moved back four or five miles to a large rebel fort on the main road to Beaufort, and on an inlet of the ocean. We are to remain here on picket duty until further orders. The main part of the regiment has fortified. Our company put up [...]

Sunday, 15th–The rebels fell back last night and our men pushed forward this morning. We moved six miles and again went into camp. One regiment and the Thirteenth Iowa was left at Pocotaligo for picket duty and to act as train guard for the trains passing to and fro from Beaufort, hauling provisions out to [...]