Friday, 14th.—Cheatham’s Corps took Dalton yesterday. Camped for the night one mile south of Villanow.

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

Friday, 14th–At Adairsville we took a train composed of box cars and left for Resaca, where we arrived about 4 o’clock this morning. We at once left the cars and formed a line of battle. Here we lay all day. The remainder of our corps soon arrived, and later the Fourteenth Army Corps came up. The first division of our corps was sent out after the rebels. They found them on the railroad about six miles out between Resaca and Dalton, where they already had destroyed about fifteen miles of track. Our troops engaged in a skirmish there in which the Seventeenth Iowa were taken prisoners, but were at once paroled. It is reported that the commander of the post at Dalton surrendered the place without firing a gun. It is thought that the rebels are making for the mountains, and if they succeed in getting there before we do, it will be hard to trap them, as they are in their own country and among friends.

14th. Friday. Rebels made a reconnoissance along our whole line.

Three miles southwest of Adairsville, October 14th.

We marched at sunset last evening and halted not until 3 this a.m. Marched miserably slow the first five miles through a deep gorge, but about 1 o’clock got straightened out on the Rome and Calhoun road, a good one, and then got along nicely. In the fighting at Rome yesterday, our folks whipped them and took some artillery. We got to bed at 3:15, and reveille sounded at 5 and we marched at 6:30. Not much sleep after marching 20 miles, was it. We had no crackers this morning, and before I got up my imagination was reveling in the prospect of a breakfast on parched corn, but at the festive board the cook surprised us with a mess of pancakes. They looked like plates cut out of a rubber blanket, and tasted accordingly. One member of the mess said they just came up to his ideal of a poet’s dream. Another, that they only lacked one thing, and that was the stamp, “Goodyear’s Patent.” The Surgeon advised us to use them sparingly, for, said he, “If they mass against any part of your interior lines the consequences will be dire.” But we were hard up for breadstuffs, and closed with the dreadful stuff manfully. Twelve m.—Have stopped for dinner.

The Rebel army was, or part of it, at Resaca yesterday, about nine miles from here.

October 14th.–The following dispatch from Gen. Lee cheered the city this morning. None of the particulars of the battle have yet transpired, and all are looking hourly for a renewal of the contest.

“Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia,
“October 13th, 1864.

“Hon. James A. Seddon, Secretary Of War.

“At seven o’clock this morning the enemy endeavored to advance between the Darbytown and Charles City Roads, but was repulsed in every attempt. The most strenuous effort was made about four P.M., after which he withdrew, leaving many dead. Our loss very slight.

“Gen. Breckinridge reports that a force of the enemy came to Greenville on the 12th, and was defeated by Gen. Vaughan. Some prisoners, two stands of colors, many horses and arms were captured. The enemy lost many killed and wounded. Our loss slight.

“R. E. Lee, General.”

It is now 2 p.m., and yet we hear no cannon. If Grant does not renew the strife immediately, it will be natural to suppose he failed in his purpose yesterday, or that some unforeseen occurrence within his lines has happened. Be it either, it is a grateful respite to us.

On the 8th inst., Judge Campbell, Assistant Secretary of War, wrote the President a letter in vindication of P. Hamilton’s loyalty. Mr. H. is commissioner under suspension of the writ of habeas corpus to look into the loyalty of others, and was appointed on Judge C.’s recommendation. Some private individual in Mobile wrote the President, impeaching the patriotism of Mr. H., and also hinted something in relation to the loyalty of Judge C. This matter was shown to Mr. Seddon by the President, and Mr. S. spoke to Judge C. about it in his own manner, which produced the letter of Judge C. to the President. The President sends back the letter to-day, to the “Secretary of War,” indorsed in substance as follows: “He was surprised to receive such a letter, when he had intimated no purpose to have the matter investigated.” Judge C. had procured indorsements of Mr. H. from Alabama, which let the matter out; and it would have been appropriate–the President uses this word rather than improper, as he cannot dispense with either the Secretary or his assistant just now–to have consulted him before taking any steps whatever in the business. He seems vexed, even at Mr. S.

13th.—The day has passed as usual—six hours in the Commissary Department, and the remainder occupied in various ways. Rumours of fighting below Richmond; we hear the cannon, but it is said to be merely a skirmish.

October 13th. The long roll called us up very early, before daylight. We turned out on double-quick time leaving camp on the run, out on the Winchester Pike. When out a short distance came to a halt. After waiting a while, was ordered to return to camp. Wondering what it meant. Later in the day we heard that Mosby and his guerillas captured a train on the B. & O. R. R. between Martinsburg and Harper’s Ferry. The train was badly damaged, passengers robbed. Mosby knows every road and path in this section.

Thursday, 13th.—Marched out to Snake Creek Gap. Captain Morgan died at 12 M. Cannonading towards Dalton.

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

Thursday, 13th–We left our teams behind at Kingston and they did not catch up with us till this morning. We lay here in camp all day. About sundown we received marching orders and our division started for Adairsville, some fifteen miles distant from Rome. We left our teams and all artillery behind and marching through on a by-road, reached Adairsville by midnight.

13th. Thursday. Lay in camp all day. Forage.

Three miles from Rome, Ga., October 13, 1864.

Started at 8 this morning and landed here at dark. Heard 40 or 50 cannon shots in vicinity of Rome during the day’s march. The country to-day is fair for Georgia, but not equal to that between Cartersville and Kingston. While we were resting to-day, Osterhaus (at present commanding our corps) rode by our regiment and a few scamps hollowed “sowbelly, sowbelly.” You know the men have been living on army beef for a month, and it is not desirable fare; still they were only in fun, and I noticed the general smile, but some puppy finally cried out “kraut,” and another echoed it with “kraut by the barrel.” The general wheeled his horse and rode up to us, his face white with passion. “Vat regiment ish dis?” No one answered. He rode up near me and again asked, “Vat regiment ish dis?” I told him. “Vy don’t you kit up?” I arose and again answered him respectfully, “The 103d Illinois, sir.” “Vare ish your colonel?” “At the right of the regiment, sir.” He rode up to Wright and gave him the devil. I have not been so mortified for a long time. We all think a great deal of Osterhaus, and just coming into his division were all desirous that his first impressions of our regiment should be favorable. As it is, two or three insulting puppies have given us a name with him that I have no doubt will cause us trouble for a long time. Yelping “sauer kraut” at a German is a poor way to gain his favor.

(Duplicated also.) October 13, 1864.

The men drew full rations of bacon to-day. There has been some fighting nine miles down the north side of the Coosa river to-day. Our corps moves back on the Kingston road at “retreat.” Don’t know where to.

Received two letters from you to-day, also papers, for which am very thankful. Have had a good rest to-day. Everybody is in glorious spirits. Kilpatrick started west today with 50 days’ rations of salt. I wish I was with him.

October 13th.–Rained all night; clear and cool this morning.

The government publishes nothing from Georgia yet; but it is supposed there is intelligence of an important character in the city, which it would be impolitic to communicate to the enemy.

All still remains quiet below the city. But the curtain is expected to rise on the next act of the tragedy every moment. Gen. Grant probably furloughed many of his men to vote in Pennsylvania and Ohio, on Tuesday last–elections preliminary to the Presidential election–and they have had time to return to their regiments.

If this pause should continue a week or two longer, Gen. Lee would be much strengthened. Every day the farmers, whose details have been revoked, are coming in from the counties; and many of these were in the war in ’61 and ’62–being experienced veterans. Whereas Grant’s recruits, though greater in number, are raw and unskilled.

The Medical Boards have been instructed to put in all men that come before them, capable of bearing arms ten days. One died in the trenches, on the eleventh day, of consumption!

There is a rumor of a fight on our extreme left. It is said Field’s division (C. S.) repulsed three assaults of the enemy. If the battle be still continued (4 P.M. –the wind from the west prevents us from hearing guns), no doubt it is the beginning of a general engagement–decisive, perhaps, of the fate of Richmond.

We have many accounts of evasions of military service, occasioned by the alleged bad faith of the government, and the despotic orders from the Adjutant-General’s office.

And yet Gov. Smith’s certificates for exemption of rich young Justices of the Peace, Commissioners of the (county) Revenue, Deputy Sheriffs, clerks, constables, officers and clerks of banks, still come in daily; and they are “allowed” by the Assistant Secretary of War. Will the poor and friendless fight their battles, and win their independence for them? It may be so; but let not rulers in future wars follow the example! Nothing but the conviction that they are fighting for their families, their sacred altars, and their little property induces thousands of brave Southerners to remain in arms against such fearful odds as are now arrayed against them.

Mr. Kean, the young Chief of the Bureau of War, has come in from “the front,” with a boil on his thigh. He missed the sport of the battle to-day.

Mr. Peck, the agent to purchase supplies for his starving fellow clerks, confesses that he bought 10 barrels of flour and 400 pounds of bacon for himself; 4 barrels of flour for Judge Campbell, Assistant Secretary of War; 4 barrels for Mr. Kean, 1 for Mr. Cohen, and 1 for Mr. Shepherd. This has produced great indignation among the 200 clerks who sent him, and who got but 73 ½ pounds each, and they got 13 pounds of bacon each; while Mr. P. bought for himself 400 pounds.

Oct. 13—My saddle had been stolen during my absence. My baggage had been lost or misplaced. I found mine, Dr. Logan’s, Lieut. McNeil’s and Mr. Ball’s on a forage wagon. Sup with Brother Armstrong in W. and spend the night with our wagons near Fisher’s Hill.

12th.—The armies around Richmond remain quiet. Butler is digging the canal at “Dutch Gap,” and Grant is fortifying “Fort Harrison” most vigorously. General Rosser has had a little reverse in the Valley, losing some guns. He had a cavalry fight, overcame the enemy, and drove them for miles; but encountering a body of infantry which was too much for him, he had to retreat, leaving his guns to the enemy.

The hospitals are full of the wounded; my afternoons are very much engaged, nursing them. I was very sorry yesterday to find R. S. painfully wounded.

October 1st to 12th. Nothing special has taken place between these dates. Picket duty, and plenty of hard work, has been the order of each day as they come and go. Business is improving in the town. Many places are opening up, ready for business. Trains running quite regular. Lieutenant-Colonel Peale returned to the regiment, taking command, after being absent about two months in Washington, D. C.

Wednesday, 12th.—Marched eighteen miles to Resacca by 3 P. M., and surrounded the place. After dark relieved and began tearing up railroad; tore up two miles, to where Stewart’s Corps began. Captain Jake Morgan wounded in skirmish.

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

Wednesday, 12th–We started early this morning and marched to within five miles of Rome by midnight, when we went into bivouac for the rest of the night. We had to move very slowly on account of the teams giving out. Our horses and mules are getting very thin. This is because of the scarcity of forage, and then, too, the roads are very rough, which made it hard on them. Hood’s force is thought to be about thirty thousand, while our army numbers fifty thousand men, of all arms, and the men are in fine shape. We received a large mail at Kingston, when passing through there this evening.

Three miles south of Kingston, October 12, 1864.

Started at daylight this morning. The Rebels were then at Rome. Stopped here at 5 p.m. It is understood that the Rebel Army has moved southwest into Alabama.

Passed through the best country to-day that we have seen in Georgia. We are camped on what has been a splendid plantation (equal to anything on Copperas creek), and on the only clover field, I think, in Georgia. This is about the only ground on which I have seen the Jamestown weed, plantain, or clover. We are very scare of forage, and the officers turned their horses out on the clover to graze. The Northern stock enjoyed it exceedingly, but the Southern horses did not know enough to eat it. They nosed around among the rich bundles of clover to pick out the weeds and hard wild grass, the latter not near as good as our poorest prairie grass.

(A duplicate of dates.) October 12, 1864.

Last night while our train was passing through Cassville, a town four miles south of Kingston, an ambulance gave out and the driver unhitched and concluded to stay all night. That was some three miles from where we stayed. Nine stragglers also laid down beside the ambulance for the night. The 17th Corps came through there to-day and found the driver dead, with a bayonet thrust through him, and the traps of the nine men laying around. The horses and nine men are missing. I heard to-night that the bodies of the nine men had been found altogether. Our men burned the town. I expect we will lie here tomorrow, and if Hood’s army is in this vicinity go for it next day. Nobody thinks he will dare to fight us. We have parts of five corps here.

12th. Wednesday. In camp all day.

October 12th.–Bright and beautiful. All quiet below, save an occasional booming from the fleet.

Nothing from Georgia in the papers, save the conjectures of the Northern press. No doubt we have gained advantages there, which it is good policy to conceal as long as possible from the enemy.

Squads of able-bodied detailed men are arriving at last, from the interior. Lee’s army, in this way, will get efficient reinforcements.

The Secretary of the Treasury sends a note over to the Secretary of War to-day, saying the Commissary-General, in his estimates, allows but $31,000,000 for tax in kind–whereas the tax collectors show an actual amount, credited to farmers and planters, of $145,000,000. He says this will no doubt attract the notice of Congress.

Mr. Peck, our agent to purchase supplies in North Carolina, has delivered no wheat yet. He bought supplies for his family; 400 bushels of wheat for 200 clerks, and 100 for Assistant Secretary of War, Judge Campbell, and Mr. Kean, the young Chief of the Bureau. This he says he bought with private funds; but he brought it at the government’s expense. The clerks are resolved not to submit to his action.

I hear of more desertions. Mr. Seddon and Mr. Stanton at Washington are engaged in a singular game of chance. The harsh orders of both cause mutual abandonments, and now we have the spectacle of men deserting our regiments, and quite as many coming over from the enemy’s regiments near the city. [continue reading…]

Oct. 12—Get to Mt. Jackson. Find Dr. Triplett’s family in great sorrow. Rev. Henry Hardin, of N. C. had married a daughter of Dr. T. and had one child, a son, of one year’s age. I had seen the Rev. Mr. Hardin in the Valley a few week’s before. I called. Of the woman who opened the door I inquired the whereabouts of Rev. Hardin. She said. “He left here three weeks ago, as your army retreated. We have not heard from him since. He is perhaps in North Carolina. The Federals arrested my aged husband and took him up the Valley that day. They carried him through here yesterday in an ambulance sick. I walked beside him a short distance and handed him some clean clothing. I cannot tell where or how he may be today. Last night my daughter’s child died.” As she said that she pushed open the door, and I saw a noble looking woman kneeling by the sofa on which lay a beautiful dead child. I knelt down and said, “Let us pray!” The Lord did help us to cast our burden on Him. We prayed for the sick grandfather, for the young father and for the two mothers. I saw no one in the house except the two women and the dead child. When armies were passing through a town every family had to “sorrow alone.” As I rose up the young mother remained kneeling, but turning gave me her hand saying: “To whom am I indebted for this great kindness?” I never gave my name with more grateful pleasure. After the war, Rev. Mr. H. was Agent for the American Bible Society and attended sessions of our Methodist Annual Conference. He always said: “Brother Betts, wife sends love to you.”

After some years I saw a notice of his death. I felt personally bereaved. Wishing to know the particulars of his death and to offer my sympathies to his family, I wrote to Mrs. H. at J. asking her to tell me about his death and send me his picture. She sent his picture and added that he said he would be on the banks of the River waiting and watching for her. Glory to God for such a hope!

Tuesday, 11th.—Marched to Lowry’s Chapel eighteen miles from Resacca.

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

Tuesday, 11th–The weather has been cool and pleasant for several days. Our entire corps started early this morning at 2 o’clock, going as we suppose, to Kingston. We marched through to Cartersville, where we went into camp for the night.

We hear that there was a hard fight at Altoona yesterday with fearful loss of life on both sides, but Hood had to give up trying to capture the place. It is reported that Hood is now moving toward Rome, Georgia.

Allatoona Pass, October 11, 1864.

Our corps moved at the setting of the sun, and continued moving until we were all confoundedly tired. I never saw the men so noisy, funny, or in any way or every way feeling half so good. After we had marched about eight miles, one of Howard’s staff came back along the line and informed us that Sherman had just notified Howard that Richmond is ours. Everybody believed it, but nobody cheered. They were saving the yells for the confirmation. We camped at 1 a.m. with orders for reveille at 4 and march at 5 a.m.