I : 
 
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Qfnrnell Untttctaitg Htbrarg 
 
 Mlfata, New Hark 
 
 THE JAMES VERNER SCAIFE 
 
 COLLECTION 
 
 CIVIL WAR LITERATURE 
 
 THE GIFT OF 
 
 JAMES VERNER SCAIFE 
 
 CLASS OF 1889 
 
 1919 
 
Cornell University Library 
 E601 .B61 
 
 A drummer-boy's diary: 
 
 olln 
 
 ill 
 
 ■3 1924 032 780 433 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tlnis book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924032780433 
 
BEADY FOB THE FRONT. 
 
Drdmmer-Boy'S Diary: 
 
 CX)MPBISINQ 
 
 FOUR YEARS OP SERVTCE WITH THE SECOND 
 
 REGIMENT MINNESOTA VETERAN 
 
 VOLUNTEERS, 
 
 1861 TO 1865. 
 
 BT 
 
 WILLIAM BIECHER. 
 
 ST. PAUL, MINN, i 
 
 ST. PAUL BOOK AND STATIONERY COMPANY. 
 1889. 
 
Copyright, 1889, St. Paul Book and Stationery Cohpany. 
 
TO THE 
 
 SECOND MINNESOTA REGIMENT, 
 
 MISNESOTA TETEEAN TOLUNTEEES, AMD TO THEIB CHIIDEEN, 
 
 THIS YOLUME 
 
 IS Arr^CTIONATELY INSCRIBED. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 As some apology seems to be necessary for the 
 effort herewith made, to add one more volume 
 to the already overcrowded shelf containing the 
 nation's literature of the great Civil War, it 
 may be well to say a few words in explanation 
 of the following pages. I thought that these 
 sketches of my memoranda of army life, as seen 
 by a boy, would prove enjoyable and profitable 
 to my comrades of the Second Minnesota and 
 their children ; and I believed that they might 
 at the same time serve to revive in the minds 
 of the veterans themselves long-forgotten, or 
 but imperfectly-remembered, scenes and expe- 
 riences in camp and field. It was not my origi- 
 nal intention to write a connected story, but 
 rather to give to my old comrades the contents of 
 the diary I kept through our term of service, as 
 I have been urgently pressed by so many old 
 comrades to put it into print. And as no full 
 and complete history of the Second Minnesota 
 Regiment has ever been written, it is hoped that 
 these recollections of one of its humblest mem- 
 
 1* 5 
 
6 PREFACE. 
 
 bers may serve the purpose of recalling to the 
 minds of surviving comrades the stirring scenes 
 through which they passed, as well as keeping 
 alive in coming time the name and memory of 
 the organization which deserved so well of its 
 country during the ever-memorable days of now 
 more than twenty-seven years ago. With these 
 few words of apology and explanation, I here- 
 with place the " Drummer-Boy's Diary" in the 
 hands of my surviving comrades. 
 
 The illustrations are from the " Recollections 
 of a Drummer-Boy," by kind permission of 
 Messrs, Ticknor & Co., publishers. 
 
 WILLIAM BIRCHER, 
 
 Company K. 
 South St. Paul, 1888. 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 " Fort Sumter, S. C, April 12, 1861, 3.20 a.m. 
 "SlE,— 
 
 "By authority of Brigadier-General Beauregard, com- 
 manding the provisional forces of the Confederate States, 
 we have the honor to notify you that he will open the 
 fire of his batteries on Fort Sumter in one hour from 
 this time. We have the honor to be, very respectfully, 
 " Tour obedient servants, 
 
 "JAS. CHBSNUT, 
 
 " Aide-de-camp. 
 " STEPHEN D. LEE, 
 " Captain C.S.A., Aide-de-camp. 
 "Major Egbert Anderson, 
 
 " United States Army, Commanding Fort Sumter." 
 
 All readers of American history will remem- 
 ber this famous order of General Beauregard to 
 Major Anderson, commander of Fort Sumter, 
 and the firing on Fort Sumter by the Confed- 
 erates. 
 
 Without a doubt this issue was expected. It 
 
 at least found General Beauregard prepared to 
 
 keep the appointment of his representatives with 
 
 sufficient punctuality. The hour went slowly by, 
 
 and the batteries were silent. Five anxious min- 
 
 7 
 
8 A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 utes more were counted, and tlie dark quiet of 
 the night was yet unbroken; but hardly were 
 another five completed, when the flash and the 
 dull roar of a mortar came from the battery on 
 Sullivan's Island. The unconscious shell went up 
 shrieking and wailing along its fiery curve, and- 
 lingering reluctantly before its downward plunge, 
 bursting as it fell directly over the doomed for- 
 tress. 
 
 No meteor of more direful portent ever lit the 
 sky ; for this told surely of the beginning of a 
 civil war, compared to which all civil wars before 
 it were as squabbles in a corner ; a war in which 
 millions of men were to be engaged, and which 
 was to scatter ruin and want, not only through 
 the country in which it raged, but across the sea, 
 among two of the ' most powerful nations of the 
 world; which was to convert half a continent 
 into one great battle-ground, and strew it from 
 east to west with the graves of its citizens, 
 slaughtered to gratify the base ambition and the 
 disappointed pride of a small factious oligarchy 
 who justified themselves in their attempt to de- 
 stroy-, with the monstrous assumption of the right 
 of one man to own and use another as his prop- 
 erty ; but to the eager neophytes in war who 
 manned the Charleston batteries this shell was 
 merely the signal for the beginning of a bom- 
 bardment in which they expected to run some 
 
A DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 9 
 
 risk and to gain much glory, for they knew well 
 their overwhelming superiority, both in numbers 
 and in weight of artillery, and they knew how 
 weary, worn, and wasted were their handful of 
 opponents with anxiety, watching, and lack of 
 food. 
 
 They expected, also, that after a few such con- 
 tests, enough to show the government and the 
 people of the free States that ,they really meant 
 rebellion, they would attain their purposes, and 
 be in a position to so remodel the map of North 
 America as to secure the perpetuation through- 
 out the larger part of its temperate climes (which 
 was the real object sought by their insurrection) 
 of the political and social predominance of the 
 slave-holding oligarchy ; so well ha,d politicians 
 been able to cause the citizens of the republic to 
 misunderstand each other! So well had some 
 of them deceived themselves- 
 
 The firing of this signal mortar was fitly 
 committed to the hands of Edmund Ruffin, 
 a Virginian, who had grown gray during his 
 untiring efforts to bring about the struggle 
 which he then began. The depression which 
 followed the bombardment of Fort Sumter was 
 but momentary. It did not last a single day. 
 The rebound was instantaneous and tremendous. 
 In spite of four months' warning, the event 
 actually came with all the suddenness of sur- 
 
10 J. DBUMMER-BOY'S DIABY. 
 
 prise. In fact, it was absolutely necessary to 
 the arousing of the loyal men of the republic 
 from a state of mingled confidence and bewilder- 
 ment, which had almost the seeming and all the 
 eiTects of stupor. 
 
 It was to these people, pending this mental 
 experience, that President Lincoln addressed a 
 proclamation, dated upon the day of firing on 
 Fort Sumter. That was Sunday, and on Monday 
 morning the President's appeal was distributed 
 by telegraph throughout the country. It set 
 forth that the laws of the United States had been 
 for some time defied in the seven seceded States, 
 by combinations too powerful to be dealt with by 
 the officers of the law. It called out seventy- 
 five thousand of the militia of the several States 
 for the purpose of suppressing those combina- 
 tions. 
 
 Governor Alexander Ramsey, of Minnesota, 
 immediately visited the President "and offered the 
 services of one regiment, and the organization was 
 commenced. Willis A. Gorman, a prominent 
 attorney of St. Paul, Minn., received a commission 
 from the governor as colonel, and in April the 
 First Minnesota Regiment was mustered into the 
 service of the United States, and June 14 ordered 
 to Washington, D. C. Soon after the departure 
 of the First Regiment the recruiting for the 
 Second Regiment began, and in July had its 
 
A DRUMMEB-BOY'S DIABY. W 
 
 quota, and was organized with H. P. Van Cleve 
 as colonel, James George as lieutenant-colonel, 
 and Simeon Smith, major ; and, after doing post 
 duty in the frontier forts, Ripley, Ridgely, Aber- 
 crombie, was, in October, 1861, ordered south to 
 Washington. During this period, of July up to 
 August, I had made several attempts to get into 
 the regiment, but, not being over fifteen years of 
 age, and small in size, was rejected. But Captain 
 J. J. Noah, of Company K, seemed to think 
 that I would make a drummer, as the company 
 was in need of one. I was then taken to the 
 office of Mustering-officer Major Nelson, and, 
 after being questioned very carefully in regard 
 to my age, was not accepted until I should get 
 the consent of my parents. 
 
 On the receipt of this decision I immediately 
 walked to St. Paul and broached the subject to 
 my parents, who of course objected, but after 
 seeing that I was determined in my idea of be- 
 coming a soldier, my father also took the patriotic 
 fever and we both enlisted in K Company of the 
 Second Regiment, and the happiest day of my 
 life, I think, was when I donned my blue uniform 
 and received my new drum. Now, at last, after 
 so many efforts, I was really a full-fledged drum- 
 mer, and going South to do and die for my country 
 if need be. 
 
 During the months of August and September 
 
12 ^ DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 we did post duty at Fort Snelling and drilled a 
 great deal of the time. In October we received 
 orders to proceed to Washington to join the army 
 on the Potomac. October 14 we embarked on 
 steamboats and proceeded down the river to St. 
 Paul, where we disembarked at the upper land- 
 ing and marched through the city. Here we 
 found the streets crowded with people' waving 
 their handkerchiefs ; the band played, the flags 
 waved, and the boys cheered back, and young 
 men brought their sweethearts in their carriages 
 and fell in line with the dusty procession. Even 
 the old people became much excited. As we 
 passed they gave three cheers for the Union for- 
 ever, and stood waving their hats after us until 
 we were hid from sight. We found the city ablaze 
 with bunting, and so wrought up with excite- 
 ment that all thought of work had been given 
 up for that day. As we formed in line and 
 marched down the main street towards the river, 
 the sidewalks were everywhere crowded with 
 people, with boys who wore red, white, and blue 
 neckties, and boys who wore fatigue, caps ; with 
 girls who carried flags, and girls who carried 
 flowers ; with women who waved their handker- 
 chiefs, and old men who waved their walking- 
 sticks, while here and there, as we passed along, 
 at windows and door-ways were faces red with 
 long weeping, for Johnny was off to the war, and 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 13 
 
 maybe mother, sisters, and sweethearts would 
 never see him again. Drawn up in line on the 
 lower levee, awaiting the steamboat from the up- 
 per landing, there was scarcely a man, woman, or 
 child in that great crowd around us but had to 
 pass up for a last shake of hands, a last good-by, 
 and a last " God bless you, boys !" And so, 
 amid cheering and hand-shaking and flag-wav- 
 ing, the steamboat came floating down the stream, 
 and we were off, with the band playing the "Star- 
 Spangled Banner." We proceeded down the 
 river to La Crosse, where we were transferred to 
 cars, and on the morning of October 16 we ar- 
 rived at Chicago, and were quartered in the Wig- 
 wam where the convention was held that nomi- 
 nated Lincoln for President. After being supplied 
 with rations — of pork, beans, and coffee — ^we again 
 proceeded on our way, and arrived at Pittsburg, 
 Pa., where we were received by a delegation of 
 loyal citizens, who escorted us to the Duquesne 
 Gray's Hall. Here we found several tables, 
 the fiill length of the haU, loaded down with 
 eatables of every description, and were waited on 
 by the most beautiful and patriotic young ladies 
 of the city. The hospitality of these loyal peo- 
 ple will long be remembered by the boys and 
 cherished in the memory of Pittsburg. Here 
 our orders were countermanded, and instead of 
 proceeding to Washington we were to go to Ken- 
 
 2 
 
14 A DBUMMEB-BOY'8 DIARY. 
 
 tucky and report to General Buell, commander of 
 the Department of the Ohio. We took transports, 
 and with three lashed together we started on 
 our voyage down the Ohio River. We arrived at 
 Louisville, Ky., on October 19, and disembarked 
 and marched out to the Louisville and Nashville 
 Depot. At 5 P.M. we were loaded on flat cars 
 with rough board benches and taken out to Leb- 
 anon Junction, where we went into bivouac for 
 the remainder of the night. During our night's 
 ride it rained continually, and, without any pro- 
 tection from it, we were pretty well soaked. 
 October 20, had tents supplied us, and the officers 
 were getting some kind of order out of chaos. 
 We remained here at this camp (which, by the 
 way, was called Camp Anderson, in honor of 
 Major Anderson, of Sumter fame) three weeks 
 doing guard and picket duty. Then we were 
 ordered to the town of Lebanon, where we con- 
 tinued to drill and become more perfect in the 
 manual of arms, and, of course, did our share of 
 picket and guard duty^ Here we found the Ninth 
 Ohio Regiment, which had seen service in West 
 Virginia, and we looked upon them as veterans ; 
 also the Fourteenth Ohio, Eighteenth United 
 States Infantry, and scattering companies of un- 
 organized Kentucky troops. Our dress parades 
 every evening were viewed by a great many ladies 
 and gentlemen from the adjoining town, and it 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY, 15 
 
 had a great effect in making the boys try to do 
 their best, as each man thought that he was the 
 particular object of the many young ladies who 
 were viewing the parade while lying here in 
 camp at Lebanon. 
 
 We had rumors of all kinds in regard to the 
 prospect of a battle. One day we heard that 
 Zollicoffer was advancing towards Lebanon and 
 that a battle was expected, while the next brought 
 word that he was still in his intrench men ts on the 
 Cumberland ; then came a report that he was ad- 
 vancing on General Schoepf, who was fortified at 
 Somerset, watching his movements, and later we 
 heard that he had recrossed the river and was 
 on his way to join General Buckner at Bowling 
 Green. Each story passed current until the next 
 was reported. 
 
 Three weeks of camp-life wore away and we 
 received orders to hold ourselves in readiness to 
 march at any moment. We were inspected by 
 General Buell and staff, and on the morning of 
 January 1, 1862, we struck our tents, packed 
 our knapsacks, and, with our company property 
 securely stowed away inside our army wagons, 
 with forty pounds upon our backs, we bade adieu 
 to Lebanon and took the road towards Somerset. 
 The air was clear and warm and the road was in 
 excellent condition, but our knapsacks were a 
 burden to us, and before we marched ten miles we 
 
16 A DEUMMEB-BOY'8 BIABY. 
 
 found here and there a man dropping out of the 
 ranks to lighten his burden. Shirts, socks, 
 drawers, and shoes were thrown away to become 
 the lawful property of the first passer-by. We 
 stopped at noon by a small stream to fill our can- 
 teens and to eat hard-tack, salt pork, and drink 
 coffee with a relish that nothing but marching 
 could give us. 
 
 A half-hour soon slipped around, and then we 
 heard the order " Fall in !" from our colonel, and 
 there was a rush and commotion in the ranks. 
 Knapsacks were quickly slung, and in a very 
 few moments our table was cleared, dishes were 
 packed, and we were marching on again. 
 
 We marched until about four o'clock p.m,, 
 halting occasionally to fill our canteens and rest 
 a few minutes. After marching twelve miles we 
 turned off the road into an open piece of pas- 
 ture, the land being skirted on one side by woods 
 and on the other by a small stream, which made 
 it a desirable camp-ground. 
 
 A squad of men were detailed to provide wood 
 for the cook, while others went for straw on which 
 to lay our weary bodies to rest. 
 
 Now, we thought, the campaign has com- 
 menced ; we believed there was something to be 
 done. It was no longer in the prospective ; we 
 were really going towards the enemy. True, 
 there was only a small force of us together, — ^two 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. I7 
 
 regiments of infantry and one battery of artil- 
 lery, — ^but we thought that in this movement of 
 a small force there were other movements to be 
 made that would insure us victory. 
 
 We had great confidence in ourselves and our 
 generals, and looked forward to the end of our 
 march without a doubt of our complete success. 
 
 Our second day's march left the small vil- 
 lage of Campbellsville behind us, and here we 
 laid over foiir days to allow our teams to go back 
 to Lebanon for commissary stores and also to take 
 back some articles with which we could dispense. 
 
 Our route thus far had been through rough, 
 hiUy country, with but few good farms. From 
 appearances, there was more rain than would 
 supply the wants of agriculture. The land was 
 nobly covered with timber of a very good quality. 
 We also passed many good mill-sites, which in 
 some spots, particularly New England, would be 
 very desirable property. Here they were wholly 
 unimproved, partly from the want of means to 
 erect mills, but mostly from a lack of energy on 
 the part of the settlers. With the right kind 
 of inhabitants and proper laws this might be 
 made a pleasant country, and with the mildness 
 of climate Kentucky might be made to blossom 
 as the rose. It is one of the best-watered coun- 
 tries in the Union. Besides the Ohio River on 
 
 its northern boundary, the Mississippi on the 
 h 2* 
 
18 -4 BBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 west, and the Cumberland and Tennessee run- 
 ning through it, it is supplied with numberless 
 small creeks, rivulets, and springs which gush 
 from every hill-side. The land along the streams 
 is very productive and yields large crops of corn 
 and hay. The hill-sides, which are too abrupt 
 for cultivation, are covered with timber of the 
 best quality, and the running streams furnish 
 abundant mill-sites for converting it into lum- 
 ber. Cattle can obtain a good living in the 
 woods all winter, and beef, butter, and cheese 
 readily command good prices. The land is 
 broken. Cultivation is good for the production 
 of fruit, while the climate is particularly adapted 
 to fruit-raising. Notwithstanding all these ad- 
 vantages, settlers along the road were reduced to 
 great straits, sometimes to obtain a bare subsist- 
 ence. Log houses were the rule, and framed were 
 the exception. School-houses languished and ig- 
 norance flourished, and the mass of the people 
 were but tools in the hands of the educated few. 
 There is something seemingly inconsistent in 
 this contrast between the advantages of the coun- 
 try and the real condition of the people. There 
 must have been some powerful agency at work to 
 hold so large a tract of country in a state of 
 nature, as it were, while other States, with 
 poorer soil and a colder climate, had made such 
 rapid advance in wealth and productiveness. 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. \<Q 
 
 The mind at once finds the cause of this and 
 human slavery readily solves the problem. This 
 domestic institution crippled the energy and 
 crushed out the expansive force of the nature of 
 the people with whom it came in contact. 
 
 On the morning of January 7 we struck tents 
 again and resumed our march. While in camp 
 near Campbellsville, we had partly passed from 
 autumn to the wintry weather. For the past 
 three weeks the weather had been very pleasant 
 and bright, clear sky, pleasant sunshine overhead, 
 and dry ground under foot. But now a rainy sea- 
 son had commenced, and the transportation was 
 overladen. Now we marched through mud and 
 water, where before we had dust. We did not 
 experience much difficulty from the mud, how- 
 ever, we had a good turnpike road to travel on. 
 But on January 8 we left the pike and turned 
 off on to a mud road, which was well named, for 
 the mud was unfathomable. Companies F and 
 K built a temporary bridge over a small creek 
 near Columbia, a smart little village forty miles 
 from Lebanon, where we found the Fourteenth 
 Ohio , Regiment, under command of Colonel 
 James B. Steedman. We encamped two miles 
 from the river, where we laid over two days, 
 waiting for other troops to join us, as we were 
 now approaching the place where the rebels held 
 a strong position, and it became us to be on our 
 
20 ^ DBVMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 guard. On January 11 we left Camp Columbia, 
 and there was no village between us and tbe host 
 of the enemy. The mud was so deep that we 
 made but little progress, and halted at two o'clock, 
 but six miles from the place we left in the morn- 
 ing. Short as the distance was, our teams did not 
 reach us until after night had drawn her curtain 
 over the busy world, after which our tents were to 
 be pitched and our suppers cooked. As a conse- 
 quence, it was late in the evening before we satis- 
 fied the wants of the inner man and turned our 
 attention to our outer individual. Here we took 
 a philosophical view of the matter and found that 
 our situation might have been a great deal more 
 uncomfortable than it was, for just beyond the 
 fence was a battery of artillery, whose wagons had 
 not arrived. Therefore they had only hard bread 
 to eat and the cannon for shelter. Having a 
 fellow-feeling in our bosoms for fellow-beings in 
 distress, we made an extra kettle of coffee and 
 shared with them, receiving in exchange the 
 warm, heart-felt thanks of the artillery boys. 
 
 On January 10 Company K was ordered into 
 the advance, as advance guard. Sergeant Mc- 
 Donough was told to take ten men and proceed 
 about twenty rods in advance of the company, 
 which was to be about eighty rods in advance of 
 the regiment. I was in his squad, and we were 
 again divided into pairs, and kept watch at every 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 21 
 
 turn of the road, so that, if we saw a force of the 
 enemy, we could immediately let the commander 
 know it, and if a body of the enemy should be 
 in front of us, we could discoyer them in season 
 to prevent a surprise. We saw no enemy, how- 
 ever, worse than the mud, through which we 
 had to plod our way, and at night we encamped 
 within eight miles of where Zollicoffer had a 
 force stationed to scour the country and collect 
 forage and provisions. We had another rest of 
 two days waiting for the other regiments to come 
 up. 
 
 Kain fell incessantly; and when we again 
 struck tents, on the morning of January 15, 
 the mud was deeper than ever, and we had a 
 vague idea of passing the night in the woods, 
 with our wagons containing our tents and pro- 
 visions — ^particularly that greatest of soldiers' 
 culinary comforts, our coffee — stalled in a mud- 
 hole miles back. This morning our captain, J. 
 J. Noah, returned to Louisville, Ky., on sick 
 furlough. Several of the boys went with him. 
 Lieutenant W. W. Woodbury assumed command 
 of the company. We made a long march, and 
 at night found ourselves in the wild woods with- 
 out food or shelter, and a long distance in ad- 
 vance of our wagons, while our pickets were 
 posted within two miles of the enemy. We 
 had had a heavy rain the night before, and it 
 
22 ^ DBUMMEB-BOY'S DJABY. 
 
 had rained at times as we marched. The woods 
 and leaves were very wet ; we had no axes, but 
 must have a fire. Now here was a dilemma. How 
 to get a fire started was a question somewhat 
 extensively debated by squads of interested per- 
 sons. The night bid fair to be still and cool. 
 Our clothes were quite damp, our socks as wet 
 as they could be, and our feet aching with cold. 
 
 Necessity is the mother of invention, and with 
 dull and rusty jack-knives — for there was hardly 
 a good one in the company — we fell to work. 
 It was a long job, and required much patience to 
 hew off the dampened surface, and still more to 
 obtain the necessary amount of shavings to ignite 
 the wet and soggy wood which we could pick up 
 in the woods. When did a man undertake a job 
 in downright earnest that he did not accomplish ? 
 and after almost an hour of steady labor, we had 
 a bright blaze leaping and crackling through a 
 generous pile of wood and throwing out a cheer- 
 ing light through the dark woods, while our 
 shivering bodies absorbed the heat with gratitude, 
 which none can appreciate until they have gone 
 through the same exposures. As I lay rolled up 
 in my blanket, and peeping occasionally into the 
 dark background of forest around us, I sought 
 for a while to find a definition of the word 
 comfort, and to find out if there could be a 
 position in which a man could be placed and 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY 23 
 
 be utterly miserable. While living at Fort 
 Snelling we grumbled a great deal about the 
 provisions furnished us, when we had quite a 
 lengthy bill of fare, containing not only all the 
 necessaries of life but many that might be counted 
 luxuries. On arriving in Kentucky, and having 
 some of the latter articles cut ofi", we grumbled 
 again, and thought that we were making our 
 stomachs suffer martyrdom for the good of the 
 cause, but amid all these afflictions we looked 
 forward with dread and dismay to the time when 
 we should begin our march and have nothing 
 but hard-tack, pork, and coffee to eat and drink. 
 This, we thought, was the worst we could endure ; 
 but now we would have received our rations of 
 hard-tack and pork thankfully ; indeed, we would 
 have taken a deal of trouble upon ourselves to 
 have procured them in any form. 
 
 Such is human nature. Man, at times, can be 
 the most unreasonable of animals, and at others 
 the most generous ; but his noble intellectual 
 organs and impulses are controlled by the larger 
 one of appetite. When a man is found who 
 can shake off all such trammels and bring his 
 sensual organs under the control of his intel- 
 lectual ones, he has accomplished a feat as rare 
 as it is commendable. Such were my conclu- 
 sions as I lay before the fire drying my clothes, 
 for even now, without a supper, I found my sit- 
 
24 ^ DRUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 uation mucli more comfortable than it had been 
 before the fire was kindled, and far preferred it 
 to that of the pickets who had no fire and were 
 not allowed to build one. As I lay down to 
 sleep, musing in this way, I worked myself into 
 a state of thankfulness that would not haTe dis- 
 honored the Shepherd of Salisbury Plain, and 
 fell asleep to be awakened only by the hum of 
 life and activity in the morning. 
 
 Next day our teams arrived, and the boys . 
 were all in good spirits. We unloaded the 
 wagons and got the kettles and made some coffee. 
 After that we heard the order " Fall in !" from 
 our colonel. We filled our haversacks with hard 
 bread and commenced our march with our 
 clothes still wet from the rain. Marched eleven 
 miles, to within eight miles of Somerset. 
 
 We encamped in an orchard with a beautiful 
 stream running through it, and it made the best 
 camping-ground we had had in Kentucky. We 
 were in camp at this place two days, Friday and 
 Saturday, and now was the time to stand our 
 guard and picket duty. Saturday night Com- 
 pany A, Captain J. W. Bishop, went on picket, 
 and on Sunday morning, January 19, the rebels, 
 under General ZoUicoffer, attacked the Tenth 
 Indiana Kegiment, and our regiment was quickly 
 ordered to the scene of action. We marched 
 about one and a half miles, through deep mud 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 25 
 
 and rain, to stand support to a battery that was 
 in a field throwing shells at the enemy. In a 
 few minutes our regiment was ordered on to the 
 field of battle. We marched by the right flank, 
 up the main road, then made a left oblique move- 
 ment, then regimental front, and double-quick 
 time until we met the Tenth Indiana. Falling 
 back — they having run out of ammunition — our 
 regiment charged up to a rail-fence, and here 
 occurred a hand-to-hand conflict, the rebels put- 
 ting their guns through the fence from one side 
 and our boys from the other. The smoke hung 
 so close to the ground on account of the rain 
 that it was impossible to see each other at times. 
 The Ninth Ohio then made a charge along the 
 rebel left flank and drove them from their front ; 
 and then followed one of the worst stampedes, 
 I think, that " occurred during the war. The 
 rebels left their commander, General ZoUicofier, 
 and Captain Baily Peyton dead on the field. 
 The rebel loss was 192 killed, 140 wounded, and 
 140 prisoners. Our loss was 39 killed and 207 
 wounded. We captured 1200 horses and mules, 
 100 large wagons, 2000 muskets, and 16 pieces 
 of artillery ; also their encampment on the Cum- 
 berland Eiver, with all their commissary stores. 
 Our regiment lost 12 killed and 33 wounded. 
 The dead were taken from the field and buried 
 in one grave at our camp-ground. We marched 
 
26 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 back to camp from the Cumberland Kiver on the 
 21st and broke camp on the 22d, taking up our 
 line of march to Somerset, Ky., through mud ten 
 to twelve inches deep. We encamped one and a 
 half miles south of the town, on a barren, bleak 
 hill. The night was fearfully cold, and, as our 
 teams did not arrive, we were compelled to stand 
 by the fire all night to keep from freezing. As 
 we had some coffee in our haversacks, it took but 
 a short time to have a cup of hot coffee, and 
 without anything to eat we felt much more com- 
 fortable than before. On the 23d, the weather 
 still cold, we marched to the Cumberland River 
 to a small town named after the river, where 
 there is a saw-mill and a few tenement houses. 
 Here we made a permanent camp, and for a 
 week our bill of fare consisted of corn-meal mush 
 and coffee. The boys were troubled a great deal 
 with dysentery, but after getting meat and bread 
 again they soon recuperated their exhausted 
 energies. After three weeks of weary camp- 
 life we were ordered to Louisville, Ky., and on 
 February 9, 1862, we again broke camp and 
 marched through Somerset, the roads still muddy 
 and the weather cold. If we had not been blessed 
 with plenty of dry fence-rails, I do not know 
 how we could have made ourselves comfortable. 
 We remained at this camp two days waiting 
 for commissary stores. For the last few days 
 
A DRUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 27 
 
 we were on quarter rations. While on the 
 march, James H. Huges, of Company K, rup- 
 tured himself, and felt very badly the next 
 day. February 11 we resumed our march. 
 February 12 it snowed and made the roads still 
 more tiresome to travel. On the 13th we arrived 
 at Crab Orchard, and the roads were no better ; 
 but heard from the farmers along the road that 
 we would soon strike the turnpike. We were 
 now sixty miles from Louisville, and on the 14th 
 we moved forward again, with two inches of snow 
 on the ground and the air fresh and crisp. We 
 marched that day twenty-one miles, and at night 
 were compelled to scrape the snow from the 
 ground to get a place to put up our tents, but we 
 had plenty of straw and wood, and were very 
 comfortably fixed. On the 15th the sky was 
 clear and cloudless, the air a great deal warmer 
 than yesterday, but the little snow that laid on 
 the ground made it very hard marching. 
 
 Some one started a report that we were to be 
 put on a forced march, and this day's march 
 seemed to favor it. We marched thirty-one 
 miles, and arrived at Danville, a beautiful little 
 village in the Blue Grass Kegion of Kentucky, 
 at 5 P.M., and went into camp, where we lay 
 over the 16th to sign for clothing and shoes. 
 On the 17th we broke camp at 6 a.m., and 
 marched steadily until 4.30 in the afternoon, 
 
28 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 arriving at Lebanon (the village we started from 
 New Year's day), having made twenty-nine miles. 
 Here we left a number of sick and disabled, 
 also all unnecessary baggage, such as dress-coats 
 and overcoats. We lay at this camp with thou- 
 sands of rumors flying around us, some to the 
 effect that we were to march to Munfordville; 
 another that we were destined on a forced march 
 to Nashville ; and each one created more or less 
 excitement. We commenced our march in a 
 terrific rain and thunder storm. The water 
 came down in torrents, and streams of mud 
 and water ran along the turnpike, through 
 which we were compelled to wade and plod our 
 way ; and we saw that a soldier's life was not so 
 fine as we as school-boys saw it pictured in our 
 histories. We marched twenty-one miles, and 
 encamped on the Jackson farm, a brother of the 
 Jackson who shot Colonel Ellsworth at Alexan- 
 dria, Va. A short time before this a few of our 
 boys stopped at this place and asked Jackson 
 for some forage for their mules. His answer 
 was, "Yes, I will give you some forage, you 
 
 Yankee s b s," and commenced firing 
 
 upon the boys from his front-door. Sergeant 
 Eeed and Charley All, of Company I, had re- 
 volvers with them, and they drove the old devil 
 into the house, but did not hit him ; but after- 
 wards he was arrested and turned over to the 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. £9 
 
 civil authorities, who, of course, sympathizing 
 with the South, acquitted him, and he went 
 South and became a general in the rebel army. 
 We found his smoke-house well filled with 
 choice bacon and hams, and his cellars filled to 
 overflowing with all kinds of vegetables and 
 preserves, of which we helped ourselves to our 
 hearts' content. We found abundance of straw 
 and wood, and here we could say we had a 
 picnic. Our clothes were as damp as they 
 could possibly be, and the prospects for drying 
 them before morning were not very good. The 
 rainy weather did not prevent some of the boys 
 from hunting up the distilleries, of which there 
 were a number in the neighborhood, and they 
 came into the tents at night, singing and as jolly 
 as they could possibly be, with from eight to ten 
 canteens full of apple-jack or whiskey hanging 
 over their shoulders ; and from the time of their 
 arrival until daybreak singing and story-telling 
 was the order of the night. With full stomachs 
 and a few sore heads on the following day, we 
 bid adieu to the Jackson farm, and felt as though 
 we had punished him just half enough. 
 
 The weather was clear and hot, and as we 
 marched and the hot sun poured down upon our 
 damp clothes, it caused a steam to arise from the 
 regiment as if they were cooking. We marched 
 fifteen miles and went into camp. February 25 
 
 3* 
 
30 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 we marched into Louisville with all the pomp 
 and splendor of the grandest army that ever 
 existed, knowing that we were the saviors of Ken- 
 tucky, and, having gone through our first battle, 
 considered ourselves heroes; but what was our 
 surprise, while drawn up in line in front of 
 the United States Hotel, in the presence of 
 a bevy of Kentucky's beautiful and patriotic 
 daughters, when one stepped forward and, in a 
 well-prepared' speech, presented our colonel with 
 a beautiful silk flag as a token of their apprecia- 
 tion of our valor and bravery at Mill Springs 
 January 19, 1862, Inscribed on this beautiful 
 banner was as follows : " Mill Springs, January 
 19, 1862, Second Regiment Minnesota Volun- 
 teers. Presented by the loyal ladies of Louis- 
 ville, Ky." Colonel Van Cleve responded in a 
 few eloquent remarks, and then presented it to 
 Jacobas, our color-bearer, who swore they should 
 never be trailed in the dust. At this the regiment 
 marched off* to the tune of " Dixie" to the boat- 
 landing on the Ohio River, where our regiment 
 and the Ninth Ohio embarked on the large low- 
 pressure steamer " Jacob Strader" and lay at the 
 levee until the morning of the 26th, then dropped 
 down to Portland and loaded our mules and 
 wagons. Then commenced our journey down the 
 Ohio to Smithfield, at the mouth of the Cumber- 
 land River, up which stream we navigated until 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIABY. %\ 
 
 we came to Fort Donelson, where General Grant 
 captured Buckner and fought that terrible battle. 
 Here we had a few hours to look over the battle- 
 field. 
 
 After a hurried glance at the fort we re- 
 embarked and proceeded on our way up the river 
 to Nashville. The water was very high and the 
 country for miles around inundated. Houses, 
 hay-stacks, lumber, logs, and debris of all kinds 
 were floating down the river^ We observed a 
 barn coming down with fifteen or twenty chickens 
 on the roof, and the foragers of the regiment 
 tried to devise some means to capture them ; but 
 infantrymen are poor sailors, so they lost the 
 prize. March 1 we arrived at Nashville, and 
 found that Floyd had destroyed the railroad- and 
 wagon-bridge over the river and all of the com- 
 missary stores. The city looked deserted. There 
 were a great many fine buildings, particularly the 
 capitol, a very grand and elegant structure, built 
 entirely of marble. March 2 we marched south 
 of town, and encamped on the Granny White 
 Pike Road. We lay at this camp three weeks. 
 Our regiment at that time numbered six hun- 
 dred, and we spent all our spare time drillipg 
 and learning the manual of arms. A great 
 many of the boys went into town every day on 
 passes, visiting the different places of interest 
 and amusement. On April 1, 1862, we com- 
 
32 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 menced our march southward, and as soon as we 
 had taken up our line of march it commenced 
 to rain, and continued antU we arrived at our 
 destination. We were without tents or rubber 
 blankets, and the April rains were cold and 
 chilling. At night we would stand near the 
 fires that we had made from dry fence-rails and 
 try to keep warm, but it was impossible. With 
 the cold rain pouring down in torrents, and 
 nothing to protect us from it, we would very 
 near freeze on one side and cook on the other, 
 and the boys were so tired and fatigued that 
 they would fall asleep standing up. One or two 
 of them did fall into the fire before morning. 
 April 7 we heard cannonading in th6^ distance 
 and knew that it was Grant at Shiloh. We 
 were then apprised that we were on the march 
 to assist him. As the booming of the distant 
 guns came to our ears, we forgot our discom- 
 fiture, and the excitement caused the boys to 
 very nearly double-quick time, but with all our 
 hurry and rush, we did not get to the Savannah 
 River until the 8th, one day after the battle. 
 We were here loaded on transports and packed in 
 like sardines with our clothes soaking wet, and 
 the cold wind coming down the river seemed to 
 chill us to the marrow. About noon we arrived 
 at Pittsburg Landing, and what a horrible sight 
 met our gaze. Dead men were lying in the 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 33 
 
 mud, mixed up with sacks of grain and govern- 
 ment stores, some lying in the water and others 
 trampled entirely out of sight in the deep mud. 
 This was where the great stampede occurred, 
 and no pen can picture the horrors of this part 
 of the field. We disembarked and marched up 
 the hill to Shiloh church, where we went into 
 bivouac. Having no shelter of any kind, we 
 peeled the bark off the gum-trees, and took half 
 of it and laid it on the ground and crawled 
 under it ; a small place, but it sheltered us from 
 the elements. While here I saw the spot where 
 General Alhert Sidney Johnston, the commander 
 of the Confederate army, fell, and where he was 
 temporarily buried until his body could be sent 
 through the lines to his friends. The battle-field 
 was strewn with the wreck and carnage of war ; 
 caissons, dismounted cannon, and dead artillery- 
 horses and their dead riders were piled up in 
 heaps, and the warm sun caused a stench that 
 was almost unbearable. Here and there we could 
 see where a wounded soldier had been pinned to 
 the ground by a fallen limb of a tree, and the 
 shells setting fire to the dry leaves, the poor 
 fellows had been burned alive to a crisp. No 
 historian can ever depict the horrors of a battle- 
 field. The dead lying in every direction and in 
 every stage of decomposition. Squads of men 
 scattered all over the field digging trenches, 
 
34 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 rolling the dead in, and covering them up witli 
 three or four inches of dirt, only to be washed 
 off by the first rain, leaving the bones to be 
 picked by the buzzards and crows. Such is the 
 terror of war. 
 
 I had frequently seen pictures of battle-fields 
 and "had often read about them ; but the most 
 terrible scenes of carnage my boyish imagination 
 had ever figured fell far short of the dreadful 
 reality, as I beheld it after the great battle of 
 Shiloh. It was the evening of the 9th of April, 
 1862, when, at the suggestion of a comrade, we 
 took our way over broken-down fences and fallen 
 timber to look over the battle-field. As we wended 
 our way through the troops lying in our front 
 the scene presented to our view was one for the 
 pencil of a great artist. Scattered irregularly 
 were groups of men discussing the battle and its 
 results, or relating exciting incidents and ad- 
 ventures of the fray. Here one fellow pointing 
 out bullet-holes in his coat or cap, or a great rent 
 in the sleeve of his blouse, made by a flying piece 
 of shell ; there a man laughing as he held up his 
 crushed canteen .or showed his tobacco-box, "with 
 a hole in the lid and a bullet among his fine-cut. 
 Yonder knots of men fiying steak and cooking 
 coffee about the fire or making ready for sleep. 
 Before we passed beyond our front line, evidences 
 of the terrible carnage of the battle environed us 
 
A DRUMMEB-BOT'S DIABY. 35 
 
 on all sides ; fresh, hastily-dug graves were there 
 with rude head-boards telling the poor fellow's 
 name and regiment; yonder a tree, on whose 
 smooth bark the names of two Confederate gen- 
 erals, who fell here in the gallant charge, had 
 been carved by some thoughtful fellow. The trees 
 around about were chipped by the bullets and 
 stripped almost bare by the leaden hail ; while a 
 log house near by in the clearing had been so 
 riddled with shot and shell that scarcely a whole 
 shiagle was left to its roof. 
 
 But sights more fearful awaited us as we stepped 
 out beyond the front line. We picked our way 
 carefully among the fallen timber and down the 
 slope to the scene of the fearful charge. The 
 ground was soaked with recent rains, and the 
 heavy mist which hung like a pall over the field, 
 together with the growing darkness, rendered 
 objects but indistinctly visible and all the more 
 ghastly. As the eye ranged over so much of the 
 field as the shrouding mist would allow us to see, 
 we beheld a scene of destruction, terrible, indeed, 
 if there ever was one in this wide world. Dis- 
 mounted gun-carriages, shattered caissons, knap- 
 sacks, haversacks, muskets, bayonets, and accou- 
 trements scattered over the field in wildest confu- 
 sion. Horses — ^poor creatures — dead and dying, 
 and, worse and most awful of all, dead men by the 
 hundreds. Most of the Union soldiers had been 
 
36 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 buried already, and the pioneers yonder in the 
 mist were busily digging trenches for the poor 
 fellows in gray. As we passed along we stopped 
 to observe how thickly they were lying, here and 
 there, like grass before a scythe in summer time. 
 How firmly some had grasped their guns, with 
 high, defiant look, and how calm were the coun- 
 tenances of others in their last solemn sleep. I 
 sickened of the dreadful sight and begged my 
 comrade to come away, come away. It was too 
 awful to look at any more. Even the rudest and 
 roughest of us were forced to think of the terrible 
 suffering endured in this place and of the sorrow 
 and tears that would be shed among the moun- 
 tains of the North and the- rice-fields of the far- 
 off South. 
 
 In the camp above mentioned we remained 
 two days, when our teams arrived with our knap- 
 sacks and tents, but we were not to have the 
 pleasure of either, as our regiment was detailed 
 to go on picket. On our return, the next day, 
 we found our tents pitched one mile south of our 
 previous camp, where we remained for four days ; 
 then we marched south four miles to a camp 
 called Gravelly Hill. Here we were supplied 
 with water from a spring strongly impregnated 
 with iron, and the boys had a very strong idea 
 that they were improving in health wonderfully 
 while they were using it. After another weels 
 
A DRUMMER-SOY'S DIARY. 37 
 
 of rest we moved forward two miles in a drenching 
 rain, and after preparing our camp were detailed 
 for picket duty, with strict instructions not to 
 build any fires. As the boys' clothes were soak- 
 ing wet, they were in a sorry plight to be out 
 all night without fire. In the morning we were 
 relieved, and returned to camp, where we found 
 our teams with our camp outfits. Here we were 
 inspected by Greneral W. T. Sherman, our new 
 division commander. 
 
 From here we moved camp a half-mile or a 
 mile, then threw up works, stayed a day or two, 
 then advanced eighty to one hundred rods, threw 
 up more works, and thus gradually approached 
 Corinth, Miss. On May 29 we heard heavy ex- 
 plosions in the direction of Corinth, and it was 
 reported that the rebels were evacuating the city, 
 and we advanced into the rebel works and found 
 them evacuated. 
 
 The boys felt blue about it, as they had been 
 carrying one hundred rounds of ammunition 
 for the last three weeks, expecting a battle 
 every day. It was a sight to see them unload- 
 ing themselves and scattering the ammunition 
 over the ground in every direction. As a gen- 
 eral and commander we thought Halleck was 
 a failure :. to have one of the finest-equipped 
 armies of one hundred thousand surrounding a 
 small, half-starved, half-clad army of forty thou- 
 
38 ^ DRVMMER-BOY'S DIABY. 
 
 sand, and then to let them escape ! On May 30, 
 at 9 P.M., we were ordered to the left, towards 
 General Pope, and arrived at 3 a.m. on the 31st, 
 and went into bivouac. Orders were issued to 
 carry two days' rations in our haversacks and to 
 unload all extra ammunition; but this order 
 was unnecessary, as the boys had unloaded with- 
 out orders the day before. At 9 a.m. we con- 
 tinued our march, and did not halt until 1 A. m., 
 June 1, at a deserted rebel camp.. We found a 
 large quantity of flour, which we soon appropri- 
 ated, and cooked it in every way known to the 
 soldiers' culinary art. We remained here all 
 day and night, and on June 2 we moved south 
 one and a half miles and went into camp, where 
 we remained one week. On the 9th ,we marched 
 twenty-five miles towards Boonville, passing 
 through two deserted towns called Rienzi and 
 Danville, and went into camp. We remained 
 here three days without tents, but the weather 
 was splendid and tents were useless. 
 
 Here we >had more rations issued, and received 
 orders to return to Corinth on the 13th, where 
 we arrived after a few days' march, with nothing 
 to mar the monotony of the trip. We remained 
 at Corinth a few days, cleaning up, washing our 
 clothes, and doing all necessary repairing. From 
 there we moved east six miles and went into camp. 
 The men had to dig wells to obtain water, and 
 
A BBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 39 
 
 each company built bake-ovens from clay dug 
 from the wells, and they proved to be a perfect 
 success in every particular. The young apples 
 and peaches were now about large enough to 
 gather for sauce, and the boys took advantage 
 of it. It was laughable to see the different 
 dishes they tried to make, and a few of them 
 became very ill in consequence of overeating. A 
 man named Welsy, of my company, died from 
 the effects of eating too much green fruit. After 
 twelve days of pleasant camp-life we went on a 
 three-days' march to luka. Miss., where the cele- 
 brated medicinal springs are located. Arrived 
 on June 25, and on the 27th we received our 
 pay in postal currency, the first we had seen. 
 On the night of the 27th we marched six miles 
 east. On June 28 we marched fifteen miles to 
 the Tennessee River. Very hot all day, 29th : 
 Still very hot. Marched seven miles to Tus- 
 cumbia, Ala. Here-^we saw the largest spring 
 of water on our travels, it being sixty feet across 
 where it poured out of the ground and fifteen 
 feet deep, and as cold as ice-water. 
 
 We lay here three weeks doing guard duty 
 and drilling. Fourth of July we spent in the 
 city, and were addressed by Governor Ramsey, 
 Generals Fry, Steedman, and McCook. On 
 July 27 we left Tuscumbia behind us and took 
 up our line of march for Florence, where we re- 
 
40 ^ DBVMMER-BOY'S DTARY. 
 
 mained two days. From here we went to Athens, 
 nine miles distant, arriving at 3 p.m. on the 30th. 
 On the following day, the 31st, we marched 
 sixteen miles and went into camp. It rained 
 all night as if the flood-gates of heaven were 
 open. 
 
 August 1 : We marched sixteen miles through 
 Rogersville* On August 2 we marched fourteen 
 miles. Our beloved brigade-commander, Robert 
 L. McCook, was waylaid and murdered while 
 riding in his ambulance. Not being well, he 
 took the benefit of the shade of the cover of the 
 ambulance, and a couch to lie upon, and drove 
 in advance of the brigade, when the rebel bush- 
 whackers waylaid and killed him before we could 
 go to his assistance. As a revenge the brigade 
 burnt every house within a radius of two miles 
 on each side of the road, and slaughtered all the 
 stock to be found; and I heard that several sus- 
 picious-looking characters had given up their 
 lives also. From here we marched to the small 
 village of Dorchester, Tenn., and from there to 
 Winchester and through the town to Decherd 
 Station, where we remained three days, and then 
 moved camp about one mile farther east, where 
 we found a spring of sparkling, ice-cold water. 
 
 Here we remained one week, then broke camp, 
 marched fourteen miles, and laid out in the rain 
 all night. The next day we marched five miles 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 41 
 
 V 
 
 to Pelham Grap. Here we remained three days, 
 and heard news of the Indian massacre in Min- 
 nesota. We were then ordered to take as many- 
 rations in our haversacks as we could carry, and 
 our teams were to go back to Decherd. "We 
 marched from here to a hill on the south side of 
 the Gap and remained three days, then received 
 orders to prepare for a long march. On Sep- 
 tember 3 we arrived at Manchester, Tenn., and 
 encamped in the fair-grounds. Continued our 
 march next day over dusty roads, with the 
 weather very hot. Our camping-grounds had 
 been very good, with plenty of wood and an 
 abundance of pure spring-water. On September 
 7 we marched through Murfreesboro', and en- 
 camped north of the city one mile. We were now 
 aware that General Buell had been outgeneralled 
 by Bragg, who had an army of fifty thousand 
 men marching towards the Ohio River, and was 
 to make a raid through the Northern States. It 
 would be a race between our army and Bragg's 
 to see which should reach Louisville first. At 
 this camp several of the boys made a charge on 
 a farmer's beehives, and the result was, the sol- 
 diers were driven from the field. The appear- 
 ance of their faces and necks was anything but 
 enviable; one fellow had both eyes closed. I 
 asked him what ailed him, and his answer was, 
 " Toothache : worst case I ever had." 
 
 4* 
 
42 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 September 9 : We marclied five miles and en- 
 camped. Passed through a beautiful country; 
 fine roads and beautiful weather. September 10 : 
 We marched twenty-three miles. We were now 
 four miles from Nashville. September 11 : 
 Marched to Nashville and encamped on the 
 Lebanon Pike. Remained there three days, then 
 moved camp near the large fort, where we re- 
 mained one week. 
 
 There we received orders to leave all surplus 
 baggage and tents, and prepare ourselves for 
 marching orders. September 14 flour was issued 
 to us, but no salt. The boys were in a very 
 ragged condition, as all of the quartermaster's 
 stores were shipped from here before our arrival, 
 they expecting that Bragg would take Nashville 
 before we should reach it. September 15 : We 
 marched twenty-one miles out on the Louisville 
 Turnpike. We had no cofiee or tea, — using sas- 
 safras and pennyroyal as a drink, — and no meat, 
 but plenty of flour, of which we made what the 
 boys called "dough-gods." This was done by 
 mixing flour and water into a dough, wrapping it 
 around their ramrods, and baking it before the fire. 
 This was not very palatable without salt, but as it 
 was all we had, we were of course compelled to eat 
 it. The supply of water was short, the streams 
 along the roads being all dry, also the wells at 
 most of the houses. September 16 we marched 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 43 
 
 twenty-iwo miles. I had no shoes, so I tore 
 up my shirt and wrapped it around my bleeding 
 feet, they being so sore that I could not march 
 without great pain. 
 
 September 17 : We marched twenty-one miles 
 to Bowling Green. The dust in the roads was 
 four inches deep, and the clouds that arose were 
 suflEbcating; but in the afternoon it commenced 
 to rain, which cooled the air a little and turned 
 the dust into mud. Passed through Bowling 
 Green on the 18th, marching nineteen miles to 
 within four miles of Cave City. We were now 
 near the Mammoth Cave. The 20th we marched 
 five miles, one mile north of Cave City. Sep- 
 tember 21 we lay over for a rest, and I supposed 
 our generals were watching Bragg's movements. 
 September 22: Moved back to Cave City. 23d : 
 Marched from Cave City to Bacon Creek. Sep- 
 tember 24: We marched twenty-four miles to 
 Elizabethtown. September 25 : Marched to the 
 mouth of Salt Kiver, where it empties into the 
 Ohio. Here we found the boys all barefooted, 
 and no shoes to be had. My rags were worn out, 
 and I had taken the pocket from my blouse 
 and wrapped it around my feet; but as it was 
 very thin stuff, I did not expect it would last 
 over an hour or so. Here we found a boat-load 
 of provisions, but the captain of the boat, being 
 afraid to land, had anchored out in the river. 
 
44 ^ DEUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 The boys lined the bank of the river, and begged 
 him to throw off some pork and hard-tack. 
 Colonel Uline then appeared and told the boys 
 to go back to camp, that rations would soon be 
 issued if they would let the boat land. His 
 orders had the desired effect, and shortly after 
 the boys had dispersed the boat landed, and soon 
 afterwards we were furnished with a bountiful 
 supply of bacon, hard-tack, and coffee, and we 
 ate as only half-famished men can. Only he 
 who has marched in the hot sun ten days, with 
 dough and sassafras-tea as a diet, can realize our 
 condition. 
 
 September 26, 9 a.m. : Embarked on steam- 
 boats for Louisville, Ky., where we arrived in the 
 afternoon and found the whole population out 
 on the streets to see us and for the second time 
 to give us a royal welcome. Handkerchiefs and 
 flags were waving from every window and roof;- 
 top, cheers and huzzas resounded through the air 
 from old men, women, and children, who now 
 looked upon us as their protectors and defenders 
 of their homes. September 27 : In camp all day. 
 We were again supplied with an abundance of 
 rations. September 28 : We had clothing and 
 shoes issued to us, of which we were sorely in 
 need. Kemained in camp all day. September 
 29: Received our first pay since our payment 
 at luka, Miss. 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 45 
 
 October 1 : We marclied from Louisville and 
 encamped eight miles from ShepherdsviUe. The 
 country was destitute of water. None was to be 
 had except in pools and puddles along the road, 
 which was very warm and putrid. Weather very 
 hot and the roads dusty. October 2: We did 
 not move till 4 p.m., when we broke camp and 
 marched to Shepherdsville, arriving at 9 p.m. 
 
 October 3 : More clothing issued. Remained 
 in camp all day, and on October 4 we resumed 
 our march over the dusty roads; the weather 
 very hot. Crossed the dry bed of Salt River, 
 and encamped with an abundance of straw and 
 wood, but the usual scarcity of water. Found a 
 puddle where we dipped it up with a spoon and 
 strained it through our dirty, sweaty handker- 
 chiefs. October 5: Passed through Bardstown 
 and Portland, and encamped at Fredericktown. 
 
 October 6: Skirmished with the enemy all 
 day; passed through Springfield and encamped 
 at Beaehfork's Bridge. Plenty of wood and the 
 first ^ood water for a week. October 7 : Marched 
 eight miles. Squads were detailed to hunt water, 
 but aU came back discouraged and tired out, 
 having found no water except in one well, and 
 there were a hundred there waiting for a chance 
 to get at it. October 8 : Lay in camp in view 
 of the battle-field of Perryville, but were not 
 engaged until 3 p.m., when we were ordered 
 
46 ^ DRUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 forward to support a battery of artillery who 
 were engaged. We found that it was not the 
 most pleasant place we were ever in, but for- 
 tunately we had none killed or wounded. Re- 
 mained on the field all night, and on the fol- 
 lowing morning, October 9, we moved a few 
 miles to our right and encamped near plenty 
 of good water. 
 
 October 10 : Weather very cloudy and threat- 
 ening rain. We marched southeast all day and 
 passed through the village of Perryville. We 
 had plenty of provisions, and good water, wood, 
 and straw, — everything to make us comfortable. 
 October 11 : Cloudy and disagreeable. We heard 
 heavy cannonading towards Crab Orchard. We 
 marched two miles and bivouacked uiitil 9 p.m., 
 then marched three miles and found three burn- 
 ing houses. It was supposed that some of our 
 men, while drunk, set them on fire. We marched 
 until 2 A.M. on the 12th, and went into a tem- 
 porary camp. At 6 A.M. we moved forward 
 again, making a march of ten miles, and went 
 into camp in a grove of hickory- and walnut- 
 trees ; good water and plenty of rations. On the 
 13th we were ordered to the right of our line, 
 and went into camp in an open field, slightly 
 rolling, making a very picturesque camp. That 
 day we drew three days' rations. I made a 
 note of this, for the reason that I wanted to 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 47 
 
 see if rations would be issued again at the ex- 
 piration of three days. If not, why not ? This 
 ration business had been a serious matter with 
 me. I had known the commissary to issue three 
 days' rations and make them last six. This thing 
 would have to be stopped or the government and 
 I would have some difficulty to settle ; and, from 
 all appearances, I think it would have been set- 
 tled in favor of the government, he being the 
 stronger party, and having the advantage. We 
 took what we could get, and found that grum- 
 bling did no good. October 14: We marched 
 very rapidly for some cause. The colonel was 
 back and forth along the line urging the boys 
 forward. We had very few rests ; passed through 
 Danville at_9 a.m. and encamped ten miles west 
 of it, in an open field, with wood and water near 
 by. October 15: Marched sixteen miles; passed 
 through Lancaster, two miles from Crab Orchard. 
 We lay at this camp three days. Were inspected 
 on the 18th by Captain Gilbert, called by some 
 General Gilbert. 
 
 October 19, at 4 p.m., we marched four miles 
 north of Crab Orchard and went on picket. 
 October 20 we were relieved from picket and 
 marched twenty-one miles, within two miles of 
 Danville, resting but three times during our 
 march. October 21': Marched through Danville 
 and encamped at Taylor's Creek, a short march 
 
48 ^ DRUMMEB-BOY'S BIABY. 
 
 of sixteen miles. October 22 : Got over twenty 
 miles of turnpike, and encamped on the Kolling 
 Fork Kiver ; plenty of rails, rations, and water. 
 At this camp we remained until the 29th, the 
 teams going to Lebanon for supplies and tents. 
 We also drew clothing and rations. Marched 
 sixteen miles. October 30: The weather and 
 roads fine. We marched fourteen miles and 
 passed through Campbellsville, encamping eight 
 miles south of the village at the forks of the 
 Green River. October 31 : Passed through 
 Greensburg and encamped ten miles beyond. 
 November 1 : Marched sixteen miles to Cave 
 City, occupying the same camp-ground we did 
 in September. It seemed as if this part of the 
 country was doomed to be overrun by soldiers, 
 as this was the third time we had been there. 
 
 November 2 : Marched sixteen miles and en- 
 camped in an open field ; plenty of water a half- 
 mile distant and plenty of dry rails. The next 
 day we left Bowling Green eighteen miles behind 
 us, and were fortunate enough to have a good 
 camp and plenty of wood and water, where we 
 remained until the 7th, and in the mean time 
 rations, boots, shoes, and overcoats were issued 
 to us. Marched twenty miles, passing through 
 the small village of Franklin, and occupied our 
 old camp-ground in our race north with Bragg. 
 November 8 : Marched eight miles and encamped 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY' 8 DIARY. 49 
 
 at Mitchellsville Depot. Got our water for cook- 
 ing out of the water-tank of the Louisville and 
 Nashville Railroad. We remained at this camp 
 three days, drew six days' rations, and received 
 a maU. The boys took advantage of the rest, 
 and all wrote letters home to mothers, friends, 
 and sweethearts. On November 12 we moved 
 forward again, and halted at a tunnel on the 
 Louisville and Nashville Railroad, destroyed by 
 John Morgan, the rebel bushwhacker. Marched 
 twelve miles (this was thirty mUes from Nash- 
 ville). We had a good camp, nicely elevated. 
 On the 13th squads were detailed to work va. 
 the tunnel. We remained there ten days, the 
 men employed all the time clearing out the tun- 
 nel. The weather was very cold and raw. We 
 heard every day the distant boom of cannon 
 towards Murfreesboro'. At 7.30 p.m., November 
 23, we again broke camp and marched twelve 
 nules through Gallatin, a small village on the 
 railroad. Encamped three miles south. Marched 
 all night and bivouacked at 1 a.m., November 24, 
 on the bank of the Cumberland River for two 
 hours ; at 3 a.m. we moved forward again, stop- 
 ping at a small village at 7 a.m. to cook break- 
 fest, and at 9 again moved forward. Marched 
 five miles more and countermarched, and en- 
 camped one and a half miles from the river. 
 Marched twenty-three miles. 
 
50 ^ DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIABY. 
 
 November 25: Weather cool and cloudy. 
 We broke camp at 9 a.m., and raarcbed five miles 
 to Cunningham's Ford, on the Cumberland Elver, 
 and encamped in the woods. The timber in this 
 section of the country seemed to be most all 
 hickory and walnut, and the trees were very large. 
 
 November 26 : Weather cool and clear. 
 Teams went back to Gallatin for commissary 
 stores, and took some of the men who were sick 
 to the general hospital. 27th : We heard can- 
 nonading in the direction of Lebanon, Tenn. 
 Weather still bright and clear. 28th : The men 
 chopped wood and had a general cleaning-up in 
 camp. 29th: Mail day. Drew overcoats and 
 clothing. We now found out that we were watch- 
 ing John Morgan ; we heretofore had an idea 
 that he was watching us. 30th: Had inspec- 
 tion. We had a terrific rain and wind-storm, 
 and limbs of trees flew through the air to the 
 discomfort of all. 
 
 December 1 : Cold, cloudy, and windy. Noth- 
 ing transpired worthy of mention. December 
 2 to 5 : Nothing occurred to break the monot- 
 ony of the camp, except that one of our camp- 
 guards built a fire alongside a hollow tree, and 
 about three o'clock in the morning it burnt 
 through and fell to the earth with a crash, 
 in the stillness of the night making a report 
 like a cannon. Colonel George, hearing it, of 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 51 
 
 course thought the rebels were advancing, and 
 immediately rushed in front of his tent, half- 
 dressed, and with his deep-toned voice shouted, 
 " Fall in ! faU in ! fall in !" and such a scrambling 
 to find accoutrements and guns to get into line 
 our regiment never experienced before or after. 
 
 I was drummer of the guard, and knew noth- 
 ing of it until the regiment had broken ranks and 
 gone to their quarters, when I was highly com- 
 plimented by the sergeant of the guard for my 
 watchfulness. In the evening it began to snow. 
 
 December 6: Had company drill. Captain 
 Woodbury returned from Minnesota. He had 
 left ns very nearly a year before. December 7 : 
 We heard that Morgan had captured a brigade 
 of new troops of ours at Hartsville. It caused 
 our colonel to strengthen our picket-line and 
 have the men out every morning at four o'clock 
 in line of battle. We lay here doing guard and 
 picket duty until 10 a.m., December 22, when 
 we marched twenty-three miles through Gallatin 
 again, and encamped at Pilot Knob, where we 
 found the rest of our brigade. December 23 : 
 We sent out a forage train and had dress parade. 
 24th: Called out at 1 a.m. and stood in line 
 until three o'clock, then marched to Gallatin, 
 remaining there two hours; then returned to 
 camp, had breakfast, and, in the afternoon, had 
 dress parade to amuse the boys. 
 
52 ^ DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 December 26, — Christmas : A gloomy one for 
 us. "We had for our dinner a bill of fare con- 
 sisting of baked beans, coffee, hard-tack, and 
 sow-belly. 26th : Remained in camp ; all quiet. 
 27th : Called out at reveille to stack arms on the 
 color line. It rained all day, turning cold at 
 night and remaining so. 28th : Cold and disa- 
 greeable ; had inspection ; heard heavy firing 
 north of us. 29tli: Nothing new occurred. 
 Weather fine. December 30 : I was ordered to 
 beat long roll at 1 A.M., and remained in position 
 until 10 A.M., expecting a skirmish with the 
 Johnnies. While standing in line the boys suf- 
 fered a great deal from the cold. The weather 
 was cold, and the inactivity of standing so quiet 
 made us feel the cold much more than if we had 
 been actively engaged. We had new clothing 
 issued to us that day. December~31 : Weather 
 clear and warm. Taking advantage of it, the 
 officers had a grand review of the troops and 
 general muster, and the boys looked very well 
 in their new uniforms. 
 
 January 1, 1863, — New Year : Cold and dis- 
 agreeable; about as quiet a New Year's day 
 as I had ever seen. Our New Year's dinner 
 was not so grand as it might have been, but 
 then it could have been a great deal worse. 
 We had plenty of pork, beans, and hard-tack, 
 and the sutler had a large stock- of delicacies, 
 
A DRUMMEB-BOY'S DJABY. 53 
 
 and he who was fortunate enough to possess any 
 money could, of course, enlarge his bill of fare 
 and live more sumptuously. . 
 
 That night I was drummer of the guard, and I 
 had been thinking that this thing was coming 
 pretty often. I got but very few evenings to 
 spend with my comrades of the company, but was 
 compelled to remain with the guard at the guard- 
 house every other night. It would have been 
 much easier if the regiment had had its full 
 amount of drummers, and it would have been 
 much more pleasant ; but, as it was, Vandyke and 
 I were the only ones left out of the eleven drum- 
 mers that left Minnesota in '61, and, of course, 
 had to. do the entire guard duty. While sitting 
 in the guard-tent I figured up the miles we had 
 marched in 1862, taken from a daily account I 
 kept, as follows : January, 101 miles ; Febru- 
 ary, 149; March, 62; April, 158; May, 36; 
 June, 129 ; July, 39 ; August, 101 ; September, 
 258; October, 343 ; November, 98 ; December, 
 29 ; total, 1493 miles for the year. January 2 : 
 Weather pleasant, a clear sky, and warm sun- 
 shine; remained at company quarters all day. 
 Very quiet in camp. January 3 : Cold rain fell 
 during the night, and a cold, raw wind blew all 
 day. We received the Nashville Union, which 
 gave an account of the battle of Murfreesboro'. 
 
 January 4: Four negroes were captured in 
 
 5* 
 
54 -4 DBVMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 the night committing depredations ; were hand- 
 cuffed and shackled, and placed under guard. 
 The wind was blowing a gale at the rate of one 
 hundred miles an hour. K Company detailed 
 for picket at night. January 5: Weather fine. 
 Had battalion drill. We didn't get many fine 
 days that were not taken advantage of by drill- 
 ing and dress parade, but then we knew it was 
 all for the best. 
 
 January 6 : Rained, — were compelled to re- 
 main in the tents all day. January 7 : Cold, 
 disagreeable, and stormy. K Company on picket 
 at night. Received our first mail for three 
 weeks. January 8 : Rain, snow, and hail all 
 together made it more interesting. Such weather 
 as this knocked all the enthusiasm out of trying 
 to be a hero, and the most of us were about sick 
 of the hero business. January 9 : Rained all 
 day^and night : no wind, but a steady downpour 
 of water. January 10 : Still raining, keeping us 
 in the tents most of the time. Could not do 
 much cooking outside, so we had to put up with 
 cold, raw, salt pork, hard-tack, and water. 
 
 January 11: Clear and bright. Had gen- 
 eral inspection and dress parade. January 12 : 
 Weather fine. In order to change the pro- 
 gramme of daily events, we had battalion drill 
 and grand review. Received a large mail. Janu- 
 ary 13 : At one o'clock in the morning we struck 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 55 
 
 tents and marched out on the Nashville Pike 
 fifteen miles and encamped in an open field, with 
 plenty of wood and water, a half-mile distant 
 from our former camp. January 14: Marched 
 back to Gallatin. Lay along the roads most of 
 the day, and arrived at camp at twelve o'clock 
 midnight, and pitched tents while the rain and 
 hail were coming down in torrents. January 15 : 
 Remained in camp all day. 
 
 January 16 : Rained and hailed up to 11 A.M:., 
 then turned into snow and continued all night, 
 until the morning of the 17th ; then it cleared up 
 and the sun came out bright, but with a strong, 
 cold wind. An extra heavy picket was sent out 
 that night, I being detailed as drummer of the 
 guard. 
 
 Sunday, January 18 : "Warm and pleasant. 
 . Inspection of arms. Quartermaster issued boots 
 and drawers, and the balance of the day the 
 boys wandered around the woods hunting rab- 
 bits and gathering walnuts. January 19 : Cold, 
 uncomfortable winds blew all night and con- 
 tinued all day. At 4 a.m. beat the long roll, 
 and thought we were to have a repetition of 
 Mill Springs. This was our first anniversary, 
 and the weather was disagreeable. We stacked 
 arms on the color-line, and broke ranks. Janu- 
 ary 20 : Raining and misty. We were without 
 rations, and again we heard grumbling on all 
 
56 -4 DJtUMMER-BOY'S D'iABY. 
 
 sides about the inefficiency of our general officers 
 in letting us martyrs do without our regular 
 rations a few days. Signed for clothing. Janu- 
 ary 21: Cold and cloudy. The boys amused 
 themselves by chopping wood, and in the after- 
 noon Colonel Bishop ordered the entire camp 
 policed. January 22 : Cloudy and cold. Our 
 regiment sent no pickets out. A large mail 
 arrived at 4 p.m. If there was one thing that 
 the soldier delighted in, it was to watch the regi- 
 mental postmaster distribute the mail to the first 
 sergeants of the different companies and to eagerly 
 scan each package to see if there was some com- 
 munication for him from some dear one at home ; 
 and if, unfortunately, there was none for him, 
 it was sad to see the look of envy he gave those 
 who were more fortunate and had received papers 
 and letters from home ; but after the owner of a 
 paper had got through with it, the entire com- 
 pany would read it. 
 
 January 23: Cold, raw wind, but a bright, 
 clear sky. Remained in camp all day. A few 
 of the regiment left for the hospital at Nashville. 
 
 Saturday, January 24 : Cloudy and cool. 
 We were reviewed by General Rosecrans. 
 
 Sunday, January 25 : Regimental inspection 
 at 10 A.M. Sent out four companies on picket 
 duty. A darky came into camp and reported 
 that he knew where there was a large quantity 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 57 
 
 of lard buried, and that we should come with 
 him and he would apprise us of its whereabouts. 
 The commanding officers concluded to send out a 
 detail the next day to see what truth there was in 
 his assertions. January 26 : Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Bishop, with Companies A, B, F, and I, were sent 
 out with fourwagons across the Cumberland River 
 to get the lard the darky reported as being 
 buried ; and about 7.30 p.m. they returned with 
 twenty-five barrels, leaving seventy-three barrels 
 at the river bank to be sent to Nashville by flat- 
 boat. January 27 : The pioneer corps loaded the 
 lard on a barge and took it down the Cumberland 
 Eiver to Nashville. We had a snow-storm that 
 day, but not as heavy as we generally had in 
 Minnesota. January 28 : Orders were given to 
 be ready to march at 4 p.m., but were counter- 
 manded. 
 
 January 29 : Bright, clear, and dry, but cold. 
 We were loaded on the cars at Gallatin and went 
 to Nashville, and marched out on the Nashville 
 and Chattanooga Railroad, and found our brigade. 
 January 30 : Weather fine. At 12 M. we marched 
 ten miles to Stone River, and encamped on a 
 hill with plenty of wood and water. January 
 31 : Marched six miles and halted, and went 
 into camp, and received orders to be prepared 
 to march all night,. but orders were counter- 
 manded. 
 
58 -^ BBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. . 
 
 February 1: Rained all day. Marched 
 eleven miles and encamped on the Wilson Pike. 
 February 2 : Marched ten miles to Mill Creek 
 and went into camp. Very poor water, but 
 plenty of cedar rails. February 3 : In camp all 
 day, brushing and cleaning up. February 4: 
 Four companies went out foraging, and in the 
 afternoon returned with eight wagon-loads of 
 potatoes. From the 5th to the 14th we lay in 
 camp, and about all we did was draw our rations, 
 cook, eat, and do guard duty. February 16 : 
 Cloudy. Lieutenant Lovilla H. Holmes, of 
 Company H, with sixteen men, routed a com- 
 pany of rebel cavalry which they met while out 
 foraging. The report in camp was that they 
 killed and wounded sixteen of the rebels, and 
 two of the Company H boys received slight 
 wounds. February 16 : K Company went- out 
 foraging. Weather in the morning clear and cool, 
 and in the afternoon it commenced to rain, and 
 continued all night. While sitting in the tent, 
 Christian Kersamair, of my company, had been 
 using a twelve-pound elongated, shell for an anvil 
 to do some repairing on his knapsack, and, after 
 getting through with it, he gave it a gentle kick 
 and rolled it out of the tent. It rolled down 
 into the fire in front of the tent, and in a few 
 moments an explosion occurred that awoke the 
 whole camp. It scattered the fire in such a 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 69 
 
 shape that it was impossible to find a coal or a 
 stick of the wood that had been there, and, most 
 wonderful to say, no one was hurt. Our tent 
 was covered an inch thick with ashes and dirt, 
 and pieces of the shell flew all over the camp. 
 February 17 : Wilbur F. Little returned to the 
 regiment- from the hospital. Eained all day. 
 From the 18th to March 3 we spent our time in 
 battalion and regimental drill, repairing the 
 bridge over the creek, and washing. That day 
 we broke camp and marched fifteen miles to 
 Triune, Tenn., and captured four rebel officer?. 
 
 March 4:^ Skirmiehed all day. Captured 
 sixty-two prisoners and three hundred horses 
 and mules. Marched nine miles. March 5: 
 Marched eighteen miles to Chapel Hill, and 
 drove the rebels out of town. Marched back 
 six miles and encamped on a low flat, with 
 plenty of good water and plenty of wood. 
 
 Friday, March 6 : Eainy and cloudy. Sent 
 teams back for rations. Marched twelve miles 
 and went into camp at Triune. Rations arrived 
 at 10 PM. March 7: Cloudy and rainy. 
 Moved camp back of Triune. Teams came up 
 with tents, and we were soon made comfortable. 
 March 8: Cloudy and cool. Eegiment went 
 to work building fortifications. Company K 
 went out foraging. Heavy firing in direction of 
 Harpeth Creek. The regiment was ordered out, 
 
60 ^ DRUMMEB-BOY'S BIABY. 
 
 but did not get into action. The first East 
 Tennessee Cavalry, Colonel Jim Brownlow, 
 reported rebel cavalry trying to cross the creek, 
 but he, with his regiment, prevented them. 
 Everything quiet up to the 13th, when we were 
 ordered to Harpeth Creek to work on the bridge. 
 Saturday, March 14 : Returned to camp. Sun- 
 day, March 15: Inspection of arms. Rumor 
 in camp that Vicksburg had surrendered, and 
 that the rebels were marching to reinforce Bragg 
 in our front. 
 
 From the 16th to the 25th nothing occurred 
 to enliven us or break t^e monotony of camp- 
 life, except the arrival of the paymaster on the 
 19th, which always seemed to lighten our 
 troubles. On the 25th, our regiment and the 
 Ninth Ohio marched out three miles with the 
 expectation of meeting some bands of rebel cav- 
 alry who were scouring the country for forage, 
 but were, not successful in finding them. 26th : 
 The regiment went out foraging to General 
 Stearns's plantation, and came back with an 
 abundance of corn-fodder and corn. I was com- 
 pelled to remain in camp all day on account of 
 dysentery, with which I had been suffering for 
 some time. This was the first time that I had 
 been absent from the regiment since I became 
 a member. 27th : Weather pleasant up to 12 M.,, 
 then commenced to rain and continued all night.. 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 61 
 
 Sent my pay, which amounted to fourteen dollars, 
 to my mother. 28th : Warm and pleasant. We 
 drummed a feUow belonging to the Thirty-fifth 
 Ohio out of camp for theft. 29th: Regiment 
 received new Enfield rifles, and the boys felt that 
 they were better armed than ever. March 30: 
 Light fall of snow, which made it very muddy 
 and disagreeable in camp. March 31 : Colo- 
 nel James George arrived from Minnesota and 
 looked hale and hearty. Teams arrived from 
 NashviUe with supplies. 
 
 April 1 : Went out twelve mUes to Harpeth 
 Creek afl«r forage. . 2d : Called out at 4 a.m. 
 in line of battle. Marched two miles and re- 
 turned at 12 M. April 3 : Warm and pleasant. 
 Marched sixteen miles to the Murfreesboro' Pike 
 and repaired the road. April 4: Keturned to 
 camp. 
 
 At Triune, not having any cook, we took turns 
 at cooking. In the mess to which I belonged there 
 was a fellow by the name of Stalcup, who was one 
 of the greatest gormandizers I ever saw ; but if 
 there was any one thing he was fonder of than 
 another, it was chicken gizzards. That day it was 
 my turn to cook for the" mess. Stalcup " cramped" 
 a big fat chicken, killed it, and then told me to 
 cook it for the boys, but to be sure and save the 
 gizzard for him ; and I promised him I would. 
 I dressed the bird, cut it np, and put it into the 
 
62 ^ DBXmMEB-B0Y>8 DIABY. 
 
 kettle to cook, but,, not being an expert at cook- 
 ing, I forgot to cut the gizzard open, turn it 
 inside out, and cleanse it from all its foreign 
 substances, but simply put it in whole to cook. 
 At noon I pronounced the dinner ready, and 
 Stalcup was on hand and yearning for his giz- 
 zard. He plunged liis fork into the dish, and, 
 taking out the gizzard, he opened his monstrous 
 mouth and took it in one mouthful. But shortly 
 afterwards he began to curse like a sea captain, 
 as he spit about half a pint of gravel stones out 
 of his mouth, and said to me, "You're a fine 
 cook, ain't you ?" The boys laughed so to see 
 Stalcup take turns at spitting and swearing, that 
 they could hardly eat their dinner. The next 
 time I cook a chicken, you bet, I will not forget 
 to dissect the gizzard. 
 
 April 5: Grand review and general muster. 
 Troops made a fine appearance. 6th : Warm 
 and pleasant. Orders to march the following 
 day. 7th : Warm. At 1 a.m. we marched out 
 to Eagleville with the expectation of capturing 
 a regiment of rebels. After surrounding the 
 town we found they had been apprised of our 
 approach and had fled. April 8 : We received 
 our band instruments from Cincinnati, Ohio. 
 April 9 : Warm and pleasant. We heard heavy 
 cannonading in the direction of Franklin. April 
 10: Regiment went out to a plantation owned 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 63 
 
 by a rebel named Guinn, and loaded the wagons 
 with hay and corn-fodder. 
 
 April 11 : Warm until 6 p.m. Commenced 
 to rain and continued through the night. Up to 
 the 15th of the month we had done nothing but 
 drill and guard and picket duty, and during 
 that time it rained off and on every other day. 
 April 16 : Regiment went to Nashville to guard 
 a supply train. Encamped near the outskirts of 
 the city. Marvin Emery returned to the regi- 
 ment that day. April 17 : Marched back to camp 
 and signed the pay-roll. April 18: Received 
 four months' pay, amounting to forty-eight dol- 
 lars. 22d and 23d : "Warm and pleasant. Re- 
 mained in camp all day. 24th : regiment went 
 foraging. Marched sixteen miles. 25th : R. G. 
 Rhoades, of Company E, took the leadership 
 of the band, and practised for the first time. I 
 held the prominent position of snare-drummer. 
 26th : Company G, which had been doing provost 
 duty in Triune, returned to the regiment. From 
 that time to April 30 we enjoyed camp-life won- 
 derfully, with good health, plenty of rations, 
 and drilling enough to give us an appetite. 
 Nice weather and everything conducive to good 
 health. 
 
 May 1 : We had the little dog-tents issued to 
 us. They were quite a novelty, and made a 
 wonderful difference, in the movement of the 
 
64 ^ DJRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 army, as each man carried his half of the tent, 
 and it made considerable difference in the number 
 of teams required to haul the large wedge-tents 
 heretofore used. 2d : Had brigade drill, and 
 built arbors over our little tents. 
 
 Sunday, May 3 : Rain fell in the forenoon ; 
 had inspection. 4th to the 14th : Had brigade 
 drill every day and dress parade in the evening, 
 which took up most of our time. During the 
 month of May we worked on the breastworks, 
 and drilled every afternoon, under our new bri- 
 gade commander, General Brannan. 
 
 June 1 : Grand review. Marched steadily for 
 three hours. 2d : Went out foraging. Marched 
 twenty-five miles. Sent all of our surplus bag- 
 gage back to Luverne. Second Brigade joined 
 us. 3d : Drill and dress parade. 4th : Weather 
 fine. During the day had division drill under 
 command of General Granger, During the drill 
 we heard heavy artillery firing in the direction 
 of Franklin, and before we left the drill-ground 
 we had orders to proceed to camp and prepare 
 for marching orders. At 7 p.m., with rain pour- 
 ing down in torrents and with two days' ra- 
 tions in our haversacks, we started for Franklin. 
 Marched all night through deep mud and in 
 darkness such as we had never seen before. It 
 was impossible to see the men marching in front 
 of us, except when the lightning would flash; 
 
A DRVMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 65 
 
 then it would blind us so that it was impossible 
 to see for a few minutes afterwards. Arrived 
 at Franklin at 4 a.m. 5th: Hot. Remained 
 in the road all day, and towards evening we 
 went into camp. 6th : We marched back to 
 Triune, and a more tired lot of boys it would 
 have been hard to find. 7th : Sabbath. Major 
 Burkhardt, of the First East Tennessee Cavalry, 
 was captured, but made his escape, and was back 
 in camp. He said there were a few of the boys 
 stiU in the hands of the rebels. 
 
 From June 8 to the 24th we had one con- 
 tinuous order, — ^regimental drill in the forenoon, 
 brigade and skirmish drill in the afternoon, and 
 in the evening dress parade. The men had long 
 wished for the campaign to commence, as steady, 
 drilling had become very monotonous. We re- 
 ceived the order with joy to break camp at 7 
 A.M. and prepare for an aggressive campaign. 
 With three days' rations in our haversacks, we 
 left Triune and marched south seventeen miles. 
 25th : Marched all day on the Shelby ville Pike, 
 and skirmished with the Confederates. Our en- 
 tire march was eleven miles. 
 
 June 26 : Eainy and disagreeable. Drove the 
 rebels through Hoover's Gap. 27th : Marched 
 twenty miles to the small village of Manches- 
 ter. Encamped in an abandoned cotton-field. 
 28th : Warm and pleasant. Marched six miles ; 
 
 6* 
 
66 -4 DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 skirmishing in our front all day. 29th : Rainy, 
 and disagreeable. Our regiment on the skirmish- 
 line. One of the Company I boys shot a rebel 
 courier who was carrying despatches. After 
 being shot, and knowing that he would be taken 
 prisoner, he tore the despatches into hundreds of 
 small bits, so that it was impossible to put them 
 together again to read. 30th : Lay quietly in 
 camp. Second Brigade skirmishing. 
 
 July 1 : Hot and sultry. We marched into 
 TuUahoma and captured two hundred prisoners ; 
 and at this place the boys were very fortunate 
 to find a large quantity of tobacco, of which 
 they supplied themselves with enough to last 
 them a long time. Marched seven miles. 
 - July 2 : Hot and dusty. We marched eight 
 miles and were compelled to fight every inch of 
 our way with our skirmish-line. 
 
 July 3 : Marched ten miles and crossed Elk 
 River, a wide and very rapid stream. We 
 had no pontoons, and therefore were compelled 
 to stretch a strong rope over the river and use 
 it as a support. With one hand the troops held 
 on to the rope, and with the other held their 
 accoutrements and guns up out of the water. 
 In some places the water was very deep, and, 
 of course, some would go under for a few seconds ; 
 but we all arrived safe on the south bank, with 
 our clothes more or less wet. Sandin, one of the 
 
A DRUMMEB-BOY'8 DIABT. gy 
 
 band, swam over several times with some of the 
 boys' instruments and the bass drum, and fortu- 
 nately brought everything over in good shape. 
 
 Saturday, July 4: My seventeenth birthday. 
 A salute of one hundred guns was fired, — ^not 
 on account of my birthday, but the birth of the 
 republic. Marched four miles out on the Hills- 
 boro' Road. 5th : Kainy all day. 6th and 7th : 
 Rumors in camp of the capture of Lee with 
 twenty-five hundred prisoners and one hundred 
 and ten cannon. 
 
 July 8 : Received the news that General Pem- 
 berton had surrendered to Grant on the 4th. 
 His entire army and the city of Vicksburg 
 capitulated. Marched two miles to the front 
 and encamped. On the 17th we received the- 
 news of John Morgan's raid into Indiana and 
 Ohio. 18th: We broke camp at 7 a.m. and 
 marched seven miles to Winchester, encamping 
 near a ravine, where there were twenty-five 
 sparkling ice-cold springs that flowed from under 
 the hill, forming a beautiful stream of water. 
 We lay in the shade most of the time, near by, 
 during the heat of the day, and did our reading 
 and writing. 19th : Very hot. Had inspection 
 of arms and dress parade. 20th : Regiment 
 paidofi". I received 144.75. 21st: Warm. The 
 sutler had supplied a great many of the boys 
 with liquor, and they were feeling pretty good. 
 
68 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 22d: Good news from Ohio. We heard that 
 John Morgan had been captured. 23d and 24th : 
 Very quiet in camp. The band serenaded Colo- 
 nel Vanderveer, of the Thirty-fifth Ohio, our 
 brigade commander. 
 
 July 25 : Warm and pleasant. After dress 
 parade we serenaded Lieutenant-Colonel Bishop, 
 who left us on a short leave of absence to re- 
 turn to Minnesota, and our wish was that the trip 
 might be the means of improving his health, as 
 he had worked hard to make the regiment gain 
 the reputation it had. The colonel was regarded 
 as one of the finest disciplinarians in the army, 
 and we therefore felt proud of him and wished 
 him bon voyage. 
 
 July 26 : Had general inspection. Colonel 
 Bishop started north. 27th : Sam Gould, of K 
 Company, a deserter, was brought back to the 
 regiment from Indiana, where he had been found 
 by a United States marshal. We serenaded the 
 Second Minnesota Battery, and were most roy- 
 ally treated by the boys. We lay at Winchester 
 until August 16, putting in our spare time in 
 regimental and brigade drill. 
 
 While there we were visited by several clergy- 
 men, who held religious services in the different 
 camps, and they were well attended by the men. 
 One, particularly, always drew large crowds, the 
 Kev. Mr. Boynton, of Ohio, the father of Major 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 69 
 
 .Boynton, of the Thirty-fifth Ohio Regiment. 
 We wished he could have stayed with us always, 
 as he was a very good, kind, and pious man, and 
 I thought he would be the. means of improving 
 the moral character of our men. After a long 
 spell of camp-life, we again received with joy 
 the order for a forward movement, and on the 
 16th we broke camp at 4 a.m. and marched five 
 miles and went into camp. We found plenty of 
 corn and vegetable, and the change from our 
 regular government rations to green stuff was 
 very acceptable to the boys. 
 
 August 17 : Marched five miles and encamped 
 at the foot of the Cumberland Mountains. We 
 had plenty of corn and green beans. 18th : 
 Weather hot. Marched up the mountain six miles 
 and encamped on the site of the Southern Epis- 
 copal University. Nothing had been built ex- 
 cept the foundation, which was very massive, and 
 showed that the structure that was to go on its 
 top was intended to be very grand. Before the 
 war. General Polk, now of the rebel army, was 
 an Episcopal bishop, and for several years had 
 been collecting money in the North to complete 
 this structure. 
 
 August 19 : Hot and sultry. Marched down 
 the mountain sixteen miles into the Sequat- 
 chie valley, where we found plenty of peaches, 
 apples, corn, and an abundance of clear, cool 
 
70 ^ DRUMMEB-BOY'S BIABY. 
 
 water, wliicli we appreciated, as we liad had no 
 water since the morning before. 20th: Warm 
 and pleasant. Remained in camp all day. Our 
 diet now consisted mostly of fruit. 21st: Hot 
 and sultry all day. Marched to the Tennessee 
 River, where we went into camp. The rebel 
 pickets were on one side of the river and ours 
 on the other, and they were holding conversation 
 with each other. The -general topic was about 
 the war. 22d : Hot and sultry. No rations 
 in camp, and the fruit had all been gathered 
 in that vicinity, so it looked rather dubious. 
 Went out foraging and got a few yams. They 
 did well to fill up on, but had no substance. 
 In a very short time after satisfying our appe- 
 tites we would feel hungry again. 23d: Went 
 foraging again, and were fortunate enough to find 
 a few apples and sweet-potatoes, and found an 
 Illinois boy who had captured a hog, of which 
 I bought a fore-quarter for thirty-five cents. 
 After arriving in camp my messmates and I had 
 a banquet fit for a king, 24th : Hot and depress- 
 ing. Heard distant booming of artillery on our 
 right. 25th: Still oppressively hot during the 
 day. We heard the rumbling of cannon in the 
 distance. 26th : News of the fall of Sumter and 
 Wagner reached camp, and the boys felt jubilant. 
 27th : All quiet on the Tennessee. Teams hauled 
 timber to construct rafts to float the army over 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. >J\ 
 
 the river. Weather a little cooler. 28th : Warm 
 and pleasant. Large crews of men worked on 
 the rafts. 29th : Warm, with a cool breeze. 
 Several of us boys took a stroll up the high 
 mountain in our rear, and after a long and tire- 
 some walk we found ourselves on the summit, and 
 the view that met our gaze was something grand. 
 At our feet stretched for miles away like a thread 
 the Tennessee River, winding its way at the foot 
 of the mountains until it dropped out of sight, 
 as it seemed, into some hidden valley. 
 
 August 30 : Warm and pleasant. Crossed 
 the Tennessee River on the rafts that the boys 
 had been making during the last few days, and 
 encamped in a dense forest four miles from the 
 Georgia line. 31st : Warm. The boys were all 
 down at the river the most of the day, bathing 
 and washing up their clothes. Our foragers 
 had been very successful. They came in by the 
 dozens, loaded down with sweet-potatoes, pump- 
 kins, and fresh pork. Our teams had as yet not 
 crossed the river. 
 
 September 1 : Weather pleasant and warm. 
 At 2 P.M. we broke camp and marched three 
 miles south to the foot of the mountains and 
 encamped. We found plenty of forage, such as 
 green corn and sweet-potatoes. We were still 
 near the Tennessee River. We lay here until 
 the morning of the 5th. Orders were issued 
 
72 ^ DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIABY. 
 
 prohibiting the men from bathing after 10 A.M., 
 as some of the men had been taken sick, and 
 the regimental surgeon said that they had over- 
 done themselves in the water during the hottest 
 part of the day ; therefore the order. 
 
 September 5 : Exceedingly hot and sultry. 
 We marched seven miles to the foot of the 
 Smoky Mountains and encamped in an aban- 
 doned cotton-field, and were compelled to go back 
 two miles to Nickerjack Cave to procure water 
 for culinary purposes. This cave is quite a 
 curiosity. At one time the Confederate gov- 
 ernment had a large crew of negroes working 
 in the cave, digging salt for the use of the Con- 
 federacy. 6th: Marched five miles to the top 
 of the mountain, and encamped near the coal- 
 pits. In the evening, a wild, reckless fellow, 
 named Baxter, started one of the coal-cars down 
 an inclined track, about a mile long and very 
 steep, and when it got very near where the track 
 started at a level, it ran into an old mule, which 
 had done duty for many years hauling the cars 
 out of the mine, and mangled it horribly. The 
 car flew to pieces, and one of the wheels was 
 found embedded in a jack-pine-tree at a height 
 of twenty-five feet, and the balance of the car 
 was strewn around within a radius of one hun- 
 dred and fifty feet. 7th : Hot, dusty, and very 
 sultry. Marched twelve miles towards Trenton, 
 
A DBUMMER-BOY'S BIABY. 73 
 
 Gra. Heard heavy cannonading in the direction 
 of Chattanooga. 
 
 September 8: "Weather still remained very 
 hot The band serenaded General Van Cleve. 
 The general was then in command of a division 
 in Crittenden's corps. The men and officers 
 of our regiment held him in great respect and 
 veneration. The sutler of an Ohio regiment ar- 
 rived from Huntsville with a large amount of 
 beer, and there was a -perfect stream of soldiers 
 going and coming with canteens to have them 
 filled. He was very Hberal (the sutler, I mean). 
 He charged the boys fifty cents a quart or a 
 canteenfiil. There was a certain class who would 
 have paid one dollar, if that had been the price, 
 •^—although we did not see any drunken men. 
 
 September 9 : Very hot and dusty. We re- 
 ceived orders to march the next day with two 
 days' rations and knapsacks. We were very 
 short of rations. We had not had a bean or any 
 salt pork issued to us for a month, and with those 
 articles cut off from the soldiers*^ bill of fare life 
 was not worth living, and patriotism and love 
 of country must take second place. 
 
 September 10: Weather continued very hot 
 and the roads very dusty. We broke camp 
 at 7 A.M. and marched twelve miles down the 
 Trenton Valley, our advance coming up to the 
 division in the lead. We encamped near a 
 D 7 
 
74 -4 DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 small stream of dirty water. At this point the 
 road leads up the mountain. Our drinking- 
 water had to be procured one mile up the moun- 
 tain-side. 
 
 September 11 : Still very hot and sultry, but 
 the nights were cool and refreshing. We marched 
 nine miles along the base of the mountains and 
 encamped in a beautiful piece of timber, where 
 we found plenty of sweet-corn and green beans, 
 of which we made succotash, and we found that, 
 even without pork, it made a very relishable dish 
 for a hungry man. 
 
 September 12 : With very dusty- roads and 
 hot weather we marched twenty-five miles to the 
 position where General Negley's division was 
 engaged with the rebels and was driven back, 
 and were ordered out on a reconnoissance to the 
 front, six miles, and at night returned to camp. 
 Marched that day thirty-seven miles. 
 
 Sunday, September 13 : Orders were issued to 
 be ready to move at any moment with two days' 
 cooked rations in our haversacks. These orders 
 were unnecessary, as we had nothing to cook. 
 We were fortunate, however, to find, a short dis- 
 tance from camp, an orchard with the trees 
 loaded down with peaches and apples, of which 
 we stripped every tree. 
 
 Monday, September 14: We broke camp at 
 7 A.M. and marched about two miles, when we 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 75 
 
 received orders to return to camp, where we 
 stayed the remainder of the day. 
 
 September 15: Hot and sultry. Marched 
 five mUes and encamped near a grist-mill, where 
 we remained until the following mornings 16th : 
 Without any excitement we were formed into 
 line and stacked arms, and remained to await the 
 enemy ; but at sundown we saw none worse than 
 the heat. We then broke ranks and proceeded 
 to make ourselves comfortable for the night. 
 
 September 17: Very hot and sultry. The 
 rebel cavalry made a charge on our wagon train, 
 and if our regiment had not been ordered back 
 as soon as it was, they would have captured 
 our entire supply and ammunition train. On 
 our arrival we found a few of the supply wagons 
 plundered, but no serious damage done, their time 
 being too short. 18th : Remained in camp all 
 day untU 7 p.m., when we broke camp, and were 
 on the road all night. We marched eight miles. 
 We could plainly see the camp-fires of the rebel 
 army on our right as we marched eastward. 
 The air was cool, and at times, when we stopped, 
 which was very often, we would build fires to 
 warm by, and, the line being so long, we were 
 continually in smoke the whole night, and our 
 eyes felt very sore from the effects of it. 19th : 
 Hot and dusty. At daybreak, as we marched 
 along, we saw troops falling into line on the 
 
76 -A BBUMMEB-JSOY'S DIABY. 
 
 riglit of the road; the artillery was unlimbered^ 
 the gunners stood to their guns, and every 
 thing had the appearance of a battle., We 
 marched along the rear of the line until we 
 reached the left wing of the army, where we 
 piled up our knapsacks, formed in line, marchedi 
 to the front, and deployed skirmishers. We 
 advanced but a short distance in the woods, 
 which was a pine forest, before we came upon the 
 rebel skirmish-line. We heard on our right the 
 heavy roll of musketry and the terrible thunder 
 of the artillery, and it came, nearer and nearer," 
 until, in less time than it takes to describe it, we 
 were engaged with Bragg's army. The terrible 
 carnage continued at intervals all day. At niglf 
 we heard, from all over the field, the cry of the 
 wounded for water and help, and the~ ambu- 
 lance corps were doing all in their power to bring 
 all the wounded into our lines. The night was 
 cool, with a heavy frost, and the water w;as very 
 scarce. We lay on our arms all night, and oh 
 Sunday, the 20th, the battle was renewed with, 
 terrible slaughter on both sides. Towards noon 
 we heard that Chittenden's and McCopk's corps, 
 on our right, had been driven back, and all that 
 was left on the field, to hold in check the entire 
 rebel army, was our corps, -^Thomas's Four- 
 teenth. We held the enemy back until evening, 
 in spite of his desperate assaults, and after dark 
 
A DRUMMER-BaY'S DIARY. 77 
 
 we retired to Rossville. Here General Thomas 
 posted Negley's right, stretching to the Dry 
 Valley Road, Brannan's (our) division in reserve 
 to Reynolds's right and rear, while McCook's 
 corps extended from Dry Valley nearly to Chat- 
 tanooga Creek, Bragg's army was too tired and 
 too sadly worsted to attempt to follow on the 
 night of the 20th. On the 21st a few straggling 
 shots were directed against our army at Ross- 
 ville. Thomas felt that he could not hold his 
 position there against the Confederate army. 
 Orders were received \i 6 p.m. on the 21st, and 
 by seven o'clock the next morning our army 
 was withdrawn, without opposition from the 
 enemy. This ended the battle of Chickamauga. 
 Though retiring from the field, our army had 
 succeeded in shutting the rebels out of Chatta- 
 nooga. 
 
 Our corps fought bravely and retired in good 
 order after haying for two days held every posi- 
 tion taken, even after the disaster on our right 
 on the 20th. While we held the battle-field we 
 repulsed every assault of the enemy, and with- 
 drew only when our ammunition and supplies 
 had given out, and it had become certain that 
 the field could not be held for another day. The 
 solitary advantage which the enemy had to show 
 was his final possession of the battle-field. Our 
 
 regiment's loss was unknown to me at that time. 
 
 . . ... ... - - 7* ' 
 
78 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 An inspection of our company was had on the 
 morning of the 21st, when every man was ac- 
 counted for. 
 
 September 22d: Our band was detailed to 
 the hospital to assist the nurses in taking care of 
 the wounded. We found the different wards 
 filled, and the wounded still coming in. The 
 large business blocks on the main street were 
 used for hospital purposes. We succeeded in 
 keeping the men of our regiment all together on 
 one floor. They occupied five large rooms, and ' 
 it was heart-rending to see the poor fellows as 
 they were brought in, shot and mangled in every 
 possible way. Every few moments we had to 
 take one out who had died, and put him in the 
 dead-house, where he would remain until there 
 was a wagon-load. Then they were wrapped up 
 in their blankets and eight to ten buried in one 
 hole; but after the rush was over, each had a 
 separate grave. We remained at the hospital 
 until September 25, when we were ordered to 
 return to the regiment, which in the mean time 
 had been busily engaged in building breast- 
 works to protect themselves from the enemy's 
 artillery fire. We were very short of rations, 
 with no prospect of an increase. 
 
 During my stay in the hospital, which was 
 filled with sick and wounded, some ladies from 
 the North visited them daily, bringing with them 
 
CO 
 
 n 
 H 
 Z 
 
 H 
 
 o 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 79 
 
 delicacies of every kind, and did all they could 
 to cheer and comfort the suffering. On one 
 occasion/ a pretty miss of sixteen, who came 
 down with her mother, was distributing reading- 
 matter and speaking gentle words of encourage- 
 ment to those around. She overheard a soldier 
 exclaim, " Oh, my Lord !" Stepping up to his 
 bedside to rebuke him for profanity, she re- 
 marked, " Didn't I hear you call upon the name 
 of the Lord ? I am one of His daughters. Is 
 there anything I can do for you ?" 
 
 Looking up in her bright face, he replied, " I 
 don't know but what there is." Raising his 
 eyes to hers, and extending his hand, he said, 
 " Please ask Him to make me His son-in-law." 
 
 September 26 : Regiment worked all day on 
 the intrenchments. 
 
 We remained in camp, with nothing to break 
 the monotony of camp-life except the continual 
 firing of the pickets and an occasional shell from 
 the rebel batteries, until Sunday, October 4, when 
 Major Davis left us to return to his home in 
 Maysville, Ky. The major received a slight 
 wound in the head at Chickamauga, and we 
 wished him a safe journey and a speedy return 
 to us, as he was well liked in the regiment. 
 
 October 5 : Considerable heavy cannonading. 
 Paul Cavitzal, of Company F, was struck in the 
 back with a fragment of shell while lying down 
 
80 ^ DHUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 behind the works, and we had little hope of his 
 recovery. Up to the 9th there had been every- 
 day more or less skirmishing on the picket-line, 
 and the artillery were shelling each other to 
 amuse themselves. There were very few casu- 
 alties. An election for State officers occurred 
 that day. 
 
 October 10, 11, 12 : Eainy and cloudy. We 
 were out of rations and it looked very blue. We 
 could make ourselves comfortable and protect 
 ourselves from the elements, but to go without 
 our regular rations always threw a gloom over 
 the camp. 
 
 I found that an empty stomach caused con- 
 siderable grumbling and fault-finding, while, if 
 the men had all they wanted to satisfy their 
 appetites, they were generally happy. 
 
 Tuesday, October 13 : Rained all day. Peter- 
 son, of Company C, died in the hospital from 
 the effects of a wound received on the picket-line 
 a few days before. 
 
 October 14 to the 20th we remained in camp 
 with nothing to create any excitement. We 
 moved back of the general hospitals, and had a 
 high and commanding position and a most excel- 
 lent camp. From the 20th to the 30th we did 
 nothing but picket and guard duty, and were 
 very short of rations. I was suffering with dys- 
 entery, and found that most of the men were in 
 
A DRVMMEB-BOY'S. DIARY. 81 
 
 .the same condition. We had had no bread of 
 any description for three days. 
 
 Saturday, October 31 : The Johnnies on Look- 
 out Mountain tried to shell our camp, but did 
 not succeed in reaching us. 
 
 Sunday, November 1 : We had general muster 
 and drill. 
 
 November 2: Weather warmer than it had 
 been for some time. The rebs on Lookout 
 Mountain threw a shell, and it passed over our 
 camp and struck one of the hospital buildings, 
 passed through the roof, down between two cots 
 occupied by wounded men, and into the ground, 
 but fortunately did not explode, or it might have 
 been more serious. 
 
 On November 3 we (I mean our squad, which 
 consisted of Billy Wagner, — whom we called Jas- 
 per Green, for short, — Tibbits, Vandyke, and 
 myself) accomplished a feat which in after years 
 seemed incredible, and I know a great many 
 will doubt it, but, nevertheless, it is a fact. 
 
 We were sitting in our tent and talking the 
 matter over in regard to the scarcity of rations, 
 and as we debated the question the conversation 
 drifted to what we would have our mothers cook 
 for us if we were home ; and, after mentioning 
 most everything our minds could think of, we 
 had our appetites sharpened up to such a state 
 that our mouths would water every time one of 
 
82 ^ DUtrMMMS-BOY'S DtARY. 
 
 us would give a description of some dainty or 
 toothsome viand. Finally, Jasper, the only one 
 who had any money, offered to go down near the 
 Tennessee River, where the division quarter- 
 master was having some cattle slaughtered for the 
 hospitals, and try to buy some meat. 
 
 I procured an order from the regimental sur- 
 geon, and, armed with that, Jasper proceeded to 
 get the meat. In the short space of an hour, to 
 our great joy, we espied Jasper at a distance 
 coming with a large chunk of meat on his back, 
 and were still more oveijoyed when we found 
 that he had succeeded in procuring twenty-four 
 pounds, which cost him four dollars and eighty 
 cents. We immediately got a large camp-kettle 
 and put in the entire piece, without salt, because 
 we had none, covered it with water, and put 
 it over the fire to boil ; and the four of us sat 
 around that kettle and watched until the meat 
 was pronounced done. Now comes the story. 
 We four, half-starved, half-famished men, drank 
 all the broth from that beef and ate every morsel 
 of the meat, without bread or anything as a side 
 dish. I had an idea that some of us would get 
 sick, but I lived over the night to write this in 
 my diary for future reflection. 
 
 Gilbert Jackson, of the band, was lying very 
 low at the hospital with diphtheria. 
 
 From November 3 to the 15th we had been 
 
A DRUMMER-IsOY'S DIABY. 83 
 
 on quarter rations, and putting in all of our 
 spare time working on <*tlie forts in front of our 
 line. 
 
 November 16 : Colonel George left us to go 
 back to Minnesota, never to return to us, and 
 the men as a unit were sorry to see him go ; but 
 we had Lieutenant-Colonel Bishop in command, 
 arid we knew that when he once had entire 
 control of the regiment he would make a model 
 body of men out of it. 
 
 November 17 : Cold, raw wind and cloudy all 
 day. Regiment went on picket. 
 
 November 18 and 19 : Cold, cloudy, and dis- 
 agreeable. 
 
 November 20 : Great activity in camp. The 
 men were working with double crews on the 
 forts. We had orders to be ready to march the 
 next day at 4 a.m. with one hundred rounds of 
 ammunition. Gilbert Jackson of K Company 
 died. 
 
 November 21 : Rained all day. The men 
 were still crowding the work on the forts. We 
 noticed that the rebs on Lookout Mountain were 
 also making preparations for an attack. 
 
 November 22 : Warm and pleasant. We buried 
 Jackson. Had orders to be prepared to march 
 on the morrow with two days' cooked rations 
 and gum blankets. 
 
 November 23 : We marched at 5 p.m. out to 
 
84 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 the picket-line and formed line of battle, and 
 were instructed not to build any fires. The 
 night was very cold, and I, having no stockings 
 or drawers (and I know the boys were all in 
 the same fix), suffered a great deal before day- 
 light. 
 
 Tuesday, November 24 : Were still in line in 
 front. We could plainly see General Hooker's 
 troops charging up the side of Lookout Moun- 
 tain. The heavy clouds which all day had en- 
 veloped the mountain's summit, and thus to some 
 extent favored Hooker's movements, had gradu- 
 ally settled into the valley, veiling it at times 
 completely from view. Thus the battle of the 
 afternoon was literally "a battle above the 
 clouds." The enemy was repulsed, driven back 
 from the last position where he could make a 
 stand, and hurled over the rocky heights down 
 the valley. By this time the darkness upon the 
 mountain rendered farther progress extremely 
 dangerous, and Hooker's troops encamped for 
 the night on the slopes, which they so gallantly 
 won. Lookout Mountain had been captured, 
 and before morning the stars and stripes waved 
 from its peak. The enemy had abandoned his 
 encampment, leaving behind him, in the hurry 
 of his flight, all his camp and garrison equipage. 
 
 November 25: Thanksgiving Day. We re- 
 mained in line until 2 p.m., when we moved to 
 
A drvmmeh-boy's diary. 85 
 
 our left one mile and halted to await orders. In 
 the mean time, we took advantage of the time 
 by cooking a kettle of coffee and eating a little 
 lunch, as, from all appearances, we knew that 
 in a short time we would be engaged. At 4 p.m. 
 we were called into line, and Colonel Bishop in- 
 structed the line officers that our regiment was 
 to lead the brigade, and that the moment the 
 command was given to advance they should de- 
 ploy their men as skirmishers, which would save 
 a great many from the enemy's batteries. From 
 the position we occupied we could see every move- 
 ment of the enemy in the first and second line 
 of works, and they were watching every move 
 we made. We stood in line patiently waiting 
 for the signal to advance. We had not long to 
 wait, however, for at 4.30 p.m., from a signal- 
 gun at Orchard Knob, the entire army moved 
 as one man (our regiment as deployed covering 
 the front of our brigade) towards the first line 
 of works, which we soon reached, and drove the 
 rebels out. 
 
 Before we reached the first line of works we 
 crossed an open piece of.ground, and as we left our 
 cover of trees and entered this piece of ground the 
 top of the ridge was one sheet of flame and smoke 
 from the enemy's batteries, and the grape tore up 
 the ground around us ; but the troops being de- 
 ployed as they were, there were very few casual- 
 
86 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 ties. After taking the first line of works, the 
 troops followed the fleeing rebels up the ridge 
 and charged over the second line of works. 
 Here our regiment captured a rebel battery. 
 After the capture of this Hue we had but little 
 fighting. The rebel army was routed and fled 
 towards Taylor's Gap in great disorder. We 
 bivouacked on the battle-field for the night, and 
 felt that under General Grant we had regained 
 what we had lost under General Rosecrans. The 
 loss to the regiment was killed, 10; wounded, 
 9 : total, 19. 
 
 On the morning of the 26th we gathered arms 
 and accoutrements, piled them up, buried the 
 dead, and marched eight miles south in pursuit 
 of the retreating army of Bragg. 
 
 November 27 : Marched fifteen miles to Ring- 
 gold, Ga. Skirmished all day, capturing twelve 
 pieces of artillery. The Seventh Ohio charged 
 into Taylor's Gap, and their loss was fearful. It 
 was reported that out of fourteen officers they 
 lost six killed and seven wounded. 
 
 November 28: Destroyed the railroad track 
 and flour-mill. Weather cold, with sleet and 
 rain. 29th : We marched back to camp, twenty- 
 three miles. 30th : Cold, with wind blowing all 
 day. We were still without stockings or under- 
 clothing. Had four days' half-rations issued; no 
 crackers. 
 
A DRVMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 87 
 
 December 1 : We had a grand review. Gen- 
 erals Grant, Thomas, Hunter, and Eeynolds, and 
 a score of brigadier-generals were present. After 
 the review Colonel Bishop had inspection of 
 regiment; everything but our clothing was in- 
 spected. It was getting to be a serious matter 
 with us. We had not changed clothing for a 
 month or more ; and the men were getting filthy 
 and were covered with vermin. We thought 
 that we were accomplishing quite a feat to sus- 
 tain ourselves with the small quantity of rations 
 that were issued to us, without feeding myriads 
 of gray-backs, but we had to remain in this 
 condition until we had clothing issued to us ; and 
 when that would occur God only knew. 
 
 December 2 : Warm and pleasant. Sent some 
 letters home, 3d : Cool and clear ; and it made 
 us hug the little fires that we were fortunate 
 enough to find sufficient fuel to build. 
 
 December 4: Barnett, of K Company, who 
 was wounded at Missionary Ridge, was buried 
 at 4 P.M. We received the welcome tidings that 
 we were to be supplied with full rations and a 
 supply of clothing in a few days. I went down 
 in to, the city of Chattanooga and purchased a 
 pair of cotton socks, for which I paid one dol- 
 lar ; one package of envelopes, fifty cents ; one 
 package of writing-paper (twenty-four sheets), 
 fifty cents. I saw one of our boys buy a five- 
 
88 A DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 pound package of Lyncliburg Killikinick smok- 
 ing tobaccp, for which he paid six dollars. Now, 
 comparing this with the then gold basis, he 
 paid fourteen dollars and ten cents for his five 
 pounds of tobacco. I think the government 
 treated us shamefully. They promised to pay 
 us thirteen dollars per month; but we had to 
 pay for everything we bought on a gold basis, 
 which really brought our wages down to a frac- 
 tion over five dollars a month. The bondholder 
 got his interest and principal in gold,- — ^why 
 should not we? Yes, why not?— that was the 
 question. And another thing that hurt was, that 
 our commanding generals would allow men to 
 come into the lines with goods and charge ex- 
 orbitant prices for everything they sold,^and 
 still this thing went on. Now there is no ques- 
 tion but this thing could have been remedied if 
 it had been looked into by the officers. 
 
 December 5 : Cold, rainy, and misty. We 
 received a large mail, and of course some papers. 
 We could lie in our tents, under the blankets, 
 and read and pass the time. But we had no 
 rest; the gray-backs kept us moving, and we 
 were compelled to take ofi" our shirts and pants, 
 and sit naked while we skirmished through the 
 above garments and killed all we could find; 
 after which we would have peace for a short time 
 at least. 
 
A DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 89 
 
 A very interesting affair occurred that day 
 which furnished considerable amusement to the 
 boys. Wag, or Jasper, in his endeavors to clear 
 his clothes of the pests, caught an unusually large 
 and well-fed gray-back, which he held up be- 
 tween his thumb and forefinger, and said, " I'll 
 bet one hundred dollars that this louse can beat 
 any louse that any man can catch in the tent." 
 About this time I had caught a very large, long, 
 rangy fellow of the razor-back species, who lo'oked 
 as if he had speed in him. So I at once accepted 
 his bet. Now, the question was, how would we 
 get them to run ? This matter was soon settled. 
 We took one of our tin plates and held it over 
 the fire until it was very warm, and at a given 
 signal dropped our racers on the hot plate. 
 Wag's jumped the track before he got half way 
 over, and mine went over the entire width of 
 the plate, winning the stakes and the entire gate 
 receipts. This was the first time on record where 
 a gray-back was known to have paid his board. 
 After the race I had a kindly feeling for him, 
 but was compelled to sacrifice him with the rest. 
 
 December 7 : I and a few of the boys ascended 
 Lookout Mountain, and the scenery from the 
 summit was something grand. It would be im- 
 possible for me to give a description of the 
 grandeur, so we will pass it by and leave it for 
 the pencil of the. artist. We drew clothing and 
 
 8» 
 
90 -A- DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 rations, and to have a warm pair of stockings 
 and good underclothing again made us feel glo- 
 rious ; but we were still on half-rations of meat 
 and coffee. No bread as yet, although we lived 
 in great hopes and faith; but they were poor 
 substitutes for bread. 
 
 From December 8 to the 11th there was noth- 
 ing important occurred in camp, except the reg- 
 ular foutine of our daily guard-mount and picket 
 duty. 
 
 Our regiment went out to the Chickamauga 
 battle-field to bury the dead, who had lain there 
 for nearly three months. The following rations 
 were issued before we went : half-rations of pork;, 
 quarter-rations of coffee and sugar. 
 
 December 13 : We returned to camp. We 
 heard a great deal of talk of re-enlisting in the 
 veteran service. The recruiting was then in 
 progress, 
 
 December 14^ A few more of the boys joined 
 the veterans. The thirty days' furlough that was 
 held out as an inducement had the effect to bring 
 in a good many. 
 
 December 15 : Major Davis returned To the 
 regiment, and appeared to be in excellent health. 
 16th, 17th, 18th : The recruiting went merrily 
 on. The boys said that if they enlisted and 
 went home, the prospect of starving would be 
 considerably less. 
 
A DRUMMEB-BOY'S DIABY. 9I 
 
 December 19 : 1 finally concluded that I would 
 re-enlist for another three years. I was still 
 suffering with chronic dysentery, with no hope 
 of getfing better if I remained down there ; but 
 I thought if I got north, with proper food and 
 good medical attendance, I would recuperate 
 quickly. Crane, of Company F, died that day 
 of dysentery. 
 
 December 20 : Company I re-enlisted in a 
 body. The matter of re-enlisting I had consid- 
 ered very seriously, and really thought that 
 I, in justice to myself, should return home, 
 enter some good school, and obtain an education. 
 Having left school for the war at a little over 
 fifteen years of age, my education had since been 
 neglected. At this stage of life I felt the want 
 of an education more than ever. I knew that 
 when the war was ended the country would be 
 flooded with men of the disbanded army, and 
 that a great immigration would soon follow the 
 declaration of peace, and all would want employ- 
 ment ; of course I would have to stand my chances 
 with the rest, and with an education I would have 
 an advantage over the common run of wage- 
 workers. 
 
 December 21 : The boys were veteranizing fast. 
 It would not be long before there would be enough 
 to be considered a regiment ; then there would 
 be an exodus for Minnesota, The weather re- 
 
92 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 mained cold and disagreeable and fuel was very 
 scarce. The teams brought wood from the north 
 side of the Tennessee River. 
 
 December 22 : Company F veteranized to-day. 
 Weather cold. We were again on half-rations. It 
 looked to me as though the powers that be were 
 trying to starve us into re-enlisting. 
 
 December 23 : Christian Kersemier, of K 
 Company, died of wounds received at Missionary 
 Ridge. The boys in the regiment all remembered 
 the little, short, fat, chunky German, who always 
 carried a very large, well-packed knapsack and a 
 very large haversack, and was never seen with 
 out a pipe in his mouth. He received a flesh- 
 wound in the thigh, but he gave up hope, and at 
 last dropped off without a struggle or pain. 
 
 Good-by, Christian ! You were a good, faith- 
 fiil, and obedient soldier. God will surely give 
 you your reward in heaven. 
 
 " Close around him, hearts of pride ; 
 Press near him side by side ; 
 
 Our Father is not alone. 
 For the Holy Eight you died, 
 And Christ, the crucified, 
 Waits to welcome His own." 
 
 December 24 : All quiet in camp. The re- 
 enlisting continued. The camp reminded one of 
 an old-fashioned political caucus, the way the 
 
A DEUMM'ER-BOY'S DIARY. 93 
 
 boys stood around in knots trying to convince 
 others that it was all for the best for them to re- 
 enlist; arid some of them, to prove their argu- 
 ment, re-enlisted themselves. 
 
 December 25 : Christmas : but how dark, how 
 cold and dreary. How dismal everything was in 
 camp. The band boys had all re-enhsted except 
 Wagner and I, and we now made up our minds 
 riot to remain out; the others had used every 
 endeavor to coax us in, so we at last consented, 
 and were mustered in for another three years. 
 
 December 26 : A cold, dark, rainy, misty day. 
 We were compelled to remain in the tents all 
 day, under the blankets, to keep comfortable. 
 
 December 27 : Weather still disagreeable. 
 We tore the floors and the wood-work out of the 
 forts we were so long in building, and used it 
 for fuel. Received a large mail. 
 
 December 28: Weather somewhat warmer. 
 The officers were making out our discharge-papers 
 and pay-rolls. 29th : The warmest day we had 
 had for some time. We had full rations of soft 
 bread issued to us. I had always said that once 
 we were re-enlisted there would be an improve- 
 ment in our rations ; and it had come true. The 
 officers were making arrangements for those of 
 the regiriient who did not re-enlist. I was told 
 that they would be assigned to the other regi- 
 riients until our return from Minnesota, when 
 
94 ^ DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 they, would again rejoin the regiment and remain 
 until the expiration of their term of service. 
 
 December 30 : Warm and pleasant. We signed 
 fifteen rolls of every description : some for back 
 bounty, some for clothing,- and some for pay. 
 The Ninth Ohio marched to Charleston, Tenu., 
 as an escort to a wagon-train. The Seventy- 
 ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers had dress parade, 
 and the evolutions were all remarkably fine. 
 Our regiment were spectators. Our officers were 
 busily engaged on our muster-out rolls, so we 
 had no parade. 
 
 December 31 : Cold, cloudy, rainy, and very 
 disagreeable. We patiently waited for our pay 
 and orders to go home, as the time drew neai 
 for our departure for the North, It seemed cruel 
 for the boys who had not re-enlisted to be com- 
 pelled to remain behind, but in a short time they 
 would return home for good. 
 
 This being the last day of the year 1863, I 
 figured up the distances of our marches, which 
 amounted to nine hundred and seventy-one miles. 
 The loss in killed and wounded and those who 
 had died of sickness had been heavy that year. 
 One more year of such casualties would wipe the 
 regiment out of existence. My company (K), 
 after the battle of Missionary Ridge, had but six 
 men for duty; not one commissioned officer. 
 The company was in command of Sergeant T. 
 
A DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 95 
 
 H. Pendergast, witli Corporal Nobles as the only 
 non-commissioned officer to assist, with four pri- 
 vates. The company was then assigned as color- 
 guard, until some better arrangement could be 
 made. 
 
 Such are the horrors of war : to-day we are well, 
 hearty, and cheerful, with bright, happy, and fond 
 hopes of a safe return to our homes and families ; 
 when the morrow may bring death, desolation, 
 and. all the terrors of war upon us, and leave our 
 bones bleaching on some battle-field. 
 
 As this was the closing night of the year, we 
 prayed to Him who doeth all things well, our 
 heavenly Father, that this wicked and fearful 
 war might soon end, and the two entire armies be 
 with their dearly loved ones at their peaceful and 
 happy homes. 
 
 Friday, January 1, 1864 : The weather was 
 very cold. A strong north wind was blowing, 
 which seemed to freeze the marrow in our bones. 
 We were only half clad, having no undercloth- 
 ing; and, there being no wood with which to 
 build fires, we were compelled to be active and 
 on the move all the time to keep warm, or go into 
 the tents and lie between the blankets, which a 
 great many did, and I found it the most comfort- 
 able place. It was reported in camp that we 
 were to be paid off on the morrow. 
 
 Saturday, January 2 : A much more pleasant 
 
96 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 day. "We succeeded in procuring sufficient wood 
 to keep a comfortable fire in the little fireplace in 
 our tent, -with Vandyke, "Wagner, Tibbits, and I 
 in front of it. Our shivering bodies absorbed 
 all the heat, that came from it with gratitude, and 
 we found ourselves much more comfortable than 
 we had been the day before. We did not receive 
 our pay as it had been reported we would. An 
 error in Captain Woodbury's pay-roll was the 
 cause of the delay. 
 
 January 3 : Weather cold and cloudy, with 
 flurries of snow through the day. We received 
 our pay, mine amounting to two hundred and 
 six dollars, father's to one hundred and seventy- 
 nine dollars. At 3 p.m. we were marched in 
 squads to division head-quarters and mustered 
 out of service, and immediately mustered into 
 the veteran volunteer service for three more 
 years. We lay in camp here until the morning 
 of January 8 making preparations for our home- 
 ward journey. Our mules had been dying very 
 fast for want of food and of the cold, and the 
 camp was full of sick men suffering with chronic 
 dysentery. As we broke camp that morning and 
 marched to the steamboat landing we hailed the 
 order with joy, knowing that soon we would be 
 in the land of plenty and our suffering would 
 be ended for at least the length of pur furlough. 
 
 January 8 : We embarked on two Tennessee 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 97 
 
 River steamboats, the "Dunbar" and the "Kings- 
 ton," and proceeded down the river to Bridge- 
 port, Ala., where we arrived at 3 p.m., and were 
 loaded in box cars, and remained in the yards 
 until 11 P.M. without fire ; but here we found a 
 government bakery, where we purchased wheat 
 bread, and therefore did not suffer much from 
 hunger. We rode all night and arrived at Nash- 
 ville at 12 M., January 9, and marched to the 
 ZoUicoflFer buUding, a large block six stories high, 
 which was in an unfinished condition. It was 
 under construction when the war broke out, and 
 its owner took up arms in defence of the South, 
 and was killed at Mill Springs, Ky., and therefore 
 the building remained in the condition he left it. 
 
 January 10 : At 6 p.m. we moved our quarters 
 to a vacated female seminary, where we found 
 the rest of the regiment, whom we left at Bridge- 
 port, awaiting transportation. 
 
 January 11 : We received passes for the day 
 to go into the city, where we saw thousands of 
 soldiers on their way home on veteran furlough, 
 and who, like us, were awaiting transportation. 
 Among the novelties we saw here were the ladies, 
 of which we had seen very few since our long 
 and tiresome marches through the South. As 
 they passed us' on the streets, we were compelled 
 to stop and gaze after them as if they were 
 
 furies. 
 
 » y 9 
 
98 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 January 12 : We were still in the city await- 
 ing cars. The Fifty-eighth New York Eegi- 
 ment moved into the building we were in, and 
 we found them a very tough lot. They were 
 also on their road home. 
 
 Four of our band decided to have what a sol- 
 dier would call a good square meal. We pro- 
 ceeded to find a restaurant which was capable of 
 filling the bill. After a short time we espied the 
 sign "Donagana Restaurant." Mr. Rhoades, 
 our leader, remarked that the name indicated a 
 first-class establishment, which was, of course, not 
 any too good for us. After a few moments of hur- 
 ried consultation, we decided to invest in a break- 
 fast, and we also decided that it should consist 
 of fried pork, sausage, potatoes, and buckwheat 
 cakes. In single file we marched into the res- 
 taurant and circled around one of the tables. 
 The party consisted of E. G. Rhoades, Chas. 
 Chamberlain, Wm. Wagner, and myself. We 
 took our seats and patiently waited until a waiter 
 should come and take our order. After a few 
 moments a darky came to our table, and the 
 order was given for pork sausage, fried potatoes, 
 and buckwheat cakes for four. The sausages 
 were served on a large platter, and the potatoes 
 and buckwheat cakes in two deep dishes. In 
 less time than it takes me to write it the dishes 
 were empty, and the darky dropped a card in 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 99 
 
 the middle of the table marked " $8.00." Each 
 one of us looked at the other with consternation 
 depicted on our countenances ; but Ehoades, not 
 dismayed, ordered the plates refilled, which was 
 soon done. The darky picked up the eight- 
 dollar card and in its place dropped one for 
 fifteen dollars. That broke the camel's back, 
 but not our appetites. We got up from that 
 table with a hungry stomach and a much lighter 
 pocket-book, and I for one shall always keep 
 that name in remembrance, — "Donagana Res- 
 taurant." 
 
 January 14: "We left thesq quarters and 
 marched to the Louisville and Nashville Depot, 
 where we were loaded into box cars, and pro- 
 ceeded to Louisville, Ky., at 7 p.m. The weather 
 was very cold, and most of the boys were suffer- 
 ing with colds, contracted while sleeping in the 
 houses at Nashville. We arrived at Louisville 
 at 12 M., January 15, and marched to the No. 
 1 Military Barracks, where we were' supplied 
 with pork, hard-tack, and coffee. After supply- 
 ing the wants of the inner man, part of the 
 regiment was sent to the Soldiers' Home for the 
 night. 
 
 January 16 : We lay over and the boys were 
 scattered through the city. In the evening a 
 number of the regiment went to the theatre. 
 
 January 17 : Weather warm and pleasant. 
 
100 A DRVMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 The regiment marched through the streets of 
 Louisville ; and I know Colonel Bishop must have 
 felt proud, as the regiment never looked finer nor 
 marched better, nor did the band ever play better, 
 than on this occasion. Every man thought it 
 was his duty to make as splendid an appearance 
 as possible, for we took great pride in our colonel, 
 and he in us. The old veterans had not forgot- 
 ten the reception we received at the hands of the 
 fair ladies of Louisville in 1862, when they pre- 
 sented us with the beautiful banner that still 
 waved over the regiment as we marched through 
 the streets of that beautiful city. We marched 
 to the ordnance building and turned over our 
 guns and accoutrements preparatory to our de- 
 parture for home. 
 
 Monday, January 18 : We crossed the Ohio 
 River to New Albany, Ind., in the morning, and 
 remained in the railroad yards all day. The 
 weather was cold, with snow, sleet, and rain. At 
 6 P.M. we embarked on cars for Michigan City, 
 Ind. We were fortunate enough to have passen- 
 ger coaches, something we had not had since we 
 left Chattanooga. 
 
 January 19 : We were still on the road, sixty 
 miles from New Albany. The railroad company 
 had no wood for fuel, and the water-tanks were 
 all more or less frozen up. The engines died 
 out on the road every twenty-five or thirty miles. 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. \Ql 
 
 After dragging along at a snail's pace for some 
 time we arrived at Crawfordsville, where we were 
 received by a delegation of ladies, who supplied 
 us with coffee and lunch. While here the band 
 was stationed in the depot and discoursed national 
 airs, while the boys ate their lunch and flirted 
 with the young girls. But all good things 
 have an end. The command "Fall in!" was 
 heard, and soon the tall form of Colonel Bishop 
 was seen forming the regiment into position to 
 board the cars, and three cheers were given for 
 the ladies of Crawfordsville. While we were 
 taking our seats in the cars, the ladies on the 
 platform sang "Rally round the flag, boys," 
 which sounded fainter and fainter, until it was 
 drowned to the ear in the noise of the swiftly- 
 rushing train. " Good-by, ladies ; may God bless 
 you!" 
 
 Thursday, January 21 : We arrived at Michi- 
 gan City, and were transferred to the Chicago 
 road, arriving at Chicago at 6 a.m. on the 22d. 
 Had breakfast at the Soldiers' Home, and im- 
 mediately proceeded on our journey to La Crosse, 
 Wis., where we arrived at 3 p.m. and were quar- 
 tered in Turner's Hall. At 9 p.m. we were 
 loaded into covered sleighs, and crossed the Mis- 
 sissippi River on our road to Minnesota. We 
 arrived at Winona at 6 a.m., January 23, and 
 were furnished with a steaming-hot breakfast by 
 
 9* 
 
102 -^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 the ladies of the place. After breakfast the band 
 performed a few selections, when we again re- 
 sumed our journey. We passed through all of 
 the little river towns along the road, and every- 
 where were greeted with great enthusiasm. 
 
 We arrived at St. Paul on January 24, and 
 proceeded to the International Hotel, where we 
 were furnished with an elegant dinner, a compli- 
 ment we, having travelled all day in the cold, 
 heartily appreciated. After dinner I proceeded 
 home to surprise mother, and, as it was dark in 
 the house, she must needs call for a lamp and 
 hold it up close to my face and look me over 
 from head to foot, while she was saying to her- 
 self, " God bless you, my boy !" Although I 
 knew that my name had not been forgotten in 
 the evening prayer all the while I was away, 
 yet not once, perhaps, in all that time had 
 mother's voice been so choked in utterance as 
 now, as, with her heart overflowing, she gave 
 thanks for my safe return . When I lay down 
 that night in a clean white bed, for the first time 
 in. two and a half years, I thanked God for my 
 safe arrival. 
 
 On January 25 the men received their fur- 
 loughs, and each departed his separate way home, 
 some to see their wives, some their mothers, and 
 others their sweethearts. I hoped that all would 
 receive a hearty welcome, and their stay at home 
 
A BBUMMEB-BOY'S BUSY. JOS 
 
 be filled with pleasure and enjoyment. Who could 
 tell, after our return to the South again, who of 
 us would live to come back, and whose bones 
 might remain to bleach on Southern battle-fields? 
 
 From January 26 to February 26, the weather 
 had been cold and disagreeable. I had spent my 
 furlough visiting friends in the country and at 
 home with brother Joe, and was again anxious 
 to do military duty. At 9 a.m. I marched to 
 Fort Snelling and reported to Colonel Bishop 
 for duty. 
 
 Remained at the fort until the 29th, when we 
 were invited to a banquet and ball at the Wins- 
 low House, given by the people of St. Anthony. 
 The regiment marched up in a body, and feasted, 
 sung, and danced all night, and at 7 A.M., March 
 1, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast, after which we 
 made preparations for our return to the fort. We 
 formed in line with the band playing and the 
 ladies cheering, and amid the many farewells 
 and " God bless you, boys !" we marched back 
 to Fort Snelling. During the 2d we made pre- 
 parations for our departure to the South, 
 
 March 3 : Companies I, F, C, G, and K were 
 loaded on common lumber-wagons and proceeded 
 to St. Paul. On our way South, we heard that 
 Charles Chamberlain, our bass-drummer, had 
 broken his leg, and would be compelled to re- 
 main in Minnesota for some time. 
 
104 ^ DBVMMER-BOY'S DIABT. 
 
 Marcli 4 : Companies D, A, B, E, and H were 
 furnished the same transportation as the rest of 
 the regiment, and also started for the South. 
 The band, with the recruits and head-quarters 
 staff, remained. 
 
 March 7 : The band and head-quarters staff 
 were loaded in omnibuses, and at St. Paul were 
 transferred to Concord coaches, and proceeded 
 down the river through the towns of Hastings, 
 Redwing, Wabasha, and Eeed's Landing. I was 
 so unfortunate as to lose my cap, and was com- 
 pelled to ride sixty miles bareheaded, the result 
 being a terrible cold. 
 
 March 8 : We arrived at Winona, and were 
 the guests of the Ladies' Sanitary and Christian 
 Association, who insisted that Colonel Bishop 
 should let the band remain with them over night, 
 to give a concert at the court-house for the bene- 
 fit of the association. The colonel at first de- 
 clined, but he could not stand the pleading of 
 so many ladies, so he finally consented, with the 
 understanding that they should take good care 
 of us, and send us along in the morning, all of 
 which they faithfully promised to do, after which 
 the colonel proceeded on his way towards La 
 Crosse. In the evening we gave an instrumental 
 concert at the court-house, which was packed to 
 overflowing. We were quartered in pairs in the 
 finest homes, and taken care of so kindly that 
 
A BRUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 105 
 
 the reooUeotion thereof shall always be one of the 
 bright spots in our memory, and we will always 
 say, "Grod bless the ladies of Winona !" 
 
 Wednesday, March 9 : We were not fortunate 
 enough to get covered coaches, so we were com- 
 pelled to take an open conveyance, with a mule 
 and a horse as propelling power, which, with the 
 disagreeable snow and sleet and the muddy roads, 
 made our progress very slow indeed. Another 
 calamity stared us in the face. We should have 
 arrived at La Crosse that night, where we would 
 have been supplied with rations and shelter. 
 Now we were travelling on our own hook, as it 
 were. While the boys had been on furlough 
 they had spent their little money with a lavish 
 hand, and I am not far out of the way when I say 
 the entire party could not have produced ten dol- 
 lars. The night was cold, and supper and shel- 
 ter we must have. Arriving at a stage-stoppipg 
 .place, we made our wants known, and explained to 
 the landlord our financial condition. He kindly 
 told us that if we had had money he would not 
 have kept us, but, being in this condition, he 
 would make us a shake-down on the floor and 
 provide food for us, the best he had, and that 
 when we received our first pay we could pay 
 him rail of which we faithfully promised to do. 
 
 On March 10, after eating a hearty breakfast 
 and again thanking our kind host, we proceeded 
 
106 ^ DRUMMEB-BOY'S BIABY, 
 
 on our way to La Crescent, where we arrived at 
 noon. We were again compelled to make known 
 to the landlord our poverty-stricken condition, 
 and, after making him promises of good faith 
 in our intention of paying him, we were told 
 to go into the dining-room and get our din- 
 ner, and if we ever thought it worth paying for 
 we could send it to him. He said that in case 
 any of the boys should get killed or die, he 
 would have no claim against their estates. I 
 thought to myself, if that man only knew what 
 a good, honest, kind-hearted lot of boys he had 
 entertained he would never have worried for his 
 pay. The first remark Mr. Rhoades, our leader, 
 made after leaving the house was, "Boys, this 
 man and the one who sheltered us last night 
 shall be paid out of our first month's pay, and I 
 will see that they get it, and I will risk my life 
 on that." 
 
 After leaving the hotel, we were told that we 
 could not cross the river, as the ice was moving. 
 Not to be frustrated in our design, we found a 
 couple of boats, but no oars. This was soon 
 remedied. We tore off a few fence-boards, and 
 soon had two sets of oars, after which we em- 
 barked in our boats and safely crossed the 
 river to La Crosse, where we found the regiment. 
 Colonel George had joined and taken command. 
 We were quartered in the Westcott House for 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 107 
 
 the few hours we were to remain. A couple of 
 our regiment got into a quarrel, and one of them, 
 named Brown, of Company D, was terribly cut 
 up, and was not expected to live. 
 
 March 11 : At 3 a.m. we were again put into 
 cars and went as far as Minnesota Junction, where 
 we were unloaded, and remained on the plat- 
 form of the depot until noon. We then pro- 
 ceeded to Chicago, where we arrived at 7.30 a.m. . 
 
 March 12 : We were quartered in the Soldiers' 
 Home, where we found everything in A No. 1 
 order, and were furnished with plenty of good 
 food. We remained here until 8 p.m., when 
 we received orders to proceed to the Central De- 
 pot. Here we found that the railroad company 
 had made arrangements to send us on South in 
 cattle-cars, but Colonel George remonstrated, and 
 told them they were compelled to furnish first- 
 class accommodations, and that was what he was 
 going to have. Four cars were furnished, and 
 Companies F, K, G, and I, with the band, pro- 
 ceeded on their journey, while the rest of the 
 regiment remained in charge of Captain Dona- 
 hower, to follow on as soon as proper transporta- 
 tion was furnished. 
 
 Sunday, March 13 : Lay over at Michigan City 
 to clear away a wreck ahead of us. On Monday, 
 March 14, at 3 A.M., we continued our journey, 
 and arrived at Indianapolis for breakfast at the 
 
108 ^ DRVMMER-BOT'S DIARY. 
 
 Soldiers' Home, After returning to the depot, we 
 found that the railroad company had unloaded 
 our baggage, taken the passenger-coaches away, 
 and supplied us with cattle-cars again. We 
 were compelled to get into them and continue 
 our trip. The band and head-quarters staff 
 were more fortunate. We had a nice coach, We 
 arrived at Louisville at 10 p.m., and were quar- 
 tered in an old dilapidated rookery without doors 
 or windows, and here we were supposed to make 
 ourselves comfortable. 
 
 Through the kindness of Mark Hendricks, a 
 railroad agent, who came through from Minne- 
 sota with us, we were furnished a dinner at the 
 United States Hotel. 
 
 March 16 : Captain Donahower arrived with 
 the rest of the regiment, and were assigned 
 quarters with us. The Sixty-^rst Ohio Regiment 
 started home on their veteran furlough. We 
 lay here until the 18th, when we again took 
 transportation for Nashville. Arrived at Edge- 
 field at 4 A.M., March 19, and found that the 
 railroad tracks were blocked with trains ready 
 to pull out for the North with troops on their 
 furlough, homeward bound. Seeing that it was 
 impossible to proceed by cars, we disembarked 
 and marched over the river, through Nashville, 
 to the outskirts of the city, and awaited in bivouac 
 while the officers procured quarters for us. At 6 
 
A DRTJMMER-BOY'B BtAXtY. JJOg 
 
 P.M. w& marched back into the city and were quar- 
 tered in a church, where we were very comforta^ 
 ble. We remaind here until March 23, drilling 
 the recruits in the manual of arms and march- 
 ing. We drew five days' rations and marched 
 out of the city four miles, on the Murfreesboro' 
 Pike, and encamped near a fine spring of ice- 
 cold water. We found plenty of good cedar 
 rails, and what does a soldier delight in more 
 than to have plenty of cedar rails to buUd his 
 camp-fires with? We here received our new 
 tents, and felt that we were again in active cam- 
 paign. I knew that after a few days' marching 
 we would feel better, our appetites would be 
 keener, and we would be more healthfal all 
 around. 
 
 Mardi 24 : Reveille at 5 A.M., and at 7 a.m. 
 we broke camp and marched towards Luverne. 
 Passed through the town, and encamped three 
 miles south. A great many of the recruits were 
 suffering with galled feet. We marched twelve 
 miles and encamped near a clear stream of water, 
 where the boys took advantage of the situa- 
 tion and went in bathing, after which we felt 
 considerably refreshed. 
 
 March 25 : Weather cloudy, with rain. We 
 marched fourteen miles to Murfreesboro', and 
 encamped on the "Ready" plantation, the owner 
 being the father-in-law of the rebel John Mor- 
 
 10 
 
110 -4 DBVMAIEB-BOY'8 DIARY. 
 
 gan, where there was plenty of wood and water. 
 We found General Van Cleve here looking very 
 hale and hearty. 
 
 We remained here until the 28th, when we 
 broke camp and marched twelve miles. The 
 roads were very dusty and the wind blew a 
 hurricane; but towards evening it clouded up 
 and rained a little during the night. 29th : 
 Weather cloudy. Roads in good condition. We 
 marched fourteen miles to Shelbyville and en- 
 camped on Duck River, on an old rebel camp- 
 ground. 
 
 March 30 : Weather warm and pleasant. We 
 marched eleven miles and encamped near a beau- 
 tiful spring, with plenty of wood. We heard 
 that three rebel officers had passed through here 
 northward bound. What their intentions were 
 was a mystery. 
 
 March 31 : Marched nine and a half miles to 
 TuUahoma and encamped two miles south, where 
 we found plenty of wood and water. 
 
 April 1 : Cloudy, rainy, and disagreeable. 
 We marched fourteen miles to Decherd. This 
 was a hard day's march. It was not the dis- 
 tance, but the way we were marched. Colonel 
 George made stretches of from four to five 
 miles before he called a rest for the men. They 
 were heavily loaded with all their new clothing 
 and blankets, which made it very tiresome with- 
 
A DRUMMEB-BOY'S DIABY. m 
 
 out rest every two or three miles. At the end 
 of the day's march, with the roads in very bad 
 condition in consequence of the rain, the men 
 were all played out. 
 
 April 2 : Overcast, but pleasant. Marched nine 
 miles over the mountains into Stevenson's Valley. 
 Edmund Grarrison, of our regiment, was sent ahead 
 to Chattanooga, he being unable to keep up with 
 the command, having taken sick while marching. 
 
 April 3 : We marched but a short distance, — 
 five miles. Our teams delayed us. We were now 
 travelling on the railroad track. 
 
 April 4: We marched on the track fifteen 
 mUes, within one and a half miles of Stevenson, 
 Ala., and went into camp. 
 
 April 5 : We marched to Stevenson, where we 
 found General Le Due, of Hastings, Minn., for- 
 merly of the First Minnesota Regiment, who had 
 charge of all the military stores there. He in- 
 formed Mike Allen, of Company I, that if he 
 could get the consent of Colonel George he 
 would give the regiment a barrel of whiskey. 
 The colonel gave his consent, with instructions 
 that if a man should get drunk he would be 
 severely punished. With - these instructions, 
 Allen returned to Le Due, who at once had the 
 head knocked out of a barrel and distributed 
 the whiskey to the boys. Very few of them 
 showed any signs of intoxication. After a short 
 
112 A DItUMMEIt-BOY'S BIARY. 
 
 stay with General Le Due, we contintied our 
 marcii, arriving at Chattanooga at 10 p.m^ and 
 were quartered in the Soldiers' Home for the 
 night. 
 
 April 6 : We had breakfast at the Home, after 
 which we marched out to Chattanooga Creek. 
 We drew clothing and a complete supply of 
 camp equipage and rations. General Brannan 
 made the camp a visit, and congratulated us 
 on our safe arrival to the front again. We re- 
 mained at this camp until the 9th, when we 
 marched out on the Ringgold Road, and passed 
 over the Missionary* Ridge battle-ground. En- 
 camped on Chickamauga Creek in a cedar grove. 
 
 April 10: We marched nine miles to Ring- 
 gold, Ga., where we found those of our regiment 
 who had not re-enlistfed. The troops seemed 
 to be in good spirits, and were ready for active 
 service. 
 
 April 11 : Weather pleasant and warm all 
 day. We worked on our tents and policed the 
 camp-ground. At 6 p.m. we had our first dress 
 parade for three months. The Thirty-fifth Ohio 
 Band serenaded our officers after parade, and 
 invited them over to the court-house to a min- 
 strel show they were giving every night. K. D. 
 Chase, one of the band-boys, was taken very ill 
 that day, and we hoped for his speedy recovery, 
 as he was too good a boy to lose or lie sick long. 
 
A BBUMMEB-BOY'S BIABY, 113 
 
 April 12: Overcast and rainy; remained in 
 camp all day. 
 
 April 13 : Warm and pleasant. Martin Smith 
 returned from Minnesota, where he had been lying 
 sick with the smallpox. We remained in this 
 camp until May 6, drilling and doing guard duty. 
 We had been out on several reconnoissances, 
 but with no results. Now things looked as 
 though there was something to be done. 
 
 May 7 : With three days' rations in our haver- 
 sacks and three in our wagons, we marched east- 
 ward six miles. The Fourth Corps had been 
 skirmishing with the rebels all day. 8th : ex- 
 ceedingly hot. We advanced one mile, reformed 
 our line, and faced in a different direction, — more 
 towards Buzzards' Roost. 
 
 May 9 : We moved our line more to the right. 
 Skirmished with the rebels all day, until it be- 
 came so dark that both sides withdrew for the 
 night. The Confederates had a very strong 
 position on the high bluffs on each side of the 
 
 May 10: Weather rainy and disagreeable. 
 The advance was still skirmishing with the rebs. 
 During the night they had taken several pieces 
 of artillery up on the mountain, with which they 
 were making it very interesting for our boys. 
 
 May 11 : Weather overcast and very windy. 
 We remained in camp all day. Had orders to 
 h 10* 
 
114 4 DBUMMEB-BOT'S DIARY. 
 
 be prepared to march next morning at three 
 o'clock with the utmost care and as little noise 
 as possible. 
 
 May 12 : We marched according to orders to 
 Snake Creek Gap, a distance of twenty miles, 
 where we found McPherson heavily intrenched. 
 The roads were in a deplorable condition, but after 
 getting into the Gap they were much better. 
 
 May 13 : We received orders to leave our 
 knapsacks and prepare for a forced march. We 
 heard heavy cannonading in the direction of 
 Buzzards' Koost. 
 
 May 14 : Cannonading still continued to the 
 east of us. We started at 5 a.m., but after 
 marching a short distance we halted and re- 
 mained over night. On the morning of May 
 15 we formed line of battle. 
 
 May 16; Warm and pleasant. The rebels 
 evacuated Buzzards' Roost, Our men captured 
 five hundred wagons and all of the rebel killed 
 and wounded. Our division moved through to_ 
 Calhoun, towards Besaca. 
 
 May 17: Marched twenty-five miles. 18th: 
 Weather fine. Marched seven miles through 
 Adairsville. The country we passed through was 
 very fine, and many fine homes were to be seen 
 alohg our route. 
 
 May 19: Weather hot. Passed through 
 Kingston, Ga., a beautiful and picturesque little 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. ^Ig 
 
 village. Drove the rebels four miles south of 
 town, where they inade a stand. Marched thir- 
 teen miles. 
 
 May 20: Hot and sultry. Report in camp 
 that the enemy were advancing on us from the 
 southeast, but it turned out to be General R. W. 
 Johnson's division of our corps. 
 
 May 21 : The Ninth Ohio returned home, 
 having served their three years, and were to 
 be mustered out of the service. The separation 
 was a sad one, as the Ninth and our regiment 
 had been together for nearly three years. We 
 had stood shoulder to shoulder in all of our 
 battles and skirmishes, marched together day 
 and night, suffered all the hardships together, 
 and shared the pleasures alike ; and now to sepa- 
 rate forever seemed impossible. Nevertheless, it 
 was true. We wished them God speed, and that 
 they might live long to enjoy the fruits of their 
 battles and marches. 
 
 May 22 : Very hot and dusty. We marched 
 twelve miles southwest; forded the Etowah River. 
 It was a laughable sight to see the boys slip on 
 the boulders at the bottom of the river and go 
 under, and get such a ducking that everything 
 they had would be soaking wet. Nothing more 
 serious than a good wetting occurred to any of 
 them. There were a great many stragglers that 
 day ; more than on any previous day's march. 
 
X16 ^ DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 May 24 : Still very hot. The army marched 
 at daybreak. Our brigade was left to guard the 
 supply train. Colonel Bishop issued strict orders 
 that no person should leave camp under any 
 consideration, or severe punishment was in store 
 for them. 
 
 May 25 : Still in camp. During the day the 
 weather was hot, but at 5 p.m. it commenced to 
 rain and continued all night. We heard heavy 
 cannonading in front. 
 
 May 26 : Overcast but pleasant. "We marched 
 all day over a very hilly country, and were com- 
 pelled to assist the teams with the wagons up 
 the hills. We stopped at noon to cook dinner 
 and feed the teams, after which we proceeded on 
 our march. We accomplished a great deal of 
 work, but little marching. We made but ten 
 miles. 
 
 May 27 : Very hot. We remained in camp 
 until one o'clock, then moved camp one mile. 
 I had the painful experience of being stung by 
 a scorpion. I really suffered more from fright 
 than from the sting. Billy Wagner, whom we 
 called "Jasper Green," took considerable pains 
 to get all the fun out of it he could. After going 
 into camp, Jasper had just jBnished a "dough- 
 god," and was preparing to sit down on the 
 ground to eat it. Suddenly we heard a scream, 
 and on looking in the direction it came from, we 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. Hy 
 
 saw Jasper holding up his hand with a scorpion 
 hanging to it. Now came my turn to laugh. I 
 informed Jasper that a scorpion was never known 
 to live long after stinging a Dutchman, and my 
 assertion proved true; and I hope he had con- 
 siderahle consolation from it. The dry leaves 
 were full of the venomous little devils. We did 
 not sleep much at night on account of them. ' 
 » May 28: We marched two miles south to 
 guard a train. We encamped in an open field. 
 Heavy skirmishing in front. 
 
 May 29 : We marched back to the rear five 
 miles. A general change of all the line. 30th 
 to Blst : Weather hot. Eemained in camp. 
 
 June 1 : Hot. Marched to the front and en- 
 camped. Heavy firing on the skirmish-line. 2d : 
 Kainy all day. Were placed in position in line 
 of battle and commenced to build breastworks. 
 Worked all night. 3d: Cloudy. Balls flying 
 over camp from the picket-line. 4th: Cloudy 
 and rainy all day. The rebs tried to drive our 
 pickets in but did not succeed. Two boys of 
 the One Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio, of the 
 Second Division, were wounded. 
 
 June 5 : The enemy evacuated their- works 
 and moved to our left. A Company C boy was 
 wounded and captured. 6th : Weather very hot,, 
 — ^in fact, the hottest we ever experienced. We 
 
 
118. A. DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 miles,— a mistake of General Palmer's. 7tli: 
 Very, hot in the fore part of the day. In the 
 afternoon we had a refreshing shower. Moved 
 camp half a mile. Rumor in camp that General 
 Lee had re-enforced General Johnston with fifty 
 thousand men. 8th : Cloudy and rainy. We 
 remained in camp all day. Chas. Chamberlain, 
 of F, Company, was sent back to Bridgeport, 
 Ala.y to relieve Sergeant A. H. Reed, of K Com- 
 pany, who had charge of the regimental prop- 
 erty. Chamberlain's leg gave him a great deal 
 of trouble, and he was not able to walk. : 9th : In 
 camp. 10th : Cloudy and rainy. Marched four 
 miles.. Found the enemy intrenching very rap- 
 idly. Our artillery played on them most of the 
 afternoon. Formed line of battle and encamped' 
 for the night. 
 
 June 11 : Disagreeable and rainy. Marched 
 two miles and remained five hours. Moved at 
 3 P.M. one mile to the right and encamped. 
 
 June 12: Rainy and cloudy. Remained in 
 camp all day. The front line built breastworks. 
 Digging becomes almost an instinct with the ex- 
 perienced soldier. It was surprising how rapidly 
 men in the field threw up fortifications, how the 
 work progressed, and what immense results were 
 accomplished by a body of troops in a single 
 night. Two armies would fight in the open 
 field one evening, and by the next morning both 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY, HQ 
 
 would be strongly intrenched behind rifle-pits 
 and breastworks, which it would cost either side 
 much blood to storm and take.. If spades and 
 picks were not at hand when there was need of 
 fortifications, bayonets, tin-cups, plates, and even 
 jack-knives were pressed into service until better 
 tools arrived; and every man worked like a 
 beaver. 
 
 June 13: Weather clearing up. If we had 
 good weather, we would be far in advance in our 
 , movements. 14th : Warm and pleasant. Ad- 
 vanced half a mile towards Kenesaw Mountain 
 and built works. 
 
 June 15: Advanced another mile and built 
 more earthworks. We had a rumor in camp 
 that Lieutenant-General Polk, C.S.A., had been 
 killed in front of our corps. 16th: Rebels 
 massed on our front, but our artillery did such 
 effective work among them that they soon fell 
 back in disorder. A rebel deserter confirmed 
 the statement of the death of General Polk. 
 
 June 17: Cloudy. Advanced one mile and 
 built breastworks in an open field, in open 
 sight of the enemy. The mud in the fields 
 was six inches deep. Lieutenant Jones, of Com- 
 pany B, was killed. 19th : Eainy and disagree- 
 able. M. V. Barber, of K Company, was shot 
 through the bowels, and Lieutenant Eutherford, 
 x)f F Company, was shot in the arm while the 
 
1 20 -^ I>S, UMMER-BO Y'S BUB Y. 
 
 regiment was moving to the right to take a new 
 position. 
 
 June 20: The artillery on both sides were 
 keeping up a continuous roar. Our boys, with 
 about forty pieces in our front, were centring the 
 fire on Kenesaw Mountain, and the Johnnies were 
 making us keep behind our works also. A shell, 
 which was thrown from the top of Kenesaw, 
 dropped about two feet from Tom McGuire's 
 tent, of Company D, while he was inside sleep- 
 ing. It worked its way underneath him and 
 exploded, throwing him and tent eight or ten 
 feet in the air. Strange to say, Tom was more 
 scared than hurt. 
 
 June 22 : Weather very hot. The rebs shelled 
 our camp all day, but fortunately no one was hurt. 
 In the evening we had orders to move to the 
 right. The night being clear and not a cloud in 
 the sky, and a full moon shining, it would have 
 been very easy for the rebels on Kenesaw to see 
 the glistening of our guns as we marched in 
 the rear of our works. So Colonel Bishop gave 
 orders to carry the gun-barrels down and under 
 the overcoats or blankets, and to make no noise. 
 We thus made the march of nearly a mile right 
 under the guns of Kenesaw in silence and safety. 
 But the commander of the troops we were to 
 relieve made so much noise in getting his men 
 awake and into line as to attract the enemy's 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 121 
 
 attention, and he opened a big gun on us while 
 standing exposed and waiting for the breastworks 
 to be vacated. The flash of the gun was like 
 the full moon, and an instant later the big shell 
 burst at the head of the regiment and killed our 
 sergeant-major and terribly wounded four other 
 men of Company F, — Thornton Harris, Ains- 
 worth, Laviscount, and Mattin. Colonel Bishop 
 promptly advanced the regiment into the breast- 
 works while the troops relieved got out of the 
 way without any more ceremony. Sergeant- 
 Major Wheeler was one of the non-veterans, and 
 had he lived three hours longer would have gone 
 with the others to the rear for his discharge. The 
 enemy kept up the cannonade for several hours, 
 but did not injure any more men in our regi- 
 ment. 
 
 June 23: Colonel George and our seventy 
 non-veterans left us for Chattanooga, where they 
 were mustered out, their three years having 
 expired. 
 
 June 24 : We heard very heavy artillery firing 
 from both sides, but we were so well protected 
 by our works that we had no casualties. 
 
 June 25: One of our shells struck a rebel 
 caisson on our front and exploded it. At the 
 sight of this, our boys sent up cheer after cheer, 
 until the rebels drove us under cover again. 
 From June 25 until July 3 we lay in the works 
 
122 ^ DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 in front of Kenesaw Mountain, and during this 
 time there had been an unceasing roar of 
 artillery. Davis's division charged dearborn's 
 division of the rebel army, with heavy loss. 
 The weather had been very hot for two weeks. 
 We received eighty-four drafted men from Min- 
 nesota. On July 3 the Confederates evacuated 
 their works in our front, and as soon as it was 
 discovered we were ordered in pursuit. We fol- 
 lowed them eight miles, and on July 4 were 
 ordered back to Marietta as provost guard. We 
 marched five miles and encamped on Ex-Gov- 
 ernor McDonald's place. This was the eighteenth 
 anniversary of my birthday. We remained at 
 this camp until the morning of July 13, when 
 we returned to the division in front of Atlanta. 
 
 July 14 : In camp and everything quiet. We 
 received another batch of ninety-eight conscripts. 
 The weather was fearfully hot. 
 
 July 15 : We marched back to Marietta and 
 went into camp in a grove of locust-trees in the 
 heart of the city. 16th : General Bishop took 
 command of the post, and Colonel Uline acted 
 as provost marshal. We were living very well, 
 with plenty of rations, and the country was full 
 of blackberries. It was Frederick the Great, 
 I believe, who said that " an army, like a ser- 
 pent, goes on its belly," which was but another 
 way of saying that, if you want men to fight 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 123 
 
 well you must feed them well. Of provisions 
 Uncle Sam usually gave us a sufficiency, but 
 the table had little variety and fewer delica- 
 cies. On first entering the service the drawing 
 of our rations was not a small undertaking, for 
 there were nearly a hundred of us in the com- 
 pany, and it took a considerable weight of 
 bread and pork to feed a hundred hungry 
 stomachs. But after we had been in the field 
 a year or two the call, " Fall in for your hard- 
 tack !" was leisurely responded to by only about 
 a dozen men, — lean, sinewy, hungry-looking fel- 
 lows, each with his haversack in hand. They 
 would squat around a gum blanket, spread on 
 the ground, on which was a small heap of sugar, 
 another of coffee, another of rice, maybe, which 
 the corporal was dealing out by successive spoon- 
 fuls. They held open their little black bags to 
 receive their portion, while near by lay a small 
 piece of pork or beef, or possibly a small amount 
 of desiccated vegetables. Much depended, of 
 course, on the cooking of the provisions fur- 
 nished us. At first we tried a company cook, 
 but we soon learned the saying of Miles Stand- 
 ish,-^" If you wish a thing to be done well you 
 must do it yourself; if not, you must leave it to 
 others." This applies to cooking quite as well as 
 to courting. We, therefore, soon dispensed with 
 our cook, although scarcely any of us knew how 
 
124 ^ DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 to cook as mucli as a cup of coffee. When we 
 took the field, a keen appetite, aided by that 
 " necessity" which is ever the mother of inven- 
 tion, soon taught us how to make bean soup and 
 hard-tack, — prepared " hard-tack." It is a ques- 
 tion I have much debated with myself, while 
 writing this diary, whether this chapter should 
 not be entitled " hard-tack," as this article of 
 diet was the grand staff of life to the boys in 
 blue. It would seem that but little could be 
 said of the culinary art in camp without involv- 
 ing some mention of hard-tack at almost every 
 turn. If you take a hard-tack in your hand, 
 you will find it somewhat heavier than an ordi- 
 nary biscuit, but if you will reduce it to a 
 fine powder you will find that it will absorb 
 considerably more water than an equal weight 
 of wheat flour; showing that in making hard- 
 tack the chief object in view was to stow away 
 the greatest amount of nourishment in the small- 
 est amount of space. I also observed that hard- 
 tack was very hard. This I attributed to its great 
 age, for there was a common belief among the 
 boys that our hard-tack had been baked long 
 before the beginning of the Christian era. This 
 opinion was based upon the fact that the letters 
 " B.C." were stamped on many, if not, indeed, 
 all the cracker-boxes. To be sure, there were 
 some wiseacres who shook their heads and 
 
A DBUMMEB BOY'S DIARY. 125 
 
 maintained that these mysterious letters were the 
 initials of the name of some army contractor 
 or inspector of supplies; but the belief was 
 widespread and deep-seated that they were with- 
 out a doubt intended to set forth the era in 
 which our bread had been baked. 
 
 Our hard-tack were very hard. We could 
 scarcely break them with our teeth. Some we 
 could scarcely fracture with our fist. Still, as 
 I have said, there was an immense amount of 
 nourishment stowed away in them, as we soon 
 discovered when once we had learned the secret 
 of getting at it. It required some experience and 
 no little hunger to enable one to appreciate hard- 
 tack rightly, and it demanded no small amount of 
 inventive genius to understand how to cook hard- 
 tack as they ought to be cooked. If I remember 
 correctly, in our section of the army we had fif- 
 teen different ways of preparing th&m. In other 
 parts, I understood, they had discovered one or 
 two ways more, but with us fifteen was the limit 
 of the culinary art. When this article of diet 
 was on board, on the march they were usually 
 not cooked at all, but eaten in the raw state. In 
 order, however, to make them somewhat more 
 palatable, a thin slice of nice fat pork was cut 
 down and laid on the cracker, and a spoonful of 
 good brown sugar put on top of the pork, and 
 
 we had a dish fit for a soldier. Of course, the 
 
 11* 
 
126 -4 DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 pork was raw and had just come out of the 
 pickle. When we halted for coffee we some- 
 times had fricasseed hard-tack, prepared by 
 toasting them before the hot coals, thus making 
 them soft and spongy. 
 
 If there was time for frying, we either dropped 
 them into the fat in the dry state and did them 
 brown to a turn, or soaked them in cold water 
 and then fried them, or pounded them to a pow- 
 der, mixed this with boiled rice, and made grid- 
 dle-cakes and honey, — minus the honey. 
 
 When, as was generally the case on a march, 
 our hard-tack was broken into small pieces in our 
 haversacks, we soaked these in water and fried 
 them in pork fat, stirring well and seasoning 
 with salt and pepper, thus making what was 
 commonly called a "hell-fired stew." But the 
 great triumph of the culinary art in camp, to my 
 mind, was " hard-tack pudding." This was made 
 by placing the biscuit in a stout canvas bag, and 
 pounding bag and contents with a club on a log 
 until the biscuits were reduced to a fine powder ; 
 then we added a little wheat flour, if we had it, 
 — ^the more the better, — ^^and made a stiff dough, 
 which we next rolled out on a cracker-box lid, 
 like a pie-crust ; then we covered this all over with 
 a preparation of stewed dried apples, dropping 
 in here and there a raisin or two just for " Auld 
 Lang Syne's" sake, rolled and wrapped it in 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 127 
 
 a cloth, boiled it for an hour or so, and ate it 
 with wine sauce. The wine was usually omitted 
 and hunger inserted in its stead. Thus we saw 
 what truly vast and unsuspected possibilities 
 resided in this innocent-looking, three and a half 
 inch square hard-tack. Three made a meal and 
 nine were a ration, and this was what fought the 
 battles for the Union. 
 
 The army hard-tack had biit one rival, and 
 that was the army bean, — a small, white, round- 
 ish soup-bean. It was quite innocent-looking, as 
 was its inseparable companion, the hard-tack, 
 and, like it, was possessed of possibilities vwhich 
 the uninitiated would never suspect. 
 
 It was not so plastic an edible as the hard-tack ; 
 nor susceptible of so wide a range of use, but 
 the one great dish which might be made of it 
 was so pre-eminently excellent that it threw 
 "Hell fired stew" and "Hard-tack pudding" 
 quite into the shade. This was baked beans. 
 No doubt bean-soup is very good, as it is also 
 very common. But, oh, baked beans! I had 
 heard of the dish before, but never had remotely 
 imagined what toothsome delights lurked in the 
 recesses of a camp-kettle of beans, baked after 
 the orthodox, backwoods fashion, until one day 
 Bni Hunter, of K Company, whose home was in 
 the lumber regions, where the dish had no doubt 
 been first invented, said to me, " Come around to 
 
128 ^ I>R VMMER-BO Y'S DIAR Y. 
 
 our tent to-morrow morning ; we're going to have 
 baked beans for breakfast. If you will walk 
 around to the lower end of our company tent 
 street with me, I will show you how we bake 
 beans up in the country I came from." 
 
 It was about three o'clock in the affernoon, 
 and the boys were already busy. They had an 
 enormous camp-kettle about two-thirds full of 
 parboiled beans. Near by they had dug a hole 
 in the ground about three feet square and two 
 deep, in and on top of which a great fire was to 
 be made about dusk, so as to get the hole thor- 
 oughly heated and full of red-hot coals by the 
 time tattoo sounded. Into this hole the camp- 
 kettle was then set, with several pounds of fat 
 pork on top of the beans, and securely covered 
 with an inverted mess-pan. It was sunk into 
 the red hot coals, by which it was completely 
 concealed, and was left there all night to bake, 
 one of the camp-guards throwing a log on the 
 fire from time to time to keep matters going. 
 
 Early the next morning some one shook me 
 roughly as I lay sleeping soundly in my tent : 
 "Get up, Billy! breakfast is ready. Come to 
 our tent. If you never ate baked beans before, 
 you never ate anything worth eating." I found 
 three or four of the boys seated around the camp- 
 kettle, each with a tin plate on his knee and a 
 spoon in his hand, doing their very best to ee- 
 
A DRVMMEB-B0T8 DtABY. 129 
 
 tablish the truth of the old adage, " The proof 
 of the pudding is in the eating." Now, it is a 
 far more dijficult matter to describe the expe- 
 rience of the palate' than of either the eye or the 
 ear, and therefore I shall not attempt to tell how 
 very good baked beaas are. 
 
 The only trouble with a camp-kettle full of 
 the delicious food was that it was gone too soon. 
 Where did it get4;0, anyhow ? It was something 
 like Mike Dalton's quart of drink,^-an irrational 
 quantity, because it was too much for one and 
 too little for two. 
 
 Still, too much of a good thing is too much, 
 and one might get quite tpo much of beans (ex- 
 cept in the state above described) ; however, I 
 resolved, then and there, that if I should be for- 
 tunate enough to return home with good health, 
 I would, if I ever had any, teach my children to 
 sing the refrain to the tune sometimes called 
 " Aunt Ehody," and to pull up sharp on the last 
 
 word, — 
 
 " Beans for breakfast, 
 Beans for dinner, 
 Beans for supper. 
 Beans, heans, beans !" 
 
 July 17 : Very, hot. There was considerable 
 dissatisfaction among the band boys* They 
 thought that Colonel Bishop was not treating 
 them exactly right by compelling them to do 
 
130 ^ DBVMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 police duty. They said that the time occupied 
 in cleaning up the camp ought to be put in by 
 practising, and there was some talk of them re- 
 turning to their companies. The colonel in re- 
 turn said that the entire regiment was on picket 
 and guard duty every day, and the men must 
 have rest ; therefore the band, having no guard 
 duty to do and no dress parades, should at least 
 help out by doing police duty every afternoon 
 to relieve the men who had been on duty all 
 night. We concluded not to go back to our 
 companies. 
 
 July 18 to 23 : We remained in camp doing 
 police duty, but no rehearsing. We heard that 
 General McPherson had been killed in front of 
 Atlanta. 
 
 Sunday, July 24 : Attended church in a body 
 in the morning. Dress parade in the evening. 
 On the 25th, at 11 a.m., the regiment went to 
 Chattanooga as guard to eleven hundred prison- 
 ers. 26th and 27th : Very quiet in camp, as the 
 regiment was still absent. We heard the distant 
 boom of cannon at Atlanta all day, which re- 
 minded us that there must be considerable activity 
 in front. We knew that with Sherman in com- 
 mand the army was not liable to fall asleep or lie 
 inactive. 
 
 July 28: Eegiment returned from Chatta- 
 nooga. Band serenaded General Joe Hooker. 
 
A DRUMMEM-BOt'8 DIARY. 1^1 
 
 He departed for Washington the next day 
 under orders to report to the commander-in- 
 chief. We remained in Marietta until August 
 19, and enjoyed ourselves as we did not expect 
 to again. 
 
 Considering that the troops in the front had 
 been under fire every day, while we were com- 
 paratively out of all danger, we had made some 
 considerable improvement among our drafted 
 men in drilling and the manual of arms. The 
 regiment was in splendid condition, and were 
 prepared to undertake and make a vigorous 
 campaign against the enemy. On the 19th we 
 marched twelve miles to the Chattahoochee River 
 and encamped. 
 
 August 20 : Marched fourteen miles in front 
 of Atlanta and joined the brigade in the breast- 
 works. The rebel breastworks were about one 
 hundred yards distant, and the men were in 
 plain sight. 
 
 Sunday, August 21 : Warm ^nd pleasant. 
 We remained in camp with everything quiet 
 along the line. During the day we heard the 
 distant boom of artillery on our extreme left 
 wing. We had lain in the trenches in front of 
 Atlanta, under fire every day, from the 22d to 
 the 25th, when we got orders to march at twelve 
 -o'clock midnight. 
 
 August 26 : We broke camp at the hour named, 
 
132 ^ DRUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 under orders to march as quietly as possible, and 
 not to make any unnecessary noise. The officers 
 sent all of their extra baggage to the rear. 27th : 
 Weather very hot. We marched seven miles 
 and countermarched, then halted and built breast- 
 works. The enemy was following us. We lay 
 in the edge of a piece of timber. We could dis- 
 tinctly see their wagons, and dense clouds of dust 
 rose over the woods as the rebel troops marched 
 southward. , 
 
 Sunday, August 28 : We marched at 5.30 A.M. 
 southward in the direction of the Macon and 
 Atlanta Kailroad and encamped six miles north 
 of it. 
 
 August 29: The Second Division of our 
 corps destroyed a portion of the Montgomery 
 and Atlanta Kailroad. 30th: Very hot. We 
 marched eleven miles. We were now south of 
 Atlanta, and expected an engagement every day. 
 Things were looking as though Sherman was 
 getting the enemy cornered. 31st: Weather 
 very hot. We marched to the front and drove 
 the Confederates over the railroad. Heavy can- 
 nonading on our right. 
 
 September 1 : Weather very hot. About 4 
 P.M. General Davis assaulted the enemy's lines in 
 our front, sweeping all before him and capturing 
 the -greater part of Goven's brigade, including 
 its commander. The troops on our right had 
 
A. DBUMMER-BOY'8 DIARY. 133 
 
 been heavily engaged ; and thus ended the battle 
 of Jonesboro'. 
 
 At 2 A.M. on the morning of September 2 the 
 sound of heavy cannonading was heard from the 
 direction of Atlanta, twenty miles distant, indi- 
 cating the evacuation of that place by General 
 Hood. Without regarding these tokens, Sher- 
 man pressed on the next morning in pursuit of 
 Hardee, but found it impossible to intercept his 
 retreat. 
 
 We heard that the Twentieth Corps (Slocum's) 
 had entered Atlanta and was in possession. Our 
 corps remained and buried the dead and took 
 care of the wounded. 
 
 September 3: Weather fine until midnight, 
 when it commenced to rain and continued through 
 the night and during the next day. We could 
 still hear the boom of artillery in front. We 
 remained here until the 7th, when we marched 
 nine miles in the direction of Atlanta and en- 
 camped in a large cotton-field. 
 
 September 8 : We marched nine miles, within 
 two miles of Atlanta. We found that the rebels 
 had this place very heavily fortified. 9th: 
 Weather fine. Went to town on a pass. The 
 destruction in the city was terrible. Our shells 
 played havoc in the principal part of the city, 
 and it was riddled up fearfully. 10th : Weather 
 hot. Remained in camp all day. We heard 
 
 .12 
 
134 ^ DRUMMEB-BOY'S BU.RY. 
 
 the joyful tidinga of the death of John Morgan, 
 the rebel guerilla. From September 11 to Oc- 
 tober 3 we remained in this camp and had bat- 
 talion and regimental drill every day. 
 
 On the 15th of September, E. G. Rhoades 
 started for Cincinnati, to purchase a new set of 
 band instruments. He had a twenty-days' fur- 
 lough. We heard all sorts of rumors, — that 
 Hood was in our rear marching into Nashville, 
 and again that he was marching oa to Louis- 
 ville ; and each one created more or less excite- 
 ment, until the next was reported. 
 
 October 1 : Colonel Bishop left us for Minne- 
 sota with a requisition from General Thomas for 
 men to fill up the regiment, leaving Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Uline in command. 
 
 On October 3 we broke camp and marched 
 eight miles towards the Chattahoochee River, 
 and lay over in the woods all night, the rain 
 pouring down in torrents. 
 
 October 4 : At daybreak, wet and hungry, we 
 resumed our march. We accomplished ten miles 
 and crossed the Chattahoochee River. There 
 were a great many stragglers, the men having 
 had no rest at night ; and the intense heat 
 caused them to become weary and tired. 
 
 October 5: Weather overcast and cloudy. 
 Marched fifteen miles, to Kenesaw Mountain, 
 and went into camp at 9 p.m. It rained all night. 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 135 
 
 October 6: Rainy and disagreeable all fore- 
 noon, but in the afternoon it turned out clear 
 and warm. Marched six miles. We had had no 
 meat for four days, and the usual amouut of 
 grumbling was heard on all sides. 
 
 October 7 : Weather pleasant. Our division 
 was ordered to reconnoitre north of Lost Moun- 
 tain. K Company skirmished with the John- 
 nies a short time during the day. We marched 
 fifteen miles. 
 
 October 8: Cold and windy. Lay in camp 
 until 4 P.M., then marched towards Ackworth, 
 eight miles. We here got our first news of the 
 battle of Altoona. 
 
 October 9: We remained in camp all day. 
 Weather very cold. We tried to ruminate in 
 our minds what the matter was. Last month 
 we were fighting facing south; now we had the 
 rebel army between us and Nashville, and again 
 faced back north. We could not conceive what 
 was the matter with Sherman ? 
 
 October 10 : Remained in camp until 4 p.m., 
 then broke camp and marched all night, passing 
 over the battle-field of Altoona Heights. Here we 
 found the Fourth Minnesota Regiment, who took 
 a conspicuous part in the fight. We stopped 
 for a short time and drank a cup of coffee, which 
 the boys of the Fourth made for us, for which 
 we returned our heart-felt thanks. We resumed 
 
136 ^ PRVMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 our march until daylight, having marched fifteen 
 miles. 
 
 October 11 : Weather fine. We marched thir- 
 teen miles to Kingston, Ga., and went into 
 camp. 
 
 October 13 : Very hot. Remained in camp 
 during the heat of the day, and at 7 p.m. broke 
 camp and were on the road all night, making 
 only ten miles. 
 
 October 14: Weather cool. We marched 
 twenty miles to Resaca and encamped on the 
 Etowah River. 
 
 October 15 : Weather pleasant. We marched 
 eight miles, climbed the Rocky-Faced Mountain, 
 and encamped on top. 16th : Weather very 
 -pleasant. We marched down the north side of 
 the mountain, through Snake Creek Gap, and 
 encamped near Taylor's Ridge. 17th: Lay in 
 camp all day, and sent back extra baggage, 
 18th : Weather pleasant. Marched sixteen^miles, 
 passing over Taylor's Ridge. 19th: Weather 
 pleasant. We crossed the Chattanooga River. 
 Marched eight miles. 20th : Weather pleasant. 
 Passed through Somerville and encamped near 
 Gailsville, Ga., on the Coosa River. 21st: 
 Weather pleasant.' Remained in camp until 3 
 P.M., after which our brigade was ordered to 
 Gailsville for duty. 22d: Very cool all day. 
 Men were detailed to run the grist-mill, to grind 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. I37 
 
 corn for meal; and others to repair the bridge 
 over the Coosa Eiver. 
 
 Sunday, October 23 : Weather pleasant. Ke- 
 mained in camp, repairing our clothing and doing 
 some washing. 
 
 October 24 : Weather warm and pleasant, I 
 
 went out foraging and had quite a little adventure. 
 
 About ten o'clock I found myself about six miles 
 
 from camp, on the Coosa River, and, seeing some 
 
 citrons in a field close to the river bank, I went 
 
 to look at them. I was examining one of them 
 
 when I heard the reports of two guns and the 
 
 zip, zip of the bullets close to me. On looking 
 
 over the river I saw two rebel cavalrymen near a 
 
 corn-fodder stack, and it took me but a moment 
 
 to make myself scarce in that locality. About 
 
 sixty yards distant was a deep ravine, which was 
 
 covered with a canebrake. Towards this I made 
 
 my way in double-quick time. In the mean time 
 
 they fired two more shots, which whistled in close 
 
 proximity. After reaching the cover of the 
 
 ravine I followed it up to the head and came out 
 
 in a farm-yard, where I found four boys of the 
 
 Eighty-third Illinois. To them I related my 
 
 adventure, and they proposed to go back and 
 
 stir the rebs up a little. I went back the route 
 
 I had taken in my retreat, and as we reached 
 
 the brow of the ravine, we saw that two more 
 
 men had joined the former two that fired at me. 
 
 12* 
 
138 4 DRUMMEE-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 My comrades had repeating rifles, and they im- 
 mediately opened up on them ; but, being so 
 excited, they fired wild. We had the satisfaction, 
 however, of seeing them mount their horses and 
 gallop away, while my friends continued to grind 
 out shot after shot at them, while I, unarmed, was 
 a quiet spectator of the fusilade. The Johnnies 
 showed some very fine generalship in their retreat. 
 While our boys were firing at them they kept the 
 fodder-stack between themselves and us, which 
 saved them from being killed. 
 
 October 25 : Weather fine. A large foraging 
 party was sent out, and returned late in the even- 
 ing with plenty of pork, beef, and corn-meal.. 
 26th and 27th : It rained most of the time, which 
 kept the boys in their little shelter-tents. 
 
 Immediately in front of our camp was the 
 head-quarters of General Sherman, whom we 
 saw at all hours of the day and night, marching 
 back and forth in front of his tent, with his head 
 bowed, chin on his breast, and his arms locked 
 behind him. That night he made the rounds all 
 night with the guard in front of his tent, occa- 
 sionally stopping in front of the fire to talk a 
 moment with him, then resuming his steady 
 march. I had no doubt but that he was plan- 
 ning some campaign that would surprise the 
 natives. 
 
 October 28: Weather clear and cool. As 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. I39 
 
 expected, we received orders to marcli the next 
 day at 4 a.m. 
 
 October 29 : Weather pleasant. We moved at 
 the appointed time, and marched south all day. 
 Made twenty miles and encamped. 
 
 October 30 : Weather cool. We marched six 
 miles to Rome, Ga., and encamped on the Ooste- 
 naula Eiver. I received my new drum from 
 Cincinnati, and was much pleased with it, and 
 determined to make it lively for the boys. 
 
 October 31 : Warm and pleasant. We were 
 mustered for pay. Received a large mail for the 
 regiment. 
 
 November 1 : Pleasant and warm. We had 
 orders to wash up all blankets and clothing. In 
 the afternoon we received two months' pay. 
 
 November 2 : Cold rain all day. We marched 
 thirteen miles to Kingston, Ga., where we ex- 
 pected to find Rhoades, and were much disap- 
 pointed in finding that he had not arrived. 3d : 
 Raining all day. Rhoades, our band-master, ar- 
 rived with the new instruments. 4th : Raw, cold 
 wind. The boys tried their new instruments and 
 were highly pleased with them- 5th : Cold 
 and cloudy. Ripley and Mart. Smith arrived 
 from Chattanooga. 6th: Rainy and disagree- 
 able. Lay in the tents all day. 7th : We made 
 our first appearance with our new silver instru- 
 ments and created quite a furor. 
 
140 ^ DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 November 8 : This was election-day for Presi- 
 dent, the proudest day of my life. I was eigh- 
 teen years and four months old, and cast my 
 first ballot, which was for Abraham Lincoln. 
 Our company cast thirty-five ballots, all for 
 Lincoln. The McClellan men were scarce in 
 our regiment. 
 
 November 9 : Gool and disagreeable. On the 
 11th, Colonel Bishop rejoined us with eighty- 
 eight recruits, which were immediately distrib- 
 uted to the several companies. 12th : Weather 
 pleasant. Marched sixteen miles. 
 
 Sunday, November 13 : Marched eighteen 
 miles and tore up three miles of the Atlanta 
 and Chattanooga Railroad. 14th : Marched 
 twenty-five miles from Big Shanty to Chatta- 
 hoochee River. 
 
 November 15 : Weather cloudy, but warm 
 and pleasant. Marched nine miles to Atlanta, 
 and at night we destroyed the city by fire. A 
 grand and awful spectacle it presented to the 
 beholder. By order, the chief engineer had 
 destroyed by powder and fire all the store- 
 houses, depot-i)uildings, and machine-shops. 
 The heaven was one expanse of lurid fire ; the 
 air was filled with flying burning cinders. 
 Buildings, covering two hundred acres were in 
 ruins or in flames ; every instant there was the 
 sharp detonation of the smothered, booming 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. \^\ 
 
 sound of exploding shells and powder concealed 
 in the buildings, and then the sparks and flames 
 would shoot up into the black and red roof, 
 scattering cinders far and wide. 
 
 These were the machine-shops where had 
 been forged and cast the rebel cannon, shot, and 
 shells that had carried death to many a brave 
 defender of our nation's honor. 
 
 The warehouses had been the receptacles of 
 munitions of war, stored there to be used for our 
 destruction. 
 
 This city, next to Richmond, furnished more 
 material for prosecuting the war than any other 
 in the South. 
 
 A brigade of Massachusetts soldiers were the 
 only troops then left in the town ; they were the 
 last to leave it. That night I heard the really 
 fine band of the Thirty-third Massachusetts 
 playing " John Brown's soul goes marching on" 
 by the light of the burning building. I never 
 heard that noble anthem when it was so grand, 
 so solemn, and so inspiring. 
 
 November 16: Warm and pleasant. "We 
 marched sixteen miles towards Augusta, Ga., 
 through a country that seemed to have raised 
 nothing but cotton. It looked worn out; the 
 fences were down and the buildings in a more 
 or less dilapidated condition. 17th: Hot. We 
 marched eighteen miles. Destroyed a large 
 
142 ^ BBVMMER-BOY'S DIABY. 
 
 section of the Atlanta and Augusta Railroad. 
 Passed through a much finer country than on 
 the previous day. 
 
 November 18 : Warm. Our division tore up 
 several miles of railroad. Passed through the 
 village of Covington, Ga. 19th : Rainy and 
 cloudy all day. Marched twelve miles. 20th : 
 Weather fine. Marched through some very 
 beautiful country, leaving fifteen miles behind 
 us. 21st: Marched steadily all day until 10 
 P.M., covering twenty miles. Weather warm 
 and pleasant. The army foraged on the country 
 during our march. To this end each brigade 
 commander organized a good and sufficient forag- 
 ing party,— we called them " Bummers," — under 
 the command of one or more discreet officers, 
 who gathered near the route travelled corn or 
 forage of any kind, meat of all kinds, vegeta- 
 bles, corn-meal, or whatever was needed by the 
 command. Preserves and sweet-meats were also 
 not refused. Their aim was at all times to 
 keep in the wagon-trains at least ten days' ra- 
 tions for the command and three days' forage. 
 Soldiers were ordered not to enter the dwell- 
 ings of the inhabitants or commit any trespass. 
 During a halt or while in camp we were per- 
 mitted to gather turnips, sweet-potatoes, yams, 
 and other vegetables, and drive in to our camps 
 all stock we found. To the regular foraging 
 
A DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY, 143 
 
 parties was intrusted the gathering of provi- 
 sions and forage at any distance from the road 
 travelled. 
 
 November 21 : Marched twenty miles, en- 
 camping at midnight. 22d : Warm and pleas- 
 ant. Marched fifteen miles. 23d : Marched ten 
 miles to Milledgeville, the capital of Georgia. 
 A few days before our arrival at Milledgeville 
 the State Legislature, then assembled at the cap- 
 itol, had hurriedly absconded on hearing of 
 Sherman's approach. The panic seemed to have 
 spread to the citizens, and the trains out of Mil- 
 ledgeville were crowded to overflowing ; and at 
 the most extravagant prices. Private vehicles 
 were pressed into service by the fugitives. Only 
 a few of us entered the city. The magazines, 
 arsenals, depots, factories, and storehouses con- 
 taining property belonging to ,the Confederate 
 government were burned; also some seventeen 
 hundred bales of cotton. Private dwellings were 
 respected, and no instance occurred of pillage 
 or of insult to the people. General Sherman 
 occupied the executive mansion of Governor 
 Brown, who had not waited to receive the com- 
 pliments of his distinguished visitor, but had 
 removed his furniture, taking good care, the 
 darkies say, to ship even his cabbage. 
 
 November 24: The army moved over the 
 Oconee Eiver. Our division remained as rear 
 
144 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 guard. Weatlier warm during the day, but the 
 nights were very cold. 
 
 November 25 : Left the city at 9 a.m. Burnt 
 the bridge over the river at this place. Marched 
 sixteen miles, crossing the Oconee River. We 
 lost poor Simmers, the drummer of Company G, 
 during the night. The poor fellow, being unable 
 to keep up, lay down somewhere along the road, 
 and was captured by the cavalry that were fol^ 
 flowing us up. I took his blanket and drum to 
 relieve him, but he was too fatigued to follow, 
 saying to me, "Oh, let me rest; let me sleep a 
 short time, then I will follow on." I tried to 
 keep him under my eye all the time, but he 
 finally eluded me, and when we again stopped for 
 a short rest he was not to be found, and by that 
 time was most likely a prisoner. I pitied the 
 poor fellow. I was afraid he would never live to 
 return home. 
 
 November 26 : "Warm and pleasant. Marched 
 sixteen miles, passing through Sandersville. 
 27th: During the day it was very warm, but 
 the nights were very cold. We crossed the 
 Ogeechee River, having marched sixteen miles. 
 28th: Weather pleasant. We marched six 
 miles, recrossing the Ogeechee, and destroyed 
 the small village of Louisville, Ga. 29th: 
 Weather warm and pleasant. Remained in 
 camp all day, 30th : Very hot. Heavy firing 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 145 
 
 in front. We moved camp a short distance to 
 the front. 
 
 December 1: Skirmished with the rebs all 
 day, driving them six mUes. 2d : Weather very 
 hot. We marched twelve miles, skirmishing 
 most of the day. 3d: Marched eight miles, 
 being compelled to skirmish every foot we 
 gained. Destroyed some railroad. Sunday, 
 December 4: We acted as support to General 
 Kilpatrick's division of cavalry, who drove the 
 enemy through Swainsboro'. Marched twenty 
 miles. 5th: After having marched eastward 
 for two days, we turned and marched due south 
 eighteen miles through a poor sandy country. 
 6th: Marched fifteen miles through heavy, 
 dense forests, some trees towering up to a 
 height of a hundred feet. 7th: Disagreeable 
 and cold rain all day. Marched fourteen miles. 
 8th : Hot. Marched twenty miles. 9th : Warm 
 and pleasant. Marched eight miles. Did con- 
 siderable skirmishing. One man in K Com- 
 pany was wounded. 10th: Pleasant. We 
 marched six miles, destroying some of the 
 Charleston and Savannah Railroad. 
 
 Sunday, December 10 : We marched but two 
 miles, stopping to tear up a small section of rail- 
 road. We also attempted to destroy a trestle- 
 work that led over the rice-fields to the Savan- 
 nah River, but a rebel gunboat made it too 
 
 oft 13 
 
146 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 unpleasant for us, so we had to give up that job. 
 Here is where we first saw the process of thresh- 
 ing, hulling, and cleaning rice, a mill being close 
 to where we were at work. 
 
 Colonel Bishop gave orders that the men 
 should not leave or go one hundred yards from 
 the stacks, as it was expected that the woods 
 in the near vicinity was a cover for the rebel 
 cavalry, who had been following us, gobbling up 
 our stragglers who had wandered too far away 
 from the main body. 
 
 Not thinking that this order included me, and 
 not having to work on the railroad track, I 
 thought I would go out on a little foraging 
 expedition of my own while the regiment was 
 destroying the railroad. 
 
 I went about a mile and a half, and came to a 
 very fine plantation, where the white folks had 
 all run ofij leaving nobody at home but an old 
 negro couple, and I was the first Union soldier 
 they had seen. After I told them that they 
 were now free and could go where they wished, 
 and that I was one of " Massa Lincum's" soldiers, 
 their joy knew no bounds. Nothing was too 
 good for me; but knowing that my time was 
 necessarily short, I told them I wanted some- 
 thing to eat. The old darky proceeded to the 
 garden and dug about a peck of yams, and the 
 old lady went to the barn and got me about two 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. I47 
 
 dozen eggs. She also gave me a piece of bacon. 
 I thanked them kindly and started back to the 
 camp. In passing by the barn, I noticed two 
 nice fat cows, and said to myself, " If Sam Bow- 
 ler only had them to kill for the regiment!" 
 Sam was our commissary. 
 
 In a short time I arrived in sight of the regi- 
 ment, and carefully looked up and down the line 
 to see that the colonel was nowhere near. Not 
 seeing him, I marched up to about where our left 
 flank would be and tried to get around on the 
 other side of the track where the band boys were ; 
 but what was my surprise when I ran right onto 
 the colonel, sitting down behind a pile of railroad- 
 ties. I came up to within ten feet of him. 
 
 He looked at me and saw that I had a rubber 
 blanket over my shoulder with something in it, 
 and asked, " What have you got in your blanket ?" 
 I answered, " Potatoes." " What have you got 
 in your handkerchief?" "Eggs," I replied. 
 "Where did you get them?" he again asked. 
 " Oh," said I, " about two hundred yards from 
 here." "Is that so?" said he. "That's so," 
 said I. " About two hundred yards from here ?" 
 he remarked. I answered with a nice little " Yes, 
 sir," and commenced to tell him about the two 
 nice fat cows that I had seen, hoping he would 
 forget about the potatoes and eggs, but he didn't 
 forget worth a cent. 
 
148 ^ DRUMMEB-BOY'S DIABY. 
 
 He told me he would talk " cows" a little later, 
 and ordered me to put my potatoes and eggs on 
 the ground, and go down on the railroad and 
 go to work tearing up the track. I never got 
 humpbacked from the amount of work I did. I 
 principally kept one eye on the colonel and the 
 other on the potatoes and eggs. 
 
 It was not long before the colonel's cook (Place, 
 I think his name was) came along and gathered 
 up the aforesaid articles. I knew the colonel 
 did not know anything about it ; of course not. 
 Colonels don't eat eggs. I did considerable 
 talking to Place about it ; but he took them all 
 the same, saying, " I can't see potatoes and eggs 
 lying around loose, when I know the colonel is 
 just suffering with hunger." Well, that was 
 the last I saw of the eggs and yams. 
 
 We encamped close by for the night, and it 
 commenced to rain, with thunder and lightning. 
 
 Anybody who has been in the South knows 
 that it is dark at such times. I had just got 
 i^icely curled up in my blanket, in my shelter- 
 tent, when the colonel's orderly came to me and 
 said, " The colonel wants to see you." Throwing 
 my poncho over my head, I proceeded to the 
 colonel's tent, thinking, probably,' he had some 
 difficult military problem he wanted me to solve. 
 But consternation was depicted on my counte- 
 nance when he asked me if I had not told him 
 
A DB UMMEB-B Y'S BIAB Y. I49 
 
 during the day tliat I knew where there were 
 two nice fat cows. I drawled out a mighty long 
 " Yes, sir," after which he said, " You will now 
 report to Lieutenant McCoy, who is officer of the 
 day, and he will take two men besides yourself 
 and bring those cows into camp, and turn them 
 over to Bowler, and tell him to have them killed 
 and issued to the men in the morning, after 
 which you will report to me again." 
 
 I bid the colonel good-night, and, in the dark- 
 ness and rain, hunted up the guard-tent. I 
 found Lieutenant McCoy, gave him my orders, 
 and got a good damning from him for telling the 
 colonel about the cows. We finally got started, 
 and I, as the guide, directed them through the 
 dense pine forest the best I knew how, having 
 been over the road but once before myself. For- 
 tunately, I found the plantation all right, also 
 the cows, but we had no ropes. Now here was 
 a quandary. We had no lantern, and how were 
 we to lead the cows back to camp? In feeling 
 around in the dark, I found an old harness and 
 took the lines out of it, and with these we led 
 them back to camp, but before we got there a sad 
 calamity befell me. 
 
 Suri'ounding the plantation was a wide and 
 deep ditch, over which a bridge was made to raise 
 and lower whenever in use. In going over this, 
 the cow I was leading, being wild, started and 
 
 13* 
 
150 -4 DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 ran diagonally across the bridge, and it being so 
 dark that it was impossible to see your hand 
 before you, every vivid flash of lightning -Would 
 so blind us that for a few moments we were, as it 
 seemed, in inky darkness. 
 
 As the cow ran she dragged me along; but 
 I hung on to her like grim death, and ran off 
 the bridge, falling into the ditch, down at least 
 eight feet. I clung to the bank or side of the 
 ditch the best I could, it being soft and slimy 
 from the rain, until my comrades helped me out. 
 The leather strap with which the cow was tied 
 was wet and slippery, and, of course, I could not 
 hold her. The other cow was held by one of 
 the other boys, who was fortunate enough not to 
 fall off the bridge. She continued to bellow, 
 which kept the one which got loose from getting 
 far away from us. In a short time we had 
 caught her again, and succeeded in arriving in 
 camp without any further mishap. 
 
 I then proceeded to notify Sam Bowler, who 
 by this time was sleeping soundly in his tent. 
 After waking him up and giving him the colo- 
 nel's orders, I received another cursing and 
 damning for telling the colonel about the cows. 
 I waited to see that Sam got up, and then turned 
 our stock over to him,' Afterwards, according to 
 orders, I reported to Colonel Bishop, and in- 
 formed him that we had returned with the cows, 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 151 
 
 The colonel being in bed, rose to a sitting 
 posture and remarked, " Hereafter, when I give 
 the regiment an order, I want you to understand 
 that it includes you as well as any other member 
 of the regiment ; and sending you after the cows 
 you may consider a punishment for your offence." 
 He bid me good-night, and then said, " Go and 
 tell Bowler to give you a piece of the liver." 
 
 I thought at the time that the eggs and yams 
 didn't set well on his stomach, or that they had 
 a bad effect on his liver, " All right, colonel." 
 
 When I gave Bowler the colonel's order about 
 the liver, he said, " Young fellow, you just skip to 
 your tent. The cows Aain't got no liver. These 
 Aare Confederate cows. Nothing but good 
 Union cows 'ave liver. So, now, you skip. 
 You got no business to tell the colonel about 
 those cows, Aand get me Aout Aov my good warm 
 bed to kill 'em." I saw that my worthy En- 
 glish friend was in no mood to talk any more. 
 
 Before retiring I took off all my wet clothes 
 and put on some dry ones, and soon forgot my 
 troubles in a sound and refreshing sleep, only to 
 be awakened on the morning of the 12th by the 
 distant boom of artillery in the direction of the 
 coastj which continued off and on all day. 
 
 The 13th was warm find pleasant. We 
 marched southwest seven miles, and heard 
 heavy firing in the direction of Savannah. 
 
152 ^ DBUMMER-BOTS DlA&Y. 
 
 14tli : Pleasant and warm. Kemained in camp 
 all day. "We were very short of rations. 
 
 December 15 : Moved camp about half a mile 
 towards Savannah. We are now living on plain 
 rice, without salt. We first chopped a trough- 
 like hole in a log, then laid the heads of the rice- 
 sheaves in it, and with a club threshed the grains 
 out; then we rubbed the kernels between our 
 hands to clear it of hulls ; after which we used 
 our lungs for a fanning mill, placing the rice, 
 hulls, sand, and all, in a tin plate and blowing 
 until we had it free from hulls; but the sand 
 gtill remained, and, like the rice, sunk to the 
 bottom and could not be cleaned out ; so we had 
 to cook the rice with the sand in it. 
 
 In eating it we dared not chew it, but swal- 
 lowed it whole. By doing so we did not feel 
 the grit until we got through, then, after rinsing 
 the mouth, we soon forgot that we had been fill- 
 ing up on sand mixed with a little rice. 
 
 December 16: Warm and pleasant. The 
 brigade went out foraging for a three-days' trip. 
 The band remained in camp. 11th to 18th: 
 Quiet in camp. Regiment still absent. 19th : 
 Still comfortably warm. The regiment returned 
 at 4 P.M. very much fatigued. They brought 
 their wagons back all well loaded with forage. 
 20th : Warm and pleasant. Remained in camp. 
 Nothing transpired worthy of note. 
 
A BR UMMEB-BOY'S BIAS, Y. I53 
 
 December 21 : Warm. Hardee evacuated 
 Savannah, leaving all of his artillery, amounting 
 to one hundred and twenty pieces, and seventeen 
 hundred bales of cotton. 
 
 December 22 : Weather cold, with a strong, 
 cutting wind from the coast. We marched six 
 miles to within one mile of Savannah and went 
 into camp. 
 
 December 23 : Weather clear and cold. Went 
 and took a view of the city, and was surprised to 
 see such a beautiful place. The streets were all 
 very wide, particularly Bull Street, which had a 
 beautiful little park at the crossing of every 
 street. It had three walks the full length of the 
 street, — one down through the middle, that 
 passed through the parks, and one on each side. 
 Live-oak-trees shaded the entire street and 
 parks. I noticed in one of the parks a beautiful 
 statue erected to the memory of Count Pulaski, 
 who fell mortally wounded at the siege of this 
 place, October 9, 1779. The residence portion 
 of the city had some very fine and tasty build- 
 ings. The churches and public buildings were 
 also of very fine architecture. Everything in 
 the city indicated wealth and refinement. 
 
 December 24: Rather warmer. As rations 
 were yet very scarce, we were informed that a 
 short distance below Savannah we're several large 
 oyster-beds. A detail of men and two teams 
 
154 -4 DBVMMEM-SOY'S DIARY. 
 
 went down to see if it was possible to procure 
 enough for a Christmas dinner for the regiment. 
 
 On their return we found they had succeeded 
 in filling one wagon-box ; but they were of a 
 very inferior quality. The natives called them 
 the " cluster oyster." There were two to five in 
 one bunch, and hard to get out. So our Christ- 
 mas dinner did not consist of turkey with oygter 
 filling ^nd cranberry sauce. 
 
 What a glorious camp-fire we had that Christ- 
 mas eve of 1864 ! It makes me rub my hands 
 together to think of it. The nights were getting 
 cold and frosty, so that it was impossible to sleep 
 under our little shelter-tents with comfort ; and 
 so, half the night was spent around the blazing 
 fires in front of our tents. 
 
 I always took care that there should be a 
 blazing good fire for our little squad, anyhow. 
 My duties were light and left me time, which I 
 found I could spend with pleasure in swinging 
 an axe. Hickory and white-oak saplings were 
 my favorites, and I had them piled up as high as 
 my head on wooden fire-dogs. What a glorious 
 crackle we had by midnight ! 
 
 We could go out to the fire at any time of 
 night we pleased (and we were pretty sure to go 
 out three or four times a night, for it was too 
 cold to sleep in the tent more than an hour at' a 
 stretch), and we would always find half a dozen 
 

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A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. I55 
 
 of the boys sitting about the fire-logs, smoking 
 their pipes, telling yarns, or singing snatches of 
 old songs. 
 
 Ehoades, Ripley, Chase, and Chamberlain were 
 all good singers. I hoped that we might live to 
 recall those weird night-scenes of army-life, — 
 the blazing fires, the groups of swarthy men that 
 gathered about them in the darkness of the 
 forests, where the lights and shadows danced and 
 played all night long, and the rows of little 
 white tents covered with frost. It looked quite 
 poetical in the retrospect, but I fear it was some- 
 times prosy enough in the reality. 
 
 " If you fellows would stop your everlasting 
 arguing there, and go out and bring in some 
 wood, it would be a good deal better ; for if we 
 don't have a big camp-fire to-night we'll freeze 
 in this snow-storm." 
 
 So saying, Kelsey Chase threw down the butt- 
 end of a pine-sapling, which he had been half- 
 dragging, half-carrying out of the woods in which 
 we were encamped, and, axe in hand, fell to work 
 with a will. 
 
 There was, indeed, some need to follow Kelsey's 
 advice, for it was snowing fast and was getting 
 bitterly cold, the wind coming straight off the 
 coast, which was but a few miles south of the 
 camp. 
 
 It was Christmas ev3e, and' here we were with 
 
156 ^ DBUMMER-SOY'S DIARY. 
 
 no protection but our little shelter-tents pitched on 
 the hard, frozen ground. It was hard to be home- 
 less at this merry season of the year, when folks up 
 North were having such happy times, wasn't it ? 
 But it was wonderful how elastic the spirits of 
 our soldiers were, and how jolly they could be 
 under the most adverse circumstances. 
 
 Chamberlain spoke : " Well, Chase, you hadn't 
 any business to put me out of the mess. That 
 was a mean trick, any way you take it." 
 
 " If we hadn't put you out of our mess, you'd 
 have eaten up all the rations that were issued to 
 the three of us. You are an awful glutton," 
 chimed in Brunner. 
 
 "Say, boys! I move we organize ourselves 
 into a court and try this case," said Billy Sibley/ 
 " They've been arguing and arguing about this 
 thing the whole day, and it's time to take it up and 
 put an end to it. The case is, — let's see, — what'll 
 we call it ? I'm not very good at this legal lingo ; 
 but I suppose if we call it a ' motion to quash a 
 writ of ejectment,' or something of that sorti' 
 we'll be within the lines of the law. Let me now 
 state the case : Chamberlain versus Brunner and 
 Chase. These three, all members of the Second 
 Minnesota, after having lived, messed, and so- 
 journed together peaceably for a year or more, have 
 had of late some disagreement, quarrel, squabble, 
 fracas, or general tearing-out. The result of 
 
A DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. I57 
 
 which said disagreement, quarrel, squabble, etc., 
 etc., has been that the hereinbefore Chamberlain 
 has been thrown out of the mess and left to the ■ 
 cold charities of the camp; and he, the said 
 Chamberlain, now lodges a due and formal com- 
 plaint before this honorable court, presently- 
 sitting on this pile of pine brush, and humbly 
 prays and petitions reinstatement in his just 
 rights and claims, sine qua non, e pluribus unum, 
 pro bono publico ! Silence in the court !" 
 
 To organize ourselves into a court of justice 
 was a matter of a few moments. Vandyke 
 was declared the judge, Wesley Stewart and 
 Mart Smith associates. A jury of six men, good 
 and true, was speedily empanelled. Attorneys, 
 sheriff, and clerk were appointed, and in less 
 time than it takes to narrate it we were seated 
 on piles of pine brush, around a roaring camp- 
 fire, with snow falling fast, trying the celebrated 
 case of "Chamberlain versus Brunner and 
 Chase." And a world of merriment we had out 
 of it, you may well believe. 
 
 When the jury, after having retired for a few 
 mornents behind a pine-tree, brought in a ver- 
 dict for the plaintiff, it was full one o'clock on 
 Christmas morning, and we began to drop off to 
 sleep, some rolling themselves up in their 
 blankets and overcoats and lying down, Indian- 
 feshion, feet to the fire, while others crept off to 
 
 14 
 
158 -4 DBUMMEB-BOY'S BIABY. 
 
 their cold shelter-tents under the snow-laden 
 pine-trees for what poor rest they could find, 
 jocularly wishing each other a " Merry Christ- 
 mas I" 
 
 December 25: Cold and windy. Snow still 
 on the ground ; but in the afternoon it warmed 
 up and commenced to melt, and by night the 
 ground was entirely clear of snow, leaving the 
 ground very muddy. The camp was very quiet. 
 The boys were standing in groups around the 
 fire and discussing the menu of the Christmas 
 dinner. 
 
 December 26 : Cool and cloudy. Received 
 orders to prepare for grand review the next day ; 
 otherwise nothing new occurred. 27th : Weather 
 warm and pleasant. We marched to the city 
 and passed in review before General W. T. 
 Sherman. Regiment returned to camp at 2.30 
 P.M., and immediately went on picket. 28th: 
 Cold and rainy and very disagreeable. We 
 were compelled to remain in our shelter-tents 
 all day. 29th: Warm and pleasant. Rumor' 
 in camp that General Lee had surrendered to 
 General Grant. 
 
 December 30 : Pleasant. The boys were en- 
 gaged in building little log huts, and were put- 
 ting in fireplaces and making improvemients,^ 
 as if they were going to put in the remainder of 
 their term of service here. 
 
A DRVMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. I59 
 
 December 31 : Weather - cold and windy. 
 Eemained in camp and tried to make ourselves 
 as comfortable as possible. Since January 1, 
 1864, we had travelled two thousand six hun- 
 dred and eighty-nine miles. 
 
 January 1, 1865 : Cold, cloudy, and dreary. 
 A long, lank, lean Georgian came into camp, 
 and espied Bob Bailey, our hospital steward, 
 who was rather a diminutive fellow, weighing 
 about ninety or a hundred pounds. After look- 
 ing him all over, he finally approached him, re- 
 marking, — 
 
 " What did they bring you down here for ?" 
 
 " Oh !" replied Bob, " to kill all the Confed- 
 erates I should come across." 
 
 "They did? Well, did you ever kill any- 
 body ?" 
 
 "Oh, yes," said Bob, "lots of 'em,— lots of 
 'em, sir." 
 
 "You don't tell me!" said the Georgian; 
 " and, if I might be pert enough to ask, how do 
 you generally kill them ?" 
 
 "Well," replied Bob, "I never like to tell, 
 because bragging is not in my line ; but I will 
 tell you. You see, I never liked this thing of 
 shooting people. It seemed to me a barbarous 
 business ; and, besides, I was a kind of Quaker, 
 and had conscientious scruples about bearing 
 arms. And so, when the war broke out and I 
 
160 ^ DRVMMER-BOY'S DiABY. 
 
 found I'd have to enter the army, maybe, 
 whether I wanted to or not, I enlisted and got in 
 as pill dispenser, thinking in that position I 
 wouldn't have to kill anybody with a gun, but 
 with blue mass I couldn't help it. But I found 
 that even a hospital steward had to take a hand 
 at killing people ; and the principal way I took 
 for it was this : I always managed to have a good 
 swift horse, and as soon as things would begin to 
 look like fighting and the big guns would begin 
 to boom, why, I'd clap spurs to my horse and 
 make for the rear as fast as ever I could. And 
 then when your people would come after me, 
 they never could catch me; they'd always get 
 out of breath trying to keep up to me; and in 
 that way I've killed hundreds and hundreds of 
 your people, sir, — thousands of them, — and all 
 without powder or ball. They couldn't catch 
 me, and always died for the want of breath 
 trying to get hold of me." 
 
 " "Well," the Georgian remarked, " for a small 
 man, you are the biggest liar I ever saw." 
 
 January 2 : Warm and pleasant. Moved catop 
 half a mile nearer the city. Cleared off the rub- 
 bish and wood from the camp-ground prepar- 
 atory to establishing a new camp. 
 
 January 3: The whole regiment were busily 
 engaged chopping logs and poles with which to 
 erect their little huts. I sprained my back, 
 
A DMUMMER-BOY'S DtAliY. igl 
 
 and was unable to move. The surgeon gave me 
 some liniment, but it did no good. 
 
 From January 4 to the 15th we remained at 
 this camp, drilling and doing camp and police 
 duty. Every other day we visited the city. 
 One evening as a few of the boys were returning 
 from the theatre, I being among them, we passed 
 a fine residence, where there were some ladies in 
 the second-story window, singing the " Bonny 
 Blue Flag" and "Maryland,- My Maryland." 
 We stopped and listened a few mpments, and 
 when they got through, we commenced and sung 
 that grand old anthem, the "Star-Spangled 
 Banner." 
 
 I don't think there ever was such a surprise 
 in that house before. I don't think the " Star- 
 Spangled Banner" ever sounded grander or 
 sweeter than it did that night in the still, dark 
 streets of Savannah, sung by the boys in blue. 
 They raised the window and requested us to sing 
 the " Red, White, and Blue," and the ladies ac- 
 companied us. They thanked us, bid us good- 
 night, and invited us to come down some even- 
 ing and repeat the programme. 
 
 January 15 : Moved camp to the Grand Cen- 
 tral Depot. The regiment was quartered in the 
 main building, and the head^quarters and band 
 occupied the offices. We had very comfortable 
 quarters. We remained here doing provost duty 
 
 I ' 14* 
 
162 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 until January 19, when we were relieved by the 
 Nineteenth New Hampshire Kegiment. 
 
 January 20: We marched eight miles and 
 joined the brigade. Our bugler, Sandine, had 
 been on a toot for some time and was left behind. 
 Colonel Bishop had made several inquiries in re- 
 gard to his absence. The colonel knew his fail- 
 ings, and a reprimand when he returned would 
 be the extent of his punishment. We lay here 
 until the 25th, and it rained during most of the 
 time. The rivers were very high and the low 
 lands all more or less flooded, and if the soil were 
 anything but sand it would be impossible to move 
 the army, as the roads would be impassable. We 
 marched that day nine miles to Springfield and 
 encamped. 
 
 January 27 : Warm and cloudy. We marched 
 two miles on the Sister's Ferry Road. 28th: 
 Warm and pleasant. We marched ten miles 
 north to Millan and Savannah Eailroad and 
 encamped. 
 
 January 29: Sandine succeeded in reaching 
 the regiment, and gave the colonel as an excuse 
 for his absence that he had followed some troops 
 that were crossing the Savannah Eiver on pon- 
 toons at Savannah, and, after marching with 
 them one day, he found that it was part of some 
 other corps. He then retraced his steps to Sa- 
 vannah, where he found that his regiment had 
 
A DRUMMEB-BOY'S DIABY. 163 
 
 gone north on the Sister's Ferry Eoad. After a 
 week's absence he was considerably disfigured, 
 but still able to bring out the clarion notes from 
 his bugle, and was all right again after the " com- 
 missary" had worked out of him. 
 
 January 30: Weather warm and pleasant. 
 The foragers returned to camp with forty-seven 
 head of fine cattle. 
 
 January 31 : Everything quiet in camp. The 
 pontoniers were laying pontoons across the river ; 
 the water being so high, they had considerable 
 difficulty in completing the bridge. 
 
 February 1 to 5: Remained here, waiting 
 for the completion of the pontoons. On the 3d, 
 General Kilpatrick crossed over into South Car- 
 olina with his division of cavalry, and as he went 
 onto the bridge he remarked to one of the offi- 
 cers standing near, " There will be d — n little 
 left for you boys to destroy after I have passed 
 through that hell-hole of secession," pointing to 
 the opposite shore. 
 
 On February 5 we marched with unfurled 
 flags, men cheering, and singing "Tramp, 
 tramp," etc., crossing the Savannah River into 
 South Carolina. Our army did not lack enthu- 
 siasm, and the prospect of a march through 
 South Carolina was one that was exceedingly 
 relished. 
 
 The general feeling of the North towards 
 
164 -4 DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 Charleston may be inferred from General Hal- 
 leck's suggestion to Sherman, — " Should you cap- 
 ture Charleston, I hope that by accident the 
 place may be destroyed ; and if a little salt be 
 sown on its site, it may prevent the growth of 
 future crops of nullification and secession." 
 
 Poor South Carolina! She was sandwiched 
 in between two States who looked upon her as 
 the original source of their past madness and 
 their present trouble. 
 
 February 6 : We were building corduroy 
 roads for the teams to follow us, and we made 
 but slow progress. We encamped at night in a 
 burr-oak grove. The soil so far had been very 
 sandy. 7th : Rainy and cloudy. We marched 
 nine miles, passing through Robinson ville to the 
 Augusta Turnpike. 
 
 Wednesday, February 8: Warm and very 
 windy. We marched eleven miles. The whole 
 army was burning with the insatiable desire to 
 wreak vengeance on South Carolina. I almost 
 trembled at her fate, but felt that she deserved 
 all that seemed in store for her. 
 
 February 9 : Warm and pleasant. Marched 
 twenty miles and destroyed all the houses, barns, 
 and fences on our route. 
 
 February 10: Marched twenty-five miles to 
 Barnwell Court-House, the county seat, where 
 we found that General Kilpatrick, who was in 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 165 
 
 advance of us, had destroyed the greater part of 
 the cityr 
 
 February 11 : We marched at 6 A.M., and the 
 small portion of the town that Kilpatrick left 
 intact was destroyed by our division. We 
 marched twelve miles. The weather was warm 
 and pleasant. Bright sunshine overhead all 
 day. 
 
 February 12: Marched twelve miles. De- 
 stroyed six miles of the Augusta and Charleston 
 Kailroad, and encamped at 9 p.m. 13th : We 
 marched eight miles to the South Edisto Kiver 
 and encamped. The men were all more or less 
 worn out. We had some pretty heavy marching 
 that week. 14th: Kained all day. Marched 
 sixteen miles. Crossed the South and North 
 Edisto Rivers. Encamped on the north bank 
 of the North Edisto. 15th : Our brigade was 
 detailed for rear guard, and we were required to 
 repair the roads as we advanced. The wagons 
 were stuck all along the roads for miles. 
 Marched but ten miles. 16th : Marched sixteen 
 miles. Passed through Lexington Court-House. 
 The troops destroyed every house along the 
 road. 
 
 February 17: Cold and cloudy. We lay 
 along the roads all day waiting for the troops 
 ahead of us to cross the Saluda River, and at 
 7.30 P.M. we commenced to move. We crossed 
 
166 A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 the Saluda, a very swift and muddy stream. 
 The fences and buildings, the entire length of 
 our day's march, were burning, and the smoke 
 very nea;rly suffocated us. We marched that 
 day but eight miles. 
 
 February 18 : Worked on the roads all day, 
 repairing them, so that the artillery and supply- 
 trains could follow. 
 
 Sabbath, February 19: Not a cloud in the 
 sky, and so warm and pleasant. This was truly 
 God's day', and we were engaged in the hellish 
 work of destroying and burning property. We 
 crossed the Broad River and destroyed the vil- 
 lage of Alston, the junction of the Columbia and 
 Greenville and Columbia and Charleston Rail- 
 roads. Here we found considerable rolling-stock, 
 which we run out on a trestle-work, and when 
 we marched away the trestle-work and cars 
 were one mass of flames. We marched ten 
 miles. 
 
 February 20 : Passed through a fine farming 
 country, with plenty of forage, plenty of meat 
 and yams, and we lived on the top shelf. 
 
 February 21 : Weather could not be better. 
 We marched twenty miles through a beautiful 
 country and encamped at night at Winnsboro'. 
 We were at noon in the section where General 
 Francis Marion, of Revolutionary fame, a cele- 
 brated partisan officer, who warred against the 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY' 8 DIARY. j[67 
 
 British and Tories in South Carolina and Geor- 
 gia, feasted the British officer on roast potatoes. 
 For a dish he utilized a piece of bark. 
 
 February 22 : Marched twelve miles and de- 
 stroyed four miles of the Columbia and Rich- 
 mond Railroad. The weather was warm and 
 pleasant, similar to our Minnesota May. 23d : 
 Marched southeast on the Camden Road fifteen 
 miles and encamped in the dense pine forests. 
 24th : Rained all day. Lay in camp waiting for 
 the pontoniers to lay a bridge over Wateree 
 River. 25th : Ordered to cross the river. We 
 marched to the river with the expectation of 
 crossing, but the flood had broken the bridge, 
 and portions of it had floated down the stream. 
 We were compelled to remain here until it was 
 again repaired. Weather rainy and cloudy. 
 26th : Rained all day. We remained in camp 
 until 7 P.M. ; then, with pitch-pine knots burn- 
 ing for torches, we crossed the pontoons to the 
 east bank. 
 
 February 27 : Cloudy and misty. We marched 
 ten miles and encamped. We marched usually 
 four abreast, but made no effort to keep step; 
 for marching in that way, though good enough 
 for a mile or so, or on dress parade, would soon 
 become intolerable if kept up for any length of 
 time or any great distance. 
 
 In "rout steps" each man picked his way, 
 
168 -4 DRVMMEB-BOY'S DIABY. 
 
 selecting his steps at his pleasure, and carrying 
 or shifting his arms at his convenience. Even 
 then, marching is no easy matter, especially 
 when it is raining, and you are marching over a 
 clay soil, — and it did seem to us that the soil 
 about the Wateree River was the toughest and 
 most slippery clay in the world, at least in the 
 roads that wound, serpent-like, around the hills, 
 among which we were marching, where, as we 
 all knew, many a poor mule, during our march-, 
 had stuck fast and had to be literally pulled out 
 or left to die in his tracks, after the harness had 
 been ripped, off his back. 
 
 February 28 : Worked all day with the wagon- 
 trains. They were stuck in the mud all along 
 the road, for we made but eleven miles. We 
 were very short of rations, and were living on 
 what is called the " nigger-pea." 
 
 March 1 : We marched twelve miles. The 
 roads were filled with broken fence-rails for the 
 entire length of our march, some lying length- 
 wise, others crosswise, and others with their ends 
 sticking up from two to four feet. Through this 
 we were compelled to march. The afternoon 
 wore on, night set in, and we began to wonder, 
 in all our simplicity, whether Sherman expected 
 us to march all night as well as all day. 
 
 To make matters still worse, as night fell, 
 dark and drizzling, we left the main road and 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. \QQ 
 
 came out on the high ground of those regions ; 
 and if we never before knew what South Car- 
 olina mud was like, we knew it then. It was not 
 only knee-deep, but so sticky that when we set 
 one foot down we could scarcely pull the other 
 out. 
 
 We had a little darky along with us on this 
 march who had an experience which was quite 
 provoking to him, as it was amusing to us. The 
 darky's name was Bill. Other name he had 
 none, except "Shorty," which had been given 
 him by the boys because of his remarkable short 
 stature. Although he was strong as a man and 
 quite as old featured, he was, nevertheless, so 
 dwarfed in size that the name " Shorty" seemed 
 to become him better than his original name. 
 
 Well, " Shorty" had been employed by one of 
 the officers as cook, or, as seemed more likely on 
 the present occasion, as a sort of pack-mule, for 
 the officer, having an eye to comfort on the 
 march, had loaded the poor darky with a pack 
 of blankets, tent, pans, kettles, and general camp 
 equipage, so large and bulky that it is no exag- 
 geration -to say that " Shorty's" pack was quite 
 as large as himself. All along it had been a 
 wonder to us how he had managed to pull 
 through so far with all those big bundles on his 
 back ; but, with strength far beyond his size, he 
 had trudged doggedly on in the rear of the regit 
 
 H 15 
 
170 ^ DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 ment, over hill and through field, until we came 
 at nightfall out on the main road again. Then, 
 like many other pack-mules, he stuck fast in the 
 mud, so that, puff and pull as he might, he could 
 not pull either foot out, and had to be dragged 
 out by two men, to the great merriment of all 
 who in the growing darkness were aware of 
 his misfortune. 
 
 At length it became so dark that no one was 
 able- to see an inch before his face. Torches 
 were then lighted ; then we forded a creek ; 
 and on and on we went, till at length we were 
 allowed to halt and fall out on either side of the 
 road into a last-year's corn-field to make fire and 
 cook coffee. 
 
 To make a fire was a comparatively easy 
 matter, notwithstanding the rain. Some one 
 or other always had matches, and there were 
 plenty of pitch-pine knots at hand, which were 
 dry enough when split open with a hatchet or 
 an axe. In a few moments the fence around the 
 corn-field was carried off rail by rail, and every- 
 where was heard the sound of axes and hatchets, 
 the premonitory symptoms of roaring camp-fires, 
 which were soon everywhere blazing along the 
 road. 
 
 March 2: Rained all day. We marched 
 twenty miles. The roads were in a horrible 
 eondition, and we lay in the woods all night in 
 
A DBUMMER-BOY'8 JDIABY. 171 
 
 our wet clothes, as it rained all night. We had 
 but the clothes which were on our backs, and of 
 course could not change, so matters were mighty 
 uncomfortable until daylight of the 3d, which 
 brought us no comfort. The rain continued all 
 day. With a cup of coffee and a few black peas 
 for breakfast, we continued our march north- 
 ward. We passed over twenty-one miles of 
 South Carolina territory, and our camp at night 
 was a repetition of the night before. We were 
 cold, wet, and hungry. 
 
 March 4 : Still rainy. The roads were very 
 muddy and soft. There was at least twelve 
 inches of mud underfoot. We marched fourteen 
 miles and crossed over the line into North Car- 
 olina. 
 
 Sunday, March 5 : Weather clear and warm ; 
 I hoped that the rainy season had passed. We 
 marched eight miles to the Great Pedee River 
 and encamped. We were sunburnt and covered 
 with dirt, so that a swim in the river would be 
 refreshing indeed. 
 
 Having learned from one of the officers that 
 the intention evidently was to remain where we 
 were until the entire corps should come up, and 
 that we should probably cross the river at, or 
 somewhere .near, that point, we resolved to risk 
 it. So, over a corn-field we- started, at a good 
 pace, Billy Wagner— or, by the way, " Jasper"— 
 
172 ^ DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 and I. We had not gone far when we dis- 
 covered a mule tied up, in a clump of bushes, 
 with a rope. And this long-eared animal, as 
 Gothic as Bonaparte in his style of architecture, 
 we decided, after a solemn council of war, to de- 
 clare contraband, and forthwith we impressed 
 him into service, intending to return him, after 
 our bath, on our return to camp. Untying the 
 mule from the bush, we mounted, "Jasper" ill 
 front and I on behind, each armed with a switch, 
 and we rode along gayly enough, with our feet 
 dangling among the corn-stalks. 
 
 For a while all went well. We fell to talking 
 about the direction we had come since leaving 
 camp, and " Jasper," who was usually good au- 
 thority on matters geographical and astronomical 
 on the march (he was known in the company as 
 "the compass"), confessed to me as we rode on 
 that he had been somewhat " turned about." As 
 for me, I thought that was the most awful 
 country to get " turned about" in I ever saw. 
 
 " Whoa, dar ! Whoa, dar ! Whar you gwine 
 wid dat dar mule o' mine ? Whoa, ' Ginger' !" 
 
 The mule stopped stock still as we caught 
 sight qf the black head and face of a darky boy 
 peering forth from the door of a tobacco-house 
 that we were passing. Possibly he was the 
 owner of the plantation now, and the mule 
 " Ginger" might be his only live stock. 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. I73 
 
 "Where are we going, Sam? "Why, we're 
 going on to Kaleigh !" 
 
 " On ter Ealeigh ! And wid dat dar mule 0' 
 mine? 'Clar to goodness, sodgers, can't git 
 along widout dat mule. Better git off 'n dat dar 
 mule!" 
 
 " Whip him up, ' Jasper' !" shouted I. 
 
 "Come up! Get along, Beauregard!" shouted 
 " Jasper." 
 
 And we both laid on quite lustily, but never 
 an inch would that miserable mule budge from 
 the position he had taken on hearing the darky's 
 voice. All of a sudden, and as if a mine had 
 been sprung under our feet, there was such a 
 striking out of heels and such an uncomfortable 
 elevation in the rear, the angle of which was 
 increased, that at last, with an enormous spring, 
 "Jasper" and I were sent flying off into the 
 road. 
 
 "Yi! yi! yi! Didn' I say better git off'n 
 dat dar mule 0' mine ? Yi ! yi ! yi !" 
 
 Laughing as heartily as the darky at our mis- 
 adventure, we felt that it would be safer to make 
 for the river afoot. We had a glorious plunge 
 in the waters of the Pedee, and returned to the 
 regiment at sundown, greatly refreshed and a 
 good deal cleaner. 
 
 March 6: Warm and pleasant. We were 
 compelled to lie over here to bridge the river. 
 
 15* 
 
174 ^ DRUMMER- BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 We heard very heavy explosions down the river, 
 in the direction of Cheraw, S. C. The pon- 
 toniers worked all night, and by the morning of 
 March 7 the bridge was completed. We crossed 
 at 7 AM., and marched sixteen miles. 8th: 
 Rained all day. Marched twenty-five miles. 
 
 March 9 : Marched eighteen miles. It rained 
 all day. This was a terrible day's march. The 
 roads were so muddy and our clothes so wet that 
 it was almost impossible to march, and I was so 
 tired at night that I could barely write, and had 
 partly made up my mind to give up keeping a 
 diary. After getting into camp on a day's 
 march like this I was too tired to write much. 
 
 March 10 : Marched five miles and went into 
 camp to wait for the rest of the army to close up. 
 Weather fair and clear, but the roads were still 
 very heavy. 
 
 March 11 : Marched thirteen miles to Fayette- 
 ville, N. C, where we found an abundance of 
 flour, meal, bacon, molasses, coffee, and tobacco, 
 and lived on the best the country afforded. 
 
 Sabbath, March 12: Lay in camp. Every- 
 thing was quiet. The tug-boat "Donaldson" 
 arrived at Fayetteville from Wilmington with 
 news from Generals Terry and Schofield and 
 returned the same day with despatches from 
 Sherman. 
 
 March 13 and 14 were passed by us in Fayette- 
 
A DBUMMER-BOY'S BIABT. I75 
 
 ville. The arsenal and the machinery, wnich 
 had formerly belonged to the Harper's Ferry 
 arsenal, were completely destroyed. Every 
 building was knocked down and burned, and 
 every piece of machinery broken up and utterly 
 ruined. 
 
 March 15 : Rainy. General Bishop had 
 orders to destroy a large cotton-mill near our 
 camp. The poor people in the neighborhood, 
 who had always worked there, begged to have it 
 saved, as it was their only means of support. 
 Five companies remained as rear guard and to 
 destroy the mill and one other building that 
 was left. The other five companies moved over 
 the Cape Fear River. We marched six miles 
 and encamped. 16th : Cloudy and windy, with 
 rain. We moved along very slowly, making but 
 four miles before going into camp. 
 
 March 17 : " St. Patrick's day." In honor of 
 the Irishmen of the regiment, the band on the 
 march played nothing but the air of " St. Pat- 
 rick's Day in the Morning." We marched four 
 miles, crossing the Black River, and encamped 
 on the north bank. 
 
 Sunday, March 19 : Weather fine. The roads 
 were much better now. The soil was sandy, and 
 absorbed the water as fast as it fell, leaving the 
 roads in good condition. 
 
 March 20 : Were relieved as rear guard and 
 
176 -4 DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY, 
 
 ordered to the front. The Fourteenth and 
 Twentieth Corps, under Slocum, fought the 
 battle of Bentonville. Two men of our regiment 
 were wounded. We remained on the field until 
 dark, then fell back in the rear of the second 
 line of our works, and bivouacked. Marched 
 ten miles. 21st : Rained all day. Lay in camp. 
 Orders to prepare to march at a moment's warn- 
 ing. 22d: Broke camp at 7 a.m., but did not 
 move until 4 p.m. ; then marched ten miles be- 
 tween that time and 7 p.m. We had nothing to 
 eat, neither bread nor meat. 23d : Windy and 
 disagreeable. Crossed the Neuse River, marched 
 to Goldsboro', and were reviewed by Generals 
 Sherman, Slocum, Howard, and Schofield. 
 Marched eighteen miles. 
 
 March 24: Windy but warm. Band sere- 
 naded the Eighth Minnesota and Colonel 
 Thomas, also Captain Cilley, who was now on 
 General Schofield's staff. 25th: Warm and 
 windy. The regiment was ordered out six miles 
 from camp, to guard a grist-mill that our men 
 were running, grinding meal for the soldiers. 
 
 March 26 to the 31st : We had drilled twice a 
 day and in the evening had dress parade, and, 
 of course, had to do our share of guard and 
 picket duty, which did not give us much time 
 for amusement. A member of the Seventeenth 
 New York Cavalry was to be shot that day by 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 177 
 
 order of General Sherman. The poor fellow 
 who was to suffer the highest penalty of military 
 law was, I was informed, a New York man. 
 The crime for which he was to give his life was 
 rape, committed on an old lady. On that bright 
 spring morning orders came to the effect that 
 the whole division of which he was a member 
 was to turn out at one o'clock to witness the 
 execution of the sentence. I need hardly say 
 that this was most unwelcome news. No- 
 body wished to see so sad a sight. Some of the 
 men begged to be excused from attending, and 
 others could not be found when their drums beat 
 the " assembly ;" for none could well endure, as 
 they said, " to see a man shot down like a dog." 
 However, in condescension to this altogether 
 natural and humane aversion to the shedding of 
 blood, and in order to render the task as endur- 
 able as possible, the customary practice was ob- 
 served. On the morning of the execution an 
 officer, who had been appointed for the purpose, 
 took a number of rifles, some twelve or fourteen 
 in number, and loaded all of them carefully with 
 powder and ball except one, which was loaded 
 with powder only. He then mixed the guns so 
 thoroughly that he himself could scarcely tell 
 which guns were loaded with ball and which one 
 was not. Another officer then distributed the 
 guns to the men, not one of whom could be at all 
 
178 ^ DMUMMER-BOT'8 DIARY. 
 
 certain whether his particular gun contained a 
 ball or not, and all of them could avail them- 
 selves of the full benefit of the doubt in the case. 
 At the appointed hour the division marched out 
 and took position in a large field, or clearing, 
 surrounded on all sides by pine woods. They 
 were drawn up so as to occupy three sides of a 
 great hollow square, two ranks deep, facing in- 
 ward, the fourth side of the square (where I 
 could see a grave had been recently dug) being 
 left open for the execution. 
 
 Scarcely were the troops well in position, when 
 there came to my ears, wafted by the sighing 
 spring wind, the mournful notes of the " Dead 
 March." Looking away in the direction whence 
 the music came, I could see a long procession 
 marching sadly and slowly to the measured 
 stroke of the muffled drum. First came the 
 band, playing the dirge ; next the squad of ex- 
 ecutioners; then a pine coffin carried by four 
 men ; then the prisoner himself, dressed in his 
 fatigue uniform, and marching in the midst of 
 four guards ; then a number of men under arres"t 
 for various offences, who had been brought out 
 for the sake of the moral effect it was hoped this 
 spectacle might have upon them. Last of all 
 came a strong guard. 
 
 When the procession had come up to the place 
 where the division was formed, and had reached 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. I79 
 
 tke open side of the hollow square, it wheeled 
 to the left, inside of the line, from the right to 
 the left, the band still playing the dirge. The 
 line was long and the step was slow, and it 
 seemed as if they would never get to the other 
 end. But at last, after having solemnly trav- 
 ersed the entire length of the three sides of the 
 hollow square, the procession came to the open 
 side of it, opposite to the point from which it had 
 started. The escort wheeled off. The prisoner 
 was placed before his coffin, which was set down 
 in front of the grave. The squad of twelve men 
 who were to shoot the unfortunate man took 
 position some twelve yards from the grave, 
 facing the prisoner, and a chaplain stepped out 
 from the group of division officers near by, and 
 prayed with and for the poor fellow a long, long 
 time. Then the bugle sounded. The prisoner, 
 standing proudly erect before his grave, had his 
 eyes bandaged, and calmly folded his arms across 
 his breast The bugle sounded again. The 
 officer in charge of the squad stepped forward ; 
 then I heard the command, given as calmly 
 as if on drill, "Eeady! Aim!" then, drown- 
 ing out the third command, "Fire!" came a 
 flash of smoke and a loud report. The surgeons 
 ran up to the spot. The bands and drum-corps 
 of the division struck up a quick step as the 
 division faced to the right and marched past 
 
180 -^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 the grave, in order that in the dead form of its 
 occupant they might all see that the doom of the 
 perpetration of such a crime was death. It was a 
 sad sight. As the troops moved along, I could 
 see many a rough fellow, from whom you would 
 hardly have expected any sign of pity, pretend- 
 ing to be adjusting his cap so as to screen his 
 eyes from the glare of the western sun, and 
 furtively drawing his hand across his face and 
 dashing away the tears that could not be kept 
 from trickling down the bronzed and weather- 
 beaten cheek. As they marched off the field I 
 could not help being sensible of the harsh con- 
 trast between the lively music to which their 
 feet were keeping time and the fearfully solemn 
 scene I had just witnessed. The transition from 
 the " Dead March" to the quick step was quite 
 too sudden. A deep solemnity pervaded the 
 ranks as they marched homeward across the 
 open field and into the sombre pine woods 
 beyond, thinking, I suppose, as they went of the 
 poor fellow's home somewhere among the pleas- 
 ant hills of New York State, and of the sad and 
 heavy hearts there would be there when it was 
 known that he had paid the extreme penalty of 
 the law. 
 
 April 1 : Warm and pleasant. The band 
 played at corps head-quarters at 3 p.m., and at 
 six. o'clock we had dress parade. 2d: Warm, 
 
A DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 181 
 
 with a clear, bright sky. Remained in camp 
 all day. 3d: Cold and cloudy. Major Uline 
 arrived with a number of recruits from Minne- 
 sota. 
 
 April 4 : Cloudy and windy. We serenaded 
 the Fourth Minnesota Regiment; also brigade 
 head-quarters. We stayed here, at Goldsboro', 
 until the morning of April 10, when we broke 
 camp and marched northward twelve miles. 
 The Second Division of our corps skirmished 
 with the Confederates all day. It rained all 
 day, and at 10 p.m. it was still raining. 
 
 April 11 : Cloudy, but pleasant. We were 
 confronted by the rebels all day ; but our bri- 
 gade drove them steadily back to Smithfield, 
 where we went into camp. 
 
 April 12 : We marched twelve miles to Clay- 
 ton, N. C, and crossed the Neuse River. The 
 lieutenant-governor of the State came to General 
 Sherman on a flag-of-truce mission, I understood, 
 to surrender the capital of the State, Raleigh, so 
 there should be no destruction of property. 
 
 April 13: Rained all forenoon, but turned 
 out nice in the afternoon. We marched fifteen 
 miles to Raleigh, and found it a very handsome 
 city. We encamped near the Insane Asylum, 
 in the south part of the city. 
 
 April 14 : Very hot. We marched fourteen 
 miles to Jones's Cross-roads. 
 
 16 
 
182 -4 DRUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 April 15: Cloudy and rainy. Our brigade 
 was scattered along the roads with the wagon- 
 train, lifting them out of the mud and making 
 roads. Marched five miles to Chapel Hill Col- 
 lege. 
 
 April 16 : Warm and pleasant. We marched 
 five miles and went into camp. Nothing worthy 
 of note occurred. 
 
 April 17 : Hot. Eemained in camp. Eumors 
 that Johnston had surrendered ; but before night 
 we were informed that there was no truth in it. 
 
 Tuesday, April 18 : Weather pleasant. We 
 heard the sad news of the assassination of Presi- 
 dent Lincoln. After all of our victories and 
 successful campaigns, and just at the eve of 
 peace, we had lost our commander-in-chief, our 
 much-loved " Old Abe." The dark pall of sor- 
 row hung over the army that day. In all his- 
 tory there never was a national sorrow to be 
 compared to this. Literally, the whole army 
 wept. Thousands there were who would will- 
 ingly have received the fatal bullet in their 
 own hearts, if thereby they could have saved 
 the life of our precious leader. 
 
 Perished? Who was it said 
 Our leader has passed away ? 
 
 Dead ? Our President dead ? 
 He has not died for a day. 
 
A drummem-boY'S diary. 183 
 
 Ye winds that move over the mighty places of 
 the West chant the requiem. Yes, comrades, 
 behold the martyr whose blood, as so many 
 articulate words, pleads for fidelity, for law, for 
 
 April 19: Warm and pleasant. The death 
 of the President was the main topic of conversa- 
 tion. In what way to account for it I know not, 
 but so it is, that soldiers always have been, and, I 
 suppose, always will be, merry-hearted fellows, 
 and full of good spirits. One would naturally 
 suppose that, having so much to do with hard- 
 ship and danger every day, they would be sober 
 and serious above the generality of men. But 
 such was by no means the case with our regi- 
 ment. In camp, on the march, nay, even in the 
 solemn hour of battle, there was ever and anon 
 a laugh passing down the line, or some sport 
 going on inside of the tents. Seldom was there 
 waiting some one, noted for his powers of story- 
 telling, to beguile the weary hours about the 
 camp-fire in front of our shelters, or out among 
 the pines on picket. Few companies could be 
 found without some native-born wag or wit, 
 whose comical songs or quaint remarks kept the 
 boys in good humor, while at the same time 
 each and all, according to the measure of theii 
 several capacities, were given to playing practi- 
 cal jokes of one kind or other for the general 
 
184 -4 DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 enlivenment of the camp. So the gloom of 
 the President's assassination was gradually for- 
 gotten. 
 
 We remained at this camp until April 27. 
 The weather had been warm at times, and hot at 
 others, but, take it as a whole, it had been what 
 would be called June weather in Minnesota. 
 
 About 2 A.M. we heard on our left heavy can- 
 nonading and the rumbling sound of musketry. 
 We were called out in line of battle and re- 
 mained in this position until sunrise. In the 
 mean time, the thunder of artillery came nearer 
 and nearer, and the troops were getting nervous, 
 for we were expecting our last great battle 
 with Johnston. Suddenly we espied an officer, 
 mounted on a large, fine, white horse, with hat 
 off and waving it over his head, dashing along 
 the line crying, " Johnston has surrendered I 
 Johnston has surrendered, and peace is de- 
 clared !" At the announcement of this, cheer 
 upon cheer went up. Artillerymen loaded and 
 fired their guns with fixed ammunition as fast as 
 they could. The infantry soon followed suit, 
 and such a roar of musketry and artillery, 
 cheering and hurrahing, will never be heard 
 again. 
 
 April 28 : Warm and pleasant. With joyful 
 feelings of the news of peace, we broke camp and 
 marched northward ten miles and encamped. 
 
A DBUMMER-BOY'S BIABY, 185 
 
 We met on our march the straggling troops of 
 General Lee's army who had surrendered to 
 Grant and were returning South to their homes, 
 while we were on the same road going North to 
 be disbanded. Our boys and the Confederates 
 exchanged jokes as we passed each other. One 
 of our boys said, — 
 
 "Well Johnnie, we've got you at last, — 
 knocked out as it were !" 
 
 " Oh, yes," replied Johnnie, " but we gave you 
 the best we had in the shop ; and another thing, 
 we know when we've got enough. We're no 
 hogs. We would have been home long ago if 
 you had let us." 
 
 One poor fellow I was talking to remarked, — 
 
 " I reckon Sherman didn't leave us any homes 
 to go to. What are we poor fellows going to do, 
 going back into our country without a dollar in 
 our pocket, our homes destroyed, stock driven 
 away, and our families scattered, God only 
 knows where? Oh, war! it is horrible! horri- 
 ble !" And the poor fellow cried like a child. 
 
 April 29 : Warm and pleasant. We marched 
 ten miles to Holly Springs, and got into camp at 
 one o'clock in the afternoon. We turned over to 
 the proper officials all of our government stores, 
 such as extra arms and ammunition, to be stored 
 here until otherwise disposed of by the govern- 
 ment. 
 
 IB* 
 
186 1 DBUMMER-BOY'S DIABY. 
 
 Sunday, April 30: Peace and happiness 
 reigned over the land. The song-birds in the 
 woods seemed to know it. The weather could 
 not be finer, — balmy and pleasant; the roads 
 were in excellent condition. We marched six- 
 teen miles and crossed Tar River, where we 
 halted to prepare dinner, after which we 
 marched five miles, and encamped three miles 
 south of Oxford Court-House, N. C. We 
 marched in all twenty-four miles. 
 
 May 2 : Warm. Marched three miles, through 
 Oxford, then fourteen miles to Williamsburg, and 
 five miles north, and encamped for the night;' 
 altogether twenty-two miles. 
 
 May 3 : Warm, with clear, bright sky. 
 Marched fifteen miles and crossed the Koanoke 
 River, over the North Carolina line, into Vir- 
 ginia. 
 
 May 4: Marched twenty-five miles, crossed 
 the Meherrin River, and encamped on the north 
 shore. 
 
 May 5: Weather hot. Several of our men 
 were sun-struck. We passed through Lunen- 
 burg and Nottoway Court-House, marching 
 twenty-three miles in all. 
 
 May 6 : Hot and sultry. Crossed the Appo- 
 mattox River. Marched twenty-seven miles to 
 within three miles of Richmond, two miles 
 south of the James River. We remained here 
 
A DSUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 187 
 
 until the morning of the 10th. In the mean 
 time, we were allowed passes to go into Rich- 
 mond. The greater part of the city having been 
 destroyed by fire by General Ewell, of the Con- 
 federate army, the grand streets and avenues 
 were strewn with dibris and -plunder of every 
 description. An old gentleman told me that 
 Capitol Square seemed to be the safest place 
 from the confl:agration, and it was covered over 
 with piles of furniture dragged from burning 
 buildings; among which were huddled together 
 women and children, whose only homes were 
 now beneath the open sky. Among the beauti- 
 ful statues that adorned Capitol Square I noticed 
 those of Patrick Henry, Madison, Jefferson, 
 Henry Clay, and an equestrian statue of Wash- 
 ington. I visited the State capitol, the residence 
 of Jeff. Davis, and also that of General Lee, after 
 which we examined Libby Prison and Castle 
 Thunder, of which I made no mention in my 
 diary. I knew that after the war historians 
 would write it up and give a more vivid descrip- 
 tion of its horrors than I in my humble way 
 could expect to do. 
 
 May 11 : Marched though Manchester, across 
 the James Eiver, on through Eichraond, and 
 were reviewed by General Sherman and our 
 corps commanders. Marched twenty-one miles. 
 
 May 12: Very hot. Marched twelve miles, 
 
188 -4 DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 through Hanover Court-House, across the 
 Pamunkey River, and encamped. 
 
 May 13: Warm. Marched twenty-miles. 
 Crossed the Rappahannock at Ellis's Ford, and 
 encamped near a large brick house in the edge 
 of the timber. This was the gold-raining dis- 
 trict of Virginia: but, from appearances, I 
 should judge, if there had remained any gold, 
 the Confederate government would have worked 
 the mine to assist them in their lost cause. 
 
 May 14 : Marched fourteen miles and en- 
 camped four miles west of the battle-field of the 
 "Wilderness ; the country seemed to be unin- 
 habited. The few buildings that remained and 
 were saved from the torch, shot, and shell were 
 vacant and in a dilapidated condition. It would 
 take many years to replace and reconstruct what 
 Virginia had lost during this wicked and cruel 
 war. 
 
 May 15 : Hot. We marched eighteen miles, 
 crossed the Rapidan at Cedar Mountain, and en- 
 camped. 
 
 May 16: Marched fifteen miles, forded the 
 Rapidan again, and made preparations to encamp, 
 but were ordered on five miles farther north. 
 
 May 17 : Marched seventeen miles, forded 
 Bull-Run Creek, and encamped. The weather 
 was very hot and oppressive. 
 
 May 18: Weather continued hot. Passed 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 189 
 
 through Centreville and Fairfax Court-House, 
 and encamped on part of the estate of R. E. 
 Lee. 
 
 May 19: Marched eight miles, passed the 
 Lee mansion, which is said to have been erected 
 in early colonial days, and encamped on Arling- 
 ton Heights, in sight of Washington. 
 
 May 20 : It seemed as if the dry, hot weather 
 had ended, after our long and dusty march, for 
 the rain came down in torrents, and we were 
 compelled to sit in our little shelter-tents all 
 day. 
 
 May 21 : Still raining ; the camp was muddy 
 and everything looked dismal and disagreeable. 
 A sutler came into camp and made things a 
 little lively. 
 
 May 22 : Weather very hot. Had rumors in 
 camp that recruits and drafted men were to be 
 immediately discharged, and the veterans were 
 to be organized into a veteran corps and sent to 
 Mexico. We were not prepared for anything 
 like this. The rebellion was ended and now we 
 thought the government should send us home ; 
 and if they had some other project in view, why 
 not tr^ to build up an army out of the disbanded 
 troops of both Sherman's and Grant's two great 
 armies. I thought that in about a month after 
 disbandment there would be thousands who would 
 gladly go into an adventure of that kind. 
 
190 ^ DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 May 23 : The Army of the Potomac was re- 
 yiewed. Now that the record of blood was 
 written, and the scene of four years' carnage was 
 ended, the soldiers were returning to their 
 homes ; and as they passed through the streets . 
 they were welcomed back with grateful shouts, 
 — their banners tattered, and their arms and 
 uniforms battle-soiled. Many an absent one 
 was mourned; and the fresh faces which went 
 forth to defend their country returned now, worn 
 with the hardships of war ; but they had faith- 
 fully served their country, and their steps were 
 justly proud as they marched in triumph 
 through the streets of Washington receiving the 
 plaudits of a grateful nation. 
 
 May 24: The armies of Grant and Sherman, 
 who had shared in the last struggle, as they 
 passed through Washington, marshalled in re- 
 view over two hundred thousand strong, making 
 a grand spectacle. They were assembled in one 
 body for the first time. They were gathered 
 together from every battle-field of the Union, 
 from the Ohio to New Orleans, from New Or- 
 leans to Charleston, from Charleston to the 
 Appomattox. 
 
 Those who looked upon this spectacle were 
 reminded of the first stages of the war, when 
 the national capital was threatened and when 
 the first recruits rushed to its rescue. They 
 
A DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. I9I 
 
 looked upon a living, moving demonstration of 
 the fact that treason in a republic could be sub- 
 dued, though every rebel leader, from Davis 
 and Stephens down to the most petty dema- 
 gogue of the South, had prophesied to the con- 
 trary. 
 
 There was something to mar the triumph. 
 A general who had marched and fought his 
 army from Chattanooga, through, the fortifications 
 of Atlanta, to the sea, thence to Goldsboro' and 
 Washington, still felt the wrong which had been 
 studiously thrust upon him by some oflScers of 
 the government. Sherman could not shake 
 hands with Halleck. We also grievously missed 
 the presence of Lincoln, who had called us to 
 conflict, and whom we had always looked upon 
 as a father and friend. 
 
 But may we not believe, that Lincoln, though 
 withdrawn from -earth, looked down upon this 
 sublime spectacle ? Did he not, as one of our 
 poets imagined, marshal another host, composed 
 of those who, like him, had been victims of this 
 Civil War, and who participated in this last 
 grand review. 
 
 We marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, on 
 which every house was beautifully decorated, 
 with bunting, streamers, and flags flying from 
 every window and house-top. The people were 
 wild with enthusiasm. With one accord the 
 
192 ^ DBUMMER-BOY'8 DIARY. 
 
 nation turned towards its armies and showered 
 its blessings upon them. 
 
 We passed through Washington, over George- 
 town Heights, to the aqueduct, through which 
 we marched to the south shore of the Potomac 
 to our camp. Our march in review was twelve 
 miles. 
 
 May 25 : Weather warm and pleasant. Broke 
 camp at 8 a.m., and marched across the long 
 bridge over the Potomac, through Washington, 
 and encamped two miles north of the city. We 
 remained at this camp until June 14. In the 
 mean time, regiment after regiment had gone 
 home and been discharged. I had taken in all 
 the sights in and about Washington City, such 
 as the Capitol, Treasury Building, White -House, 
 Smithsonian Institution, Patent-Office, and Navy- 
 Yard.- I went down the Potomac to Mount Ver- 
 non and visited the tomb of Washington, and 
 spent half a day looking over those beautiful 
 grounds. 
 
 June 14 : It had been for the last two or three 
 weeks hot and dry, not enough moisture to lay 
 the dust ; but as we were about to start for the 
 West, loaded on open coal-cars with rough board 
 benches for seats, the rain poured down in tor- 
 rents. 
 
 June 15: Passed through Harper's Ferry, 
 Martinsburg, and Cumberland. At the last- 
 
A DRUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. ^93 
 
 named place we stopped for a short time to get 
 coffee, pork, and beans, which were furnished by 
 the citizens. The coffee was in barrels, nice and 
 hot. "We soon satisfied our appetites, and again, 
 in our muddy and filthy cars, proceeded on our 
 way. It would be well to say something about 
 these cars. They were made to haul coal in; 
 had sides from eighteen inches to two feet high, 
 and were perfectly water-tight. After the hard 
 rain of the previous day and night there was in 
 the neighborhood of six inches of dirty black 
 water in each car, in which our feet hung soak- 
 ing. "When the train .ascended a grade, the 
 water would come back with a rush and dash 
 over the rear end of the car, and vice versa when 
 we went down grade. After arriving at Cum- 
 berland we procured axes and knocked out a few 
 boards from the bottom of the cars ; after which 
 we had a little more comfort. "' 
 
 This was one of the rare cases where we trav- 
 elled by land and water at the same time. 
 
 On the afternoon of the 16th we arrived at 
 Parkersburg, W. Va., and went into camp near 
 an oil refinery, where we lay until 11.30 on the 
 17th, when we embarked on transports and pro- 
 ceeded down the Ohio River. 18th: StUl on 
 the river, enjoying ourselves the best we knew 
 how. 19th: Arrived at Louisville, Ky., and 
 marched out on the Munfordville Pike, where 
 
194 ^ DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 we went into camp. We remained at Louisville 
 until July 11. In the mean time, we had done 
 no duty of any kind, except occasionally a dress 
 parade. The following order was read on parade, 
 which fully set at rest all the rumors that we 
 were to do garrison duty in the South for another 
 year: 
 
 " Head-Quaeters Fourteenth Armt Corps, 
 " Louisville, Kt., July 9, 1865. 
 
 "Geneeal J. W. Bishop: 
 
 " I have the honor to enclose to you a copy of 
 the order relieving your regiment from the 
 corps, and directing you to report it at Fort 
 Snelling. 
 
 "Until the time of separation came none 
 knew how strong were the attachments formed 
 in our months and years of associations in hard- 
 ships and dangers as soldiers. His relations to 
 the officers and men of the Second Minnesota 
 have always been a matter of pride and satisfac- 
 tion to the corps commander, and from no regi- 
 ment in the corps will he part with a deeper re- 
 gret. 
 
 "He thanks one and all of the members of 
 the organization for the constancy and devo- 
 tion which have always marked their attention 
 to the duties and requirements of soldiers in 
 camp and on the march, as well as on the field 
 of action. 
 
A DRUMMER- BOY' 8 DIARY. 195 
 
 " He congratulates you that your labors, hard- 
 ships, and dangers are over, and that, with a 
 country restored to peace and prosperity, partly 
 through your exertions and sacrifices, you return 
 once more to your homes. 
 
 " None ha^e a better record for discipline and 
 drill and all the minutise of soldierly conduct as 
 well as uniform gallantry on every field of action 
 in which they have been engaged than the 
 Second Minnesota ; and your State owes you 
 thanks for the uniformly faithful manner in 
 which you have performed your share of the 
 task allotted to the soldiers of the Union. 
 " Very Respectfully, 
 
 " Your Most Obedient Servant, 
 
 A. C. McClttkg, 
 "Brevet Colonel, A.A.Q., and, Chief of Staff." 
 
 Tuesday July 11 : We crossed the Ohio River 
 to Jeffersonville, and took transportation on the 
 Michigan Central Railroad for Chicago, where 
 we arrived on the evening of the 13th. Re- 
 mained over night, and on the morning of the 
 14th proceeded on our way over the Chicago and 
 North- Western Railroad to La Crosse, where we 
 arrived on the 16th, and were immediately 
 marched on board the steamer "McLellan," 
 and proceeded up the Mississippi River. As we 
 came around the bend below St. Paul, on the 
 
196 -^ DRUMMEB-BOY'S DIARY. 
 
 morning of the 16th, we saw great crowds of 
 people on the levee who were waiting to wel- 
 come us. 
 
 At last we landed, amid booming of cannon 
 and the cheering of multitudes of people. Bells 
 were rung, people paraded the streets, to wel- 
 come us home, and everybody was glad beyond 
 a possibility of expression. 
 
 And among the joyful thousands all over the 
 land, the " Boys in Blue" were probably the 
 gladdest of all; for the war was over, and 
 "Johnny came marching home" to see the girl 
 he had left behind him. We marched up Third 
 Street to Wabashan Street, thence to the State 
 capitol, where we partook of a bounteous colla- 
 tion, to which we did ample justice. One old 
 darky, who was passing coffee around, remarked, 
 "Dem sodjers dar must be done gone starved, 
 dat's sartin. Nebber seen sech hungry men 
 in all my bawn days, — nebber !" 
 
 After dinner we marched to the upper land- 
 ing and again boarded the steamboat, and started 
 for Fort Snelling, where we remained,- awaiting 
 our pay and discharges, which were completed 
 on Thursday, July 20. 
 
 We were then disbanded and said the last 
 " good-by" to our comrades in arms, the great 
 majority of whom we would never, in all proba- 
 bility, see again. And a more hearty, rough- 
 
A DBUMMER-BOY'S DIARY. 197 
 
 and-ready, affectionate good-by there never was 
 in all this wide world. Songs were sung, hands 
 wei;e shaken, or rather rung, many a loud, 
 hearty " God bless you, old fellow !" resounded, 
 and many were the toasts and the healths that 
 were drunk before the men parted for good. 
 
 It was midnight when the last camp-fire of 
 the old Second Minnesota Eegiment broke up. 
 "Good-by, boys; good-by! God bless you old 
 fellow !" was shouted again and again, as by com- 
 panies or in squads we were off for our different 
 homes, some of us bound north, some east, some 
 west, but, thank God! all bound for "Home, 
 sweet Home !" 
 
 PEACE. 
 
 Oh, fairest land beneath the sun, 
 
 A golden glory fills the air, 
 And drives the battle vapor dim 
 
 Away from hills and valleys fair. 
 
 The cannon's throbbing notes are still ; 
 
 We hear no more the rifle's crack ; 
 And blackly dotting all the hill, 
 
 We see no army's bloody track. 
 
 The drums are hushed, the air is still 
 Of all the direful sounds of war ; 
 
 And peace is blending on the hill, 
 And sends the greeting smile afar. 
 17* 
 
198 -4 DBUMMER-BOY'B DIARY. 
 
 The battle-flags are furled away, 
 No more to flutter in the light; 
 
 "What need have we of them to-day? 
 The wrong lies prone before the right. 
 
 No more along the throbbing wires 
 Come bitter tidings of the fray ; 
 
 But on the hills the victor's fires 
 Light up the dawn of freedom's day. 
 
 Oh, nation long the starless night ; 
 
 But now, along the clearing sky. 
 The morning breaks with peaceful light, 
 
 And sees the battle's shadows die. 
 
 In this glad hour, join heart and hand ; 
 
 No blot should mar this golden day, 
 Or cast a shadow o'er the land. 
 
 Prom which the night has passed away. 
 
 Send upward through the listening air 
 One universal psalm of praise ; 
 
 To heaven and Him, who reigneth there, 
 Our grateful hearts to-day we raise. 
 
 And while we chant the victory hymn 
 A thought steals in upon our souls ; 
 
 And, spite of all, our eyes grow dim. 
 And voices lose their stem control. 
 
 We think of those who died that they 
 Might make the nation great and free : 
 
 They won the " Peace" we know to-day, 
 This grand and blessed liberty. 
 
A DBUMMEB-BOY'S DIABY. 199 
 
 Fame writes to-day upon our rolls 
 
 The deeds that make our land sublime ; 
 
 And chant a requiem for their souls, 
 Of those whose names belong to time, 
 
 Give us_thy benediction, peace; 
 
 Drop blessings on our chastened land ; 
 From ITorth to South, and West to East, 
 
 Walk thou with freedom hand in hand. 
 
 XHE ENS.