Civil War Diary (cont.)
March 7th - We did not go to Schofield Bks. today as expected. It rained all night last night and today it is raining. I made Saphrana a ring this forenoon.
March 9th - It rained and froze last night and today. It has been very cold, I got a pass and went down town but it was so cold that I did not stay long. I don’t think we will leave here this week but I hope we will not have to stay here a great while.
March 11 - I was returned to duty last Monday and have not been sent off yet.
March 15 - This is a very wet and rainy day, it commenced to rain last night about dark and has rained very steady ever since. We have been expecting to leave here every day but have not gone yet.
March 17 - Friday morning, this is a very beautiful morning. We left the hospital yesterday afternoon and came here to Schofield barricks #1, and here we are to wait for transportation.
March 18 - On board the City Alton bound for Memphis left the barricks at 1:00 this p.m. I just bought a pen for $2 that cost $6. We start at 5:00 this p.m.
March 20 - ON board the steamer City of Alton at Cairo, Ill., left St. Louis day before yesterday at 5:00 p.m. and arrived here yesterday at 1:00 p.m. Went and got transportation to Memphis and we are to start at 5:00 this p.m. I have just been writing a letter to Arba and Lucy.
March 21, Soldiers Home, Memphis, Tennessee - Left Cairo last evening at 9 o’clock and arrived here at 4 this p.m. This forenoon it was cloudy and cold but this afternoon it has been very pleasant. I have just written a letter to Saphrana and one for a man to his wife. I expect to go on down the river tomorrow.
March 22 - I found that the 1st Iowa Calvary were camped about 3 miles below here and so I went down there to see Rast. I found him and several others that I knew. Rast took a couple of horses and we went up to Overton Hospital to see Russel and Stahl Allen and Gunther were there but I did not see them. I expect we will start in a few minutes on board Champion Mouth White Arkansas.
March 23, 1865 - Came on board yesterday afternoon and arrived here this afternoon at 2 o’clock. There is some of the 10th Illinois Calvary coming on board this boat.
March 24 - We started from White River at 5 o’clock yesterday and just at dark run against a snag and broke a hole in the hull. We had to stop about 2 hours to fix it, stopped once this morning to take on some wood and met the steamer Forsythe and stopped to take on some passengers off of her. It is now 10 a.m. and very pleasant. Expect to get to Vicksburg this afternoon. Arrived here at Vicksburg this afternoon at 4 o’clock and went into an old barricks to camp, went to the soldiers home to supper.
March 25 - I am now at the Christain Commission Room, I just wrote a letter to James Slocum. I have been running around looking at the town this morning. I looks some better than it did 2 years ago. I do not know wether we will leave here today or not but I hope I shall for I am getting very anxious to get to the regiment. On board the Adriatic bound for New Orleans half past 6 p.m.
March 26 - We run on a snag last night and had to run the boat ashore and get off, the boat it sunk before we could half the things off. We landed on an island. 7 o’clock p.m. at Natchez, the steamer Silver Wave came along at 9 this a.m. and took us on and brought us here. We have to camp on the leeve tonight. We have to wait here for transportation.
March 27 - This has been a very wet and rainy, the Olive Branch came down the river and we came aboard about noon and start down the river again this is my birthday I am 22 now.
March 28 - We passed Milikens Bend at 9:00 last night and Baton Rouge about 12:00 and got here at New Orleans at 2:00 this p.m. Had to stop way above here to put off some cattle and hogs and did not get here till about 5:00 and board the Steamer Alabama.
March 29, 1865 - This have been a very rainy day. I wrote a letter to Lucy this morning. We left the Cotton Press at noon and went to the cars and come to Lake Port and then come on the boat.
March 31 - At distribution camp Dauphin, we landed this morning and came into camp and then went and drew arms. I wrote a letter to Emily this morning. We can here the cannons very plain today.
April 1, 1865 - On board the steamer White Cloud we are going over to Ft. Morgan on fatigue this morning. There is heavy firing in the direction of Mobile.
April 2 - We unloaded rations off from the ship Continental onto the White Cloud we worked all day and now we are on the White Cloud going to unload some more. I think we will get them all off today. There was 100 men yesterday and only 50 today but I think there will be 50 more. Don’t hear anything about going to the regiment yet. I am afraid we will not get to go very soon they want to keep us here to do fatigue duty. This is a very pleasant morning and will be a very warm day.
April 5 - At 13th A.C. Headquarters waiting to be sent to the regiment left Ft. Gains day before yesterday and got here yesterday and went to General Canbys headquarters and then here and drew rations last night.
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