Civil War Diary (cont.)
May 1, 1865 - I was on guard yesterday and mustered for pay. Heard that all the Robs this side the Mississippi were ordered to lay down their arms. This has been a very fine day, went in swimming for the first time this year.
May 2 - This has been a pleasant day, we were to be paid today but the pay master was ordered to go to the Alabama river to pay some troops up there, expect him back soon. Wrote a letter to Aunt Lucy.
May 4, 1865 - This has been a very pleasant day. I went to town yesterday and picked some berries. Mail come in yesterday and I got 3 letters and one today. Heard that Booth had been killed.
May 6 - This has been a very fine day. We heard yesterday that all the Rebs this side of the river had surrendered and this morning half the pickets were taken off. Burt went out in the country today and got a lot of books and berries.
May 8 - Yesterday was a very pleasant day and I wrote a letter to Aunt Lucy. Today we were paid off that is the regiment did but I did not. The mail came in today and I got a letter from James Slocum. It rained last night and today.
May 11, 1865 - Springhill, Alabama- I’ve been on guard today it has rained most all day. I was out in the country yesterday and had a good time. There was a mail come today but I did not get any letters. I, Gunther and H. Firman got to the company yesterday. Jake brought the news that Russel was dead.
May 12 - This has been a very fine day, there has been nothing of any account going on today. There was a mail.
May 13, 1865 - This has been a pleasant day. There was news in this mornings paper that all the troops were to be mustered out except 150,000 and they were to be mostly colored troops. We got a mail today and I got a letter from home. My eyes have been worse than usual. We got the official news of the death of Enos Russel.
May 15 - This has been a very pleasant day. Had monthly inspection this afternoon, this afternoon we got a mail and I got a letter from Lucy. There is a rumor that Kirby Smith has surrendered with 30,000 men.
May 17 - This has been a very warm day. News came in the mornings paper that Jeff Davis has been captured by Wilson’s Calvary and taken back to Washington.
May 18 - This has been a very warm day most of the time, it rained pretty hard a little while.
May 19, 1865 - This has been a very pleasant day. Hear by the evening paper that there is no doubt but what Kirby Smith is dead and that his army will soon surrender. Lt. Cooley and 10 men went out in the country to try to arrest some man that been robbing some farmer.
May 20 - This has been a very warm day. The boys got back this forenoon they did not find anyone to arrest but they left 4 of the boys out there as safeguards. Reed and I went out in the country this afternoon got all the strawberries we wanted to eat and 5 quarts of dew berries and mulberries to bring to camp.
May 22, 1865 - This has been a very warm day. It rained little about noon. It has been just 2 years ago today since the charge at Vicksburg. Yesterday most all the boys went out to church, I did not go today. G. Wiltse went out as a safeguard, there is 5 out now, Burt and I are alone now.
May 24 - I went out in the country yesterday with Haskins, took supper with him and then went down to Mount Clains with him and Burding. Stayed there overnight and this morning came back to Jacksons and I went down to Longs and stayed most all the forenoon, then I went up to Harwells to see Wilson, took dinner there and after dinner went out in the strawberry patch and eat all the berries I wanted to. Got back about 5 this p.m. There was a mail today, I got a paper.
May 25 - This has been a very warm day. There was a small mail, there was a magazine blown up in town today it made the ground tremble for miles around. There was several hundred lives lost cannot tell how many yet. The cotton press that the 29th Wisconsin was in, the roof all fell in and one that some Negro troops was in was shook all to pieces. The windows was shook out of most every house in the city.
Mobile, Alabama - May 26 - Got orders to march this morning at 5 and started at 6 1/2 and got here at 1 and expect to go on board transport at 3 this afternoon, the sick are to be left here. Boardman says we are going up Red river. 7 p.m. on board the steamer Mustang, there has been a dreadful fire raging all this afternoon this is several engines at work at it but they don’t seem to have much effect.
May 27 - Left Mobile at daylight passed Dauphin’s Island at 8 o’clock, Ship Island at 4 this p.m. This has been a very pleasant day.
May 28 - 11 a.m. We landed at the mouth of a canal that runs from the Lake to New Orleans at daylight this morning landed at 7 and came out here 3 miles back of the city, all of our bridgade is here.
May 29 - This has been a very pleasant day. Had a mail this afternoon, I got a letter from Aunt Lucy and wrote one to Lucy. I am on guard today expect we will leave here tomorrow.
May 30 - Had orders this morning to be ready to move at a moments notice. I came off guard at 9 a.m. and at 10 got a pass to go to the city to express a box of books. Got back at 1 p.m. bought a hat. They are loading the things to take them to the boat. Our company are detailed on fatigue to load the wagons.
May 31 - On board the transport H. Fairchilds bound for Alexandria. There is 3 regiments on this boat with all their things and rations for 6 days. The 2nd bridgade are on another boat and it sprung a leak and had to stop. 1 p.m. - we had to stop and wait for the other boat so we all got off, we got in a nice grassy field to camp, have to wait till sometime tomorrow. We have all just had a good swim.
June 1, 1865 - The 2nd bridgade came up this morning at 6 o’clock and we came on board again and started at 7. We go very slow only about 4 miles an hour.
June 2 - We passed Baton Rouge last night at 2 o’clock and Morganza Bend this afternoon and got into the mouth of the Red river at about 5 this p.m. and came up about 2 miles and stopped to wait for the gun boats to come up.
June 6, 1865 - At Grandecore, Louisiana we started up the river the evening of the 2nd and got to Alexandria the morning of the 4th where we all stopped and got off to have the boat washed, we started again in the evening and arrived here yesterday noon. The right wing were detailed for fatigue and the left wing went into camp. We took off 30 days of rations. Our squad hired a colored boy to cook for us he is a very smart boy. We were on fatigue this forenoon loading amunition on the boat and this afternoon came out to camp. We have a very good camping ground with the best water we have ever had in the south. This has been one the warmest days there has been this summer.
June 7 - This has been a very warm day. We have been fixing up our tents and mess box. We had a chicken pot pie for supper and have got some berries for breakfast.
Camp Celubrety - June 9, 1865 - Yesterday morning I was detailed on fatigue and had a blackberry cake for dinner. Our company were detailed to go to the landing on fatigue in the p.m. it commenced to rain just as we started back and we got a soaking. This morning we fixed a shade over out tents and this afternoon I got a letter from Aunt Lucy and wrote to Lucy. Had all the berries we wanted for supper.
June 17 - I have been to the landing today and was there yesterday it has rained nearly every day this week. I have written one letter this week but have recieved none. We got orders to be mustered out here. Capt. Boardman has got back in command of the regiment. Burt went out hunting today and has not got back yet.
June 23 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana - We left camp at Celubrety Springs the morning of the 21st and got on board the Turless and arrived here this morning and came into camp. Major Crook was here this afternoon. I wrote a letter to Lucy yesterday.
July 2, 1865 - We have been very busy last week making out the muster rolls. It has rained most every day last week. We expect to be mustered out tomorrow or next day, got 2 letters.
July 4, 1865 - 7 a.m. we have got to go and march through the city today to make a show to please some officers. It is almost hot enough to roast eggs.
July 22 - We were mustered out the 15th and went onboard the steamer Lady Gay and arrived at Cairo the 20th, got aboard the cars 2 p.m. the same day and arrived here at Clinton last night at 11 o’clock.
July 27 - We were discharged the 24th and started home the 25th and got here last night at 11 p.m. I found Saphrana at M.A. Gregor and she came up with me.
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