We get up at five o’clock for roll call. Then comes squad drill until breakfast time at 7 o’clock, guard mounting at 8, company drill from ten until twelve. Dinner, battalion drill for two or three hours in the afternoon. Supper at six o’clock, dress parade at sundown, another roll call at nine P.M. so our time is pretty well occupied.

Camp Seward, Virginia

August 22, 1862

 

I tell you there was a few scared men in camp last night, many knapsacks were packed, farewell letters written, and things got ready for a departure from this world, but I must say that I am not afraid that our Regiment will disgrace itself. They will never run. We lack discipline but we have courage and give the men a chance and they will fight… I have made up my mind to keep cool and ‘take things as they come.’

Camp Seward, Virginia

August 28, 1862

 

There we were with our big guns thundering right over our heads, while from the woods in front came a perfect shower of missiles from the Rebel guns. Such a whizzing I never heard before as much like a swarm of bees as anything I ever heard. If we had been standing up we should have been cut to pieces, but as it was most of their balls passed over us and we escaped very well…I had many narrow escapes, one shell burst close by me and threw the dirt all over me. It seems miraculous that I was not hit, while those right by my side were.

Camp on the [Antietam] Battlefield 2 miles from Sharpsburg, Maryland

September 18, 1862

I have about made up my mind that we are ‘in for it’ to the full extent of our term or three years and have concluded to give up thinking about getting back in such a hurry, but to be satisfied to live a soldier’s life for that period, and be contented and cheerful as if at home. At the end of that time, come home, get married and settle down and enjoy myself the rest of my life. How do you like the picture I have drawn?

Maryland Heights

October 13, 1862

 

We marched a circuit of over 60 miles, fought or were under fire four days, lay on our arms five days and nights. Marched the last day in the rain and mud with 90 rounds of Cartridges on our persons, and after an absence of 20 days return to our old camp and settle down. The loss in our Regt. is five killed, 54 wounded & 28 missing... I can but return thanks to Almighty God who has preserved me alive and well and brought me safely out from all of this.

Stafford Court House, Virginia

May 10, 1863

I am wounded and in hospital. I write these few lines so you will not be uneasy about me... I was struck in the left leg by a ball from a Rebel Cavalry man. The ball entered the fleshy part of the limb below the knee and lodged close to the bone, but not injuring the bone... My wound is doing nicely and not all dangerous. The doctors all say a very lucky wound. I have the ball in my pocket and shall keep it to remember South Carolina by.

Savannah, Georgia

December 25, 1864

I suppose you are all crazy with joy over the good news and well we may be. For the first time in four years, we can see light through the storm clouds of war. I shall see no more fighting and soon shall be home again. I can hardly realize the sudden change in affairs. It seems like a dream… I am too full of enthusiasm to say anything about this grand triumph. Every time I talk about it I run over and become too full to speak sanely. I should burst if I did not keep quiet, so for fear might I’ll just let you imagine! And I know you all feel jolly over it!

Goldsboro, North Carolina

April 15, 1865

We passed over Spottsylvania Battle Ground where Grant and Lee fought last summer. I saw some horrible scenes. Hundreds of remains of our soldiers, lie as they fell unburied. The skeleton and clothing is all that remains but these remains thus left filled me with horror and indignation. More when I get home. At Chancellorsville we halted on the identical spot where we fought over two years ago. We visited the very same places then occupied. It was a great satisfaction to us. We came through Fairfax Station where we once encamped and saw many interesting sights between here and Richmond.

 

We have laid out our camp close by Fort Worth, some three miles from Alexandria. In sight of Fort Lyon, another old camp ground of ours. We shall not stay here long. Next Wednesday Sherman’s Army is to be reviewed through Washington. I suppose it will be a grand thing.

Near Alexandria Virginia

May 20, 1865