Etowah Bridge, Monday, Oct. 17. Volunteered to go out with Sergeant Dziewanowski and twenty men, eight of them armed with muskets issued by the ordnance sergeant for the occasion, to the rolling mills for brick, stone, etc. Teams returned immediately, but the mounted men rode over the country till late in the evening. I stayed and took a home-like dinner with Grandma Williams for fifty cents.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Monday, 17th—We lay in bivouac all day, but at dark moved on about four miles and again went into bivouac. The weather has been very pleasant for some days. The muster rolls of the non-veterans of our regiment were made out today. They received their discharge papers, as their three years’ service will be up tomorrow. There are twelve from our company: Albert Allee, John L. Ayers, John Ford, George Eicher, Padenarin McCarty, Ebenezer Rankin, George Mooney, Hugh C. McBirney, Joseph McKibben, Thomas R. McConnoll, Samuel Metcalf and Albert B. Stiles.
17th. Monday. In the morning rebs attacked pickets. Captured Maj. Morey. 20 men.
Monday, October 17. — My election [to Congress] reported. Seventeen [Republican] to two [Democratic] members of Congress; in Ohio; sixteen to eight in Pennsylvania. Better than all. Governor Morton elected by a good majority in Indiana.
October 17, 1864.
I incline to think that the raid and pursuit are both over, though we wish that Sherman would follow them until they get the punishment they deserve for their impudence. They tore up some 20 miles of railroad, killed and wounded not over 750 for us, and captured about 1,100. Their loss in wounded and killed, whom we have buried, is 1,900; prisoners, that I know of, 600; besides a lot of deserters who have come in. Eight hundred of the prisoners captured by them were negroes, who could not have been taken but for the cowardice of their Colonel, Johnson.
The tearing up of the railroad amounts to nothing. We have not had our rations cut down an ounce in anything.
The man that run that raid ought to be ashamed of himself, and I’ll venture he is.
In Snake Creek Gap, but for General Stanley’s laziness, we would have got enough prisoners to make Hood howl. He rested his corps three hours, just as he did when entrusted with a critical piece of work at Jonesboro.
We have been having a gay time this morning. It is cold enough to make us sit close to the fire, and the negroes keep us in chestnuts.
Jones’ Landing, Va.,
October 17, 1864.
Dear Sister L.:—
I am just as busy as I can be all the time now; not much time to write letters. The trains are some nine miles in rear and I have to go to the front almost every day. I have no clerk and have all the office business to do myself, which is no light job.
I am happy to say my health is first rate now. Riding and exercise seem to agree with me.
Since I wrote you last we have had another battle and more loss in the regiment. Forty-seven men and four officers are the casualties, and the saddest part of all to me is that Captain Dickey is among the killed. I spent an hour during the fight on the very spot where he was struck. I had no business there, but I did not consider it dangerous, and I wanted to see how the fight was going. Soon after I left, while the regiment was being relieved, a shot passed right through the captain’s head. He continued to breathe for thirty-six hours, but was unconscious all the time. I took his body to the embalmer’s and to-day have been down to send it to his mother. His death is the saddest loss I have known in the army. He was almost a brother to me, and was beloved and respected by all who knew him. His loss to the regiment is irreparable. Another of our best captains was wounded, mortally, I fear. Another lost his left arm and will probably never come back. We have less than one officer to a company now, and when we came out we had three.
Richland Jail, Columbia, S. C., Oct. 17, 1864.
Dear Father, — If a friend of Colonel White’s of the 31st Maine deposits any money with you, please place it to my credit. I have let Colonel W. have some money which I draw from a Mr. Caldwell here by giving a draft on you. I have already drawn on you for fifty dollars in gold. Will see that Captain Amory is provided with as much money as he may need. We are both perfectly well. We have been amused for a couple of days looking at a double-headed girl on exhibition at the City Hall next door to us. She is a negress, and looks like two women strapped back to back. You see we have our amusements down here as well as up North. The navy have all left here for Richmond, to be exchanged. I suppose you have received the letters that I sent by them by this time. Have not received the box that you said was sent me. Captain A. had a box sent by Major Anderson, which has not yet reached him. Have only received two letters since I have been here. Please write as often as possible, and send by way of Charleston and Richmond. Mr. Caldwell exchanged my draft on you at the rate of 24 for 1. If you get a good opportunity, send me some Boston papers. Love to all. . . .
P.S. Have just received two letters from home, one from you and one from Hannah. Yours of Sept. 30 and Hannah’s of Sept. 28. A Mr. Garesché called to see me to-day. He had a letter from a Mr. McLane of New York, who requested him to see that I received the full value of the enclosed draft. There was no draft enclosed. He was very sorry about it, and wished me to write and stop the payment of the draft. Please stop payment of all the drafts you have sent me, so I can draw all I wish here from Mr. Caldwell. All the drafts sent to me have undoubtedly been taken out of the letters. Mr. Garesché was very kind, and offered to supply me with money or anything else I needed. He evidently knows nothing of the draft and never received it. Shall write Colonel —— about it. . . .
Monday, October 17.— Played the usual number of games of cribbage. In the afternoon a Mr. Garesché called and showed me a letter from a Mr. McLane of New York, requesting him to see that I received the full value of the enclosed draft. No draft was enclosed and the amount of it was not stated. Mr. G. was very kind and offered to supply me with money or anything else I needed. Received three letters: one from Hannah, the 28th ult., Father, the 30th ult., and Miss — —
They made me jolly for the rest of the day. Wrote to Dr. Marks and Mr. Garesché about Wharton Greene.
October 17 — We renewed our march this morning and moved to Martinsburg. I am weary and tired this evening, as the march to-day was very fatiguing, tasteless, and dull; the Yankee guards did not allow us to get as much water as we needed to drink, and I was thirsty all day. Camped in Martinsburg, near the Baltimore and Ohio depot. This evening our guard turned us over to the care of the One Hundred and Third New York Infantry.
October 17th.—Bright and beautiful.
Still all quiet below, and reinforcements (details revoked) are not arriving—1000 per day.
The Northern news makes some doubt as to the result of the election in Pennsylvania.
From the Valley we have rumors of victory, etc.
A thrill of horror has been produced by a report that Gen. Butler has, for some time past, kept a number of his prisoners (Confederates) at work in his canal down the river, and supposing they were Federals, our batteries and gun-boats have been shelling our own men!
