October 29th. All things have been quiet with us since the last date. The regiment voted for President. Commissioners were here from Connecticut. Each voter was given two ballots and an envelope. One for Lincoln and one for General McClellan. The voter, taking his ballots to his tent or anywhere he chose, put in the envelope the one of his choice, seal and return to the Commissioners who carried the vote home. I was not old enough to vote. I could carry a gun and do as much duty as any man.
The excitement through the North is great, so it is reported to us, and trouble is expected in the large cities, owing to the anti-war spirit that is cropping out. According to reports many regiments are being sent to the North to hold the toughs in check. Reported late this afternoon we may be sent to New Haven. Hope there won’t be any trouble, for the sake of good old Connecticut. Later orders came for us to prepare to take train for New Haven. Great excitement in camp tonight as we are getting ready to leave in the morning.
Etowah Bridge, Saturday, Oct. 29. Rolled out early, fifteen of us going foraging to load fourteen wagons from division train, all going for corn for the battery regiments at Cartersville. 6 A. M. an escort of seventy armed infantry came along and all unarmed men turned back, including Battery detail. None of us sorry. Arrived in camp in the afternoon, and built corn crib. We have the satisfaction of knowing that our “cracker line” is once more in running order. Trains have been passing every half hour through the day. An unexpected order was very quietly received 5 P. M. from Major Stolbrand, Corps chief of artillery, ordering us to turn over our horses, guns and necessary equipments to the 12th Battery, take their guns in exchange, and hold ourselves in readiness to report at Chattanooga immediately.
Saturday, 29th.—Passed Courtland at 11 A. M. Has been a very beautiful country, but all lying idle now.
Saturday, October 29.— Received a £5 bill of exchange, and letter dated Aug. 17. Came from Captain Moffatt of Richmond, quartermaster. Officer arrived here last night, captured at Atlanta. Says things are going all right there.
Saturday, 29th—We were routed out at 2 o’clock this morning and at daybreak took up our march. We covered fifteen miles and went into bivouac near Spring creek. We reached Cedar Bluffs by 10 o’clock, where the Fifteenth Army Corps passed us, turning on a road to the right. About noon we crossed the Coosa river on a pontoon bridge and marched all the afternoon through a miserable swamp. The country is heavily timbered with white oak, and is thinly settled.
Saturday, October 29. — Bright and warm. Read “John Phoenix.” A new tent put up in good style. Bunk and fireplace.
29th. Saturday. Wrote to Grandpa and Watson Jones.
Camp in piney woods, five miles South of Cedar Bluffs,
October 29, 1864.
Such a march over pine ridges and through swamps; Egyptian darkness would take a back seat in comparison with this night. It just happened to strike the men as funny, and they kept up a roar of cheering the whole distance.
October 29th, 1864.
Having somewhat recovered from the fatigues of our late expedition, and the keen edge being worn from the mortification I felt at falling back to our old quarters, I can see that, if not successful, no great disaster befell our army. I have heard nothing from Butler; nothing to prove this to have been a feint, while the real attack was to have been made at another point, but of this I am sure, an earnest, determined attack was not made on the left; barely enough to show the Rebels were in strong force. So soon as this was ascertained, the Second and part of the Fifth Corps withdrew and marched rapidly to the right. Our loss was not heavy—about seven hundred.
October 29th.—Clear and pleasant.
We are beginning to get authentic accounts of the operations on Thursday; and yet, from the newspaper publications, we see that the government has withheld one of Gen. Lee’s dispatches from publication. Altogether, it must be regarded as a decisive failure on the part of the enemy to obtain any lodgment nearer to the objective point; while his loss was perhaps two to our one.
A letter from Gen. Howell Cobb, Macon, Ga., in reply to one from the Secretary by the President’s direction, states that Gen. Beauregard, in arranging difficulties with Gov. Brown, did not compromise the dignity or interests of the Confederate States Government, or violate any law.
It is now said Sheridan is retreating toward the Potomac, followed by Early. Some 500 more recruits for Early left Richmond yesterday. This would indicate that Gen. Lee has men enough here.
The President suggests that confidential inspectors be sent to ascertain whether Gen. Early’s army has lost confidence in him. Both Gen. Lee and the President are satisfied that the charges of drunkenness against Gen. E. merit no attention. The Secretary had indorsed on a paper (referred by him to the President) that he shared the belief in the “want of confidence,” etc.—and no doubt would have him removed.
