June 10th. General Crook joined forces here with Hunter, coming into town from the west. It is now reported that the combined forces numbered about eighteen thousand and that we will advance on to Lynchburg. All sick and wounded who can be moved, including two thousand prisoners, will be sent with guards to Beckley, West Virginia, one hundred miles to the northwest. After they were well under way the army began its march, going to the southeast of the town. The day a hot one, and very dusty as we marched over the rough roads. The boys keep up good courage, taking in the points of interest, and at the same time going farther into the enemy’s country. All cattle and horses that can be found are taken in charge by the Quartermaster’s Department. Some of the cattle are butchered in the night, the meat given to us in the early morning. If we have time, we fry or broil it before we begin our march.
After a march of about twenty miles, we stop for the night. The next town that we are headed for is Lexington. We take notice and comment on the various movements of the army and can most generally tell when the enemy is near and in force.
10th. Friday. Cloudy this morning and a cool refreshing breeze stirring. Wrote a letter home. Would we could see the dear friends. Regt. relieved from picket. I feel happy and contented today. Would that these uneasy, dark, gloomy moments would never come again. Night of the 4th dreamed of a lost friend.
During the next month there was no specially heavy fighting, but the continual grind of marching, counter-marching, skirmishing round and about Lost Mountain and Pine Log Mountain, in rain and mud and mud and rain. On 10th of June report of death of Captain D. U. Fox and Lieutenant J. T. Brown. Just here a sad duty fell to my lot. A letter came to Lieutenant Brown after his death, and, as Lieutenant Brown was a special friend and neighbor of mine, I was requested to open and answer the letter. It was from his affianced, and opened with the despairing words: “Dear Tom, why do you not answer my letters?” and almost knowing he would never answer again, she added, “I trust no critic’s eye will fall on this letter,” and with endearing words, she closed. How could I answer that letter? I could assure her that no critic had seen nor would see it, and could only add what would bring such unutterable anguish, “The noble young man is dead. He was a true Christin and a noble boy.” Letter sealed, addressed and sent. I never kept the name, and to this day I can’t remember it.
Friday, 10th—Our entire army moved forward early this morning. The teams were all left in the rear. We advanced our division about ten miles and went into bivouac at a place called Big Shanty. Our front drove in the pickets and did some brisk skirmishing and cannonading. The railroad station at Big Shanty and the houses have all been burned. Our army is prepared for a big fight. There is no news from Grant’s army, but at last accounts things were working fine.
Near Big Shanty, Ga., June 10, 1864.
Army moved this a.m. Found the enemy again at this place, and have been in line of battle a dozen times, more or less. Our brigade is in reserve for the rest of the division. This is the Kenesaw Mountain; from the top of one peak the Rebels could see probably 25,000 Yanks. Some ladies were there in sight observing us. We are to-night in a dense wood some three-quarters of a mile southwest of the main road. The enemy does not seem to be close in our immediate front, but there is considerable firing about a brigade to our right. General Sherman’s staff say that a general fight is not expected here. A. J. Smith is starting for Mobile from Vicksburg. That’s glorious. We to-day heard of the nomination at Baltimore of Lincoln and Johnson. Very glad that Lincoln is renominated, but it don’t make any excitement in the army. The unanimity of the convention does us more good than anything else. I received a letter from Gen. “Dick” (Oglesby) last night. He is much pleased with his nomination and has no doubt of his success. Neither have I. If we had the privilege the whole Illinois army would vote for him. We are having a good deal of rain, say about 6 hard showers a day. The roads are badly cut up. The hour or two hours sun between showers makes the men all right. The Rebels have no oilcloths and must be troubled with so much rain.
June 10.— Lewis’s Kentucky brigade has been lately in an engagement, and has lost heavily. Many of the men are killed and captured. In it were three brothers, named Laws, from Louisville, Kentucky; one of them, Frank, I knew well. He was an excellent young man. He and one of his brothers left here not very long ago to rejoin the army. We have been told that all three are prisoners. Frank was mortally wounded, and is supposed dead. The youngest is wounded, but not so badly. O, my heart aches when I see the very flower of our land snatched away as they are. A friend, in contemplating a battlefield, writes that his heart is almost broken; and it is not much wonder.
There is not a day passes but we hear of the death of some of the men we have had here as nurses or patients. I bid good-by to many a man, and the next thing we hear he is dead and gone.
A week or two ago I received from Dr. Quintard a package of books, “Balm for the Weary and Wounded.” It is a work prepared by himself for the soldiers. The little fellow of the Twenty-ninth Alabama has got one, which he seems to prize like gold.
Huntsville, Friday, June 10. Abraham Lincoln nominated for the presidency by the Baltimore convention, and Andy Johnson for vice-president which gives satisfaction to the large majority in the army. Hurrah for Old Abe.
Drilled under Lieutenant Hood. Condemned horses turned over. Drew rations, “hard-tack” instead of flour. What does it mean? “Grant Negro Minstrels” set up in town, many boys visited.
Friday, June 10. — All our teams are ordered to White House. I find that our cavalry under Sheridan started two days ago on a raid. I imagine they are going to join Hunter, who is reported to be at Staunton. The reconnoissance made across Bottom’s Bridge by the Fifth Corps was a diversion in favor of our cavalry. Was mustered to-day as colonel, to date from May 6. Rebel cavalry drove in our cavalry pickets this afternoon.
June 10 — This morning at daylight we renewed our march up the railroad. We passed Eredericks Hall, a small village and station on the Central Railroad, in Louisa County. The largest building in the little village is a tobacco factory, where a great quantity of smoking tobacco is manufactured.
This afternoon we passed through Louisa Court House, a pleasant little town of about four hundred inhabitants, situated in a fertile but rolling country and on the Central Railroad sixty-two miles from Richmond, by rail.
We marched until nearly midnight, and camped on the Charlottesville road about five miles west of Trevillian Station in Louisa County. Trevillian is on the Central Railroad and the first station above Louisa Court House; it is about seven miles northeast of Gordonsville. The Yankee raiders are not far from this section of country, for we scented them and heard from them to-day; about to-morrow they will try to do something and we will be ready to assist them in the job.
Diary And Memoranda, 1864
June 10th. Arrived at Gaines Mills and found the boys. They looked rough. Only fifty present. Pickets firing all day.
