Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

Saturday, 10th—We had a heavy thunderstorm and rain early this morning, which made it very disagreeable for us on our open coal cars. We arrived at Parkersburg on the Ohio at daylight and left the cars. We cooked and ate our breakfast and then at about 8 o’clock went aboard the transports, and at 4 o’clock in the afternoon we left for Louisville, Kentucky. The Eleventh Iowa and the Thirty-second Illinois Regiments are on board the transport “Empress.” We have a fleet of five boats, which besides the “Empress” are the “Nord,” “America,” “Revenue” and “Edinburgh,” the headquarters boat. All the boats are heavily loaded and we are crowded, but it is much more pleasant than in the open coal cars, and while the sun is hot, it is not so oppressive as on the railroad.