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

Thursday, 16th—We left our bivouac with the wagon train at an early hour and moved on quite rapidly, expecting to be attacked at any moment. We passed the place on the road where the train just ahead of us was attacked by the rebel cavalry, which captured and burned fifteen of the wagons, taking with them the mules and carrying off the drivers and guards as prisoners. This was a terribly hard day for us. We were not allowed to climb the wagons, but were ordered to keep up with them, and with muskets loaded and bayonets fixed, be ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Then, too, the weather was awfully hot, and the dust kicked up by the mules was stifling; besides this, we were almost famished, the little water we could find being unfit for use because of its sickly odor. But late in the afternoon we arrived at Clinton, where we were relieved by another regiment and went into camp with our brigade which was stationed here.