An Artilleryman’s Diary–Jenkin Lloyd Jones

Iuka, Tuesday, Oct. 20. Cloudy and windy morning. Health very good. Prepared to march in morning, but did not move. Cleared off very pleasantly. Wrote a letter to Albion. Had beefsteak for dinner, having paid 10 cents per pound. The water we got from a pearly spring but heavily tainted with mineral so as to be very unpalatable. Much talk about the disgraceful affair of last night. Happened to be done by members of the 2nd Division mostly, and it is supposed that General Smith will assess the damage from the pay of all absentees at last night’s roll call. It will be no more than just. I think that our Division is getting to be the worst in the Department. Everything is left unmolested by other troops, but when we come along, jayhawking and pillaging is the order of the day. It is done by unscrupulous young men or boys rather, having been removed from all restraint of society and parents, led into extravagant use of money by the spendthrift, finding $13 per month too short, they resort to this means to make “a raise”. It is certainly too bad to think that one would so far forget his home and family as to shock them with their deportment, did they but know. Lieutenant Simpson returned on 2 P. M. train with supply of nose bags, halters, ammunition, etc. but no horses, which are the most needed.