Etowah Bridge, Wednesday, July 20. Cool day. Health good, but weigh twelve pounds less than at Huntsville. Warm weather thins me out. Dixon and Evie started early this morning on horseback to catch fish in the numerous traps along the river. Returned by dinner with “nary” a fish. A drove of 2,000 beef cattle driven by to the front by convalescents. Monthly issue of clothing made. Drew flour rations. Reports are prevalent of the capture of Atlanta. Hope it is so. Good bath in mill-dam in the evening.
An Artilleryman’s Diary–Jenkin Lloyd Jones, 6th Battery, Wisconsin Artillery.
Etowah Bridge, Tuesday, July 19. The usual routine of duty unbroken. Our camp and position inspected by Major of Artillery, General Steedman’s Chief, who set us to policing after supper. Slicked up in general. Bathed in Etowah in the evening. Brigade band visited us, and discoursed beautiful music under the pale, soft light of the moon. A long train of wagons, consisting of Sherman’s supernumerary teams left at Chattanooga at the beginning of campaign, passed to the front. Convalescents rejoining their regiments by every train.
Etowah Bridge, Monday, July 18. All well. Morning passed off in usual way. Grazing, etc. Great scarcity of news. For variety we went out on blackberry hunt in the afternoon with Corporal Evans. Went five miles, picked dishes full. Visited the ruins of rolling mills, called on several secesh women, returned by sundown, had a gay time and good supper.
Etowah Bridge, Sunday, July 17. Another quiet, still, hot Sabbath day, the dullness of camp life felt in all its might. Could not drive it away, but by writing letters. Inspection 6 A. M. Grazed afterwards. Did not return till noon. Boys loaded with apples, berries, etc.
Etowah Bridge, Saturday, July 16. Had a long ride on south bank of river to graze. Stopped in a beautiful field of “red top”. Wagons out hauling grass into camp. Yankees running an old McCormick reaper as mower with mule teams, doing big business. Weather very, very hot. Felt nearly exhausted when we reached camp, but a healthy reaction took place upon finding a big “foolscap” letter, all from home, also the likeness of sister Margaret and her two little boys. Sweet little ones. It brought to memory the time I was with you, and how I delighted to ride you upon my knee.
Etowah Bridge, Friday, July 15. Grazed in forenoon. Detail and three wagons sent out after oats. Harvested it and brought it to camp. Fed to horses in evening. Found plenty four miles down the river. Brought back piles of apples. No break in the monotony of camp. Evans obtained pass for himself and eight men to go outside pickets to pick blackberries. Spencer, Evans, D. Wallace, Hayes and myself started one morning, followed the secesh railroad running up south side of river to iron works. Walked about five miles, saw a large flouring mill and rolling mills, two of the largest water powers I ever saw, all the works completely destroyed.
Crossed over mountains, through gorges, till at last found blackberries with no ending. Eyes could not wish for more Surrounded by the wildest of hills, but little trace of civilization. We picked our dishes full. I picked nine quarts in about two hours. Awful warm, sweat more than I ever did in August field. Reached camp but little before retreat. Tired and loaded down with berries. Our mess at night ate nearly one-half bushel of berries. Ate till nearly sick. Whew! what a country.
Etowah Bridge, Thursday, July 14. All still and dull, the monotony of camp settled down upon us very soon, a few new shebangs and fixing up around quarters. No mail or news found us in this wild mountainous locality. Country people very ignorant.
Etowah Bridge, Ga., Wednesday, July 13. Up early. Moved 6 A. M. 4th Minnesota, 18th Wisconsin, 80th Ohio and 12th Battery moved on to Allatoona, four miles further on. We went into a fort on a steep cliff or point on the Etowah River and commanding the railroad bridge seventy feet high, erected by Sherman’s Construction Corps. Found everything ready for us, a luck we never before met with, strong fortifications already built, good and neat shebangs, horse-sheds for most of the horses made of lumber, stalls and mangers all ready, and in a few minutes we were as much at home as though we had worked a week. The scenery here is romantic and I hope we may stay here for a time at least. Bathed in the river early evening. Pretty stream.
Cartersville, Ga., Tuesday, July 12. Reveille sounded in the small hours of the night, and with the first rays of the morn we descended the hill and were on the way. After more delay we started, seven regiments, two batteries and division train. Most of the 2nd and 3rd Brigades left behind on the roads. Marched steady and fast. Passed through Cassville at 10 A. M., a very pretty country town hid away among the hills. Four mills on the road. A large college used as general hospital by rebs here. Ascended to the observatory, had a splendid view.. A large library filled with books going to waste. As we marched, country improved. Land more arable, much less stony. Passed most excellent corn fields, although they received no care or protection. Marched through Cartersville 3 P. M., a place of some pretentions in time of peace, occupied by the cavalrymen relieved at Kingston. Camped a mile below in a pretty grove, a good ways from water. Slept in an old house that threatened to demolish us by tumbling over.
Kingston, Monday, July 11. Evie took my team out to graze. Spencer and I built, lower in park, shebang with table, etc. Boys hard at work putting up houses, sheds. 4 P. M. on detail hauling brush for sheds. Orders received to march 3 A. M. in the morning. All work on quarters ceased in an instant, our dreams of cool shade and easy time gone in a moment. Hurriedly washed dirty shirt in the stream, and prepared for the moving. Received a letter this evening. Health good. Expect to go to the front.
