Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier By Louis Léon [53d North Carolina Regiment, infantry]

April 3—As I have not heard from my parents since the war, thev living in New York, I thought I would send a personal advertisement to a New York paper to let them know that my brother and myself are well, and for them to send an answer through the Richmond paper. I gave this to a Yankee picket, who promised me he would send it to New York. Nothing more up to the 7th.

April 1—Left camp at 8 this morning to go on picket twelve miles from our camp. Our brigade went on picket at Raccoon Ford, and picketed up to Moulton’s Ford. Raining hard to-day, also on the 2d. The river is ten feet above common watermark.

March 28—We were reviewed to-day by our Governor. When I say reviewed, I mean all the North Carolina troops in our corps. After the review we went to Ramseur’s Brigade, where he spoke again. So did Generals Early, Rodes and Stewart. That is all that is worth recording this month.

March 26—We were visited to-day by our Governor, Zeb Vance, who made us a speech of two and a half hour’s duration. With him on the platform was General Lee, General Ewell and several others.

March 17—An order was read out at dress parade that all troops in the army would be held until the end of the war. This was nothing of importance to us, as we enlisted for that time. It is raining and snowing very hard, and almost every day. Our regiment is not in winter quarters, for we expect to move when the bad weather stops. We had a snowball fight—our regiment with the 43d North Carolina. Then our brigade with Battle’s Brigade. It was lots of fun. Nothing more until the 26th.

March 5—We left the mills this morning and returned to our brigade, a distance of five miles. Nothing more up to the 17th.

March 4—I am as stiff as an old man this morning from yesterday’s march on the plank road.

March 3—Left camp at 8 this morning to intercept General Kilpatrick, who is scouting in our lines. We formed in line of battle, had all the roads guarded, when we found out that he was already on his way to the peninsula, so we returned to camp. Twenty miles to-day.

March 2—Started back to camp. The weather was clear and cold. Got there at 7 in the evening, and I stiff from walking. We marched eighteen miles today.