Friday, 18th—The weather is very hot. Colonel Hare took the regiment out on the drill ground for battalion drill, but we remained out only a half hour, since four or five men were overcome with the heat and had to be taken back to their tents.
Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry
Thursday, 17th—It rained all last night and everybody is thankful, as it has become so dry and dusty. There are a few cases of sickness in our regiment, due to the extremely hot weather—a few cases of typhoid fever and some are suffering from chronic diarrhea.
Wednesday, 16th—Our regiment went out on picket. I went on camp guard.
Tuesday, 15th—No news from Richmond.
Monday, 14th—The weather is very warm; it is sweltering. I was detailed with a squad of men from our regiment under command of the quartermaster to go out with the trains to get some corn and fodder for the mules and horses. The Government has adopted the policy of paying for all material taken on a foraging expedition. But this is upon one condition only, viz.; the quartermaster issues a requisition on the Secretary of War for all material taken, and then if the owner of the property can prove his loyalty to the Government, he will get his pay for the same; if he cannot prove it, he will be classed as a rebel and will get nothing.
Sunday, 13th—No news of importance. Some of the men occasionally get into religious discussions. There are two of them rather strong in the Universalist doctrine. One of them who reads the Bible a good bit got into a discussion today with some of the men. While some of the boys are church members in their homes, there are a good many who are not.
Saturday, 12th—We had company inspection again as usual. A good many negroes are coming into camp. Some of the men who are strong enough to work and who want to be free are given work on the fortifications. A number of the officers are adopting negro boys as servants, and some of the most intelligent boys are being sent North to be educated.
Friday, 11th—Nothing of importance today. The weather is very warm. The entire army is engaged on the fortifications and in felling trees, and besides picket duty we have to keep the camp clean and our accouterments polished. Every man has his rifle in readiness.
Thursday, 10th—The regiment returned from picket this morning at 8 o’clock, the Thirteenth coming out to relieve us. The roads are becoming very dusty and a regiment of men with a few mules can kick up a big dust. The soil is a sandy loam, and so fine and of such a color as to look like smoke from even a short distance.
Wednesday, 9th—Nothing of importance today. Our regiment went out on picket again. Our picket line and reserve post are both in heavy timber and so we do not have to be in the hot sun while on duty.
