Friday, 5th.—Passed through Paris at 6:30 o’clock a. m., on through Rutlege’s Mills, arriving at Cynthiana at 5 P. M. Greeted with an incessant waving of handkerchiefs all day; if there are any ugly girls in that country they all stayed at home that day, for these were all pretty.
Robert M. Magill—Personal Reminiscences of a Confederate Soldier Boy, 39th Georgia Regiment of Infantry
Thursday, 4th.—Marched to Paris to-day, through the most beautiful country I ever saw; all covered over with blue grass. Road, with one little deviation, to cross a creek, is perfectly straight for sixteen miles.
Wednesday 3d.—Midnight, started for Lexington; arrived there just as day began to dawn, while gas-lamps were yet burning. Beautiful city; were greeted on every hand with waving handkerchiefs and Confederate flags. It seemed as if all in Lexington were Rebel sympathizers. Federal left thirty-six hours before our arrival, leaving wagons, tents, etc., in abundance. Remained still all day. During the day there was a continued stream of hacks, buggies, gigs, vehicles of almost every description, filled with ladies and Confederate flags, causing an almost incessant yell from the soldiers.
September 2.—Passed through Richmond at 7 A. M. Very nice little city. Saw quite a number of prisoners. Crossed Kentucky River at 12 o’clock; camped in a beautiful country, nine miles from Lexington.
Monday, September 1st.—Marched through the battlefield; Confederates all buried; saw several Federal soldiers not yet buried; camped one mile south of Richmond, after marching twenty-one miles.
Sunday, 31st.—Crossed Rock Castle River at 8 A. M. Very small stream to be dignified by the name of river. Heard that there had been a battle at Richmond; complete victory to the Confederates. Captured all their artillery and great many prisoners.
Saturday, 30th.—Met regiment this morning at Little Laurel bridge. Marched through Loudon at 10 A. M. Rather shabby-looking place. Camped two miles from Rock Castle River.
Friday, 29th.—Notified to-day that we were marching to Richmond, Kentucky. Camped at Big Laurel Bridge. Lieutenant D. U. Fox, R. F. Anderson, Brothers Tom and Lon Magill and myself went out to Uncle Newton Magill’s; very strong for the Union. Said he could not understand how children of his brother could be fighting against the Union. We explained to him that where we lived it was either fight or be conscripted, and made to fight, and so we only had “Hobson’s choice,” no matter which end of the dilemma we took, it was to land in the army. The whole family treated us so nicely that we enjoyed our stay for the night. We trusted them so implicitly that we stacked our guns in the corner down-stairs, and left and went up-stairs to sleep, leaving ammunition and everything down there. It has always been a pleasure to me to think back of how nicely they all treated us.
Thursday, 28th.—Passed through Barbourville to-day about sundown; very dusty. Great many wagons, horses and mules here that have been captured. Saw where Scot’s Cavalry had burned Yankee wagon train. Camped one miles from town; wrote letter and sent home by Rogers.
Wednesday 27th.—Crossed Pinelog Mountain to-day; had hard work getting wagons and artillery over. Marched eighteen miles.
