By the request of some of my friends and comrades, I have, on this the 16th of June, 1885, commenced rewriting my War Diary for the purpose of having it published in book form.
Unfortunately, the first month of my Diary has been torn out and lost; so I will have to state some things from memory, without giving exact dates all the time.
Wednesday, June 26th, 1861.—Eighty-four men, having previously organized themselves into a company and elected T. M. Allison Captain, met on the above date, at Auburn, Cannon County, Tennessee, for the purpose of starting to Nashville to offer their services to their native State for twelve months. The writer was one of the eighty-four.
Notwithstanding that the above named period is now nearly one-quarter of a century in the past, that day of parting is still green in the memory of the surviving soldiers and citizens of the Auburn vicinity.
Oh! the thought of parting from our friends, relatives, and especially our sweethearts, was enough to make us feel sad, as we did not know that we would ever see them again on earth.
After the “final farewell” to our friends “had been said,” we left Auburn in time to go (about twenty-three miles) to Judge Ridley’s the first day. The Judge lived in Rutherford County, near Old Jefferson.
