July 19th. Since July 6th, nothing worthy of especial mention has occurred. The quiet of a garrison life has succeeded the stirring campaign days so suddenly that the former seem altogether uneventful and unworthy of notice, consequently I do not write anything, being busy all the time with routine duties, drills, parades, and reviews. I notice the men are improving physically since our arrival here, owing to better food. I was down to about one hundred and twenty pounds, but am pulling up again slowly. Heavy reinforcements are constantly joining us, so that our losses will soon be more than made up, and we may reasonably expect another advance before long. The heat has been, and still is, excessive; in the nineties every day, but cool and pleasant at night. The fly pest goes on increasing prodigiously; many of the specimens are perfect monsters in size and possess boundless activity and audacity. Just now they are our worst enemies.
This afternoon I got leave of absence for forty-two hours from General Sumner, and a pass to go to Fortress Monroe and return. I start to-morrow morning by one of the transports and expect a delightful trip. I take my diary, covering the events from the north side of the Chickahominy to Harrison’s Landing, July 6, 1862, and intend sending it home by express.
