“…all anxious for the rain to stop, so that we may continue the forward movement.” –Diary of Josiah Marshall Favill.

May 24th. Rained hard most of the day, putting a stop to all military work. In the afternoon Captain McKay and I made an inventory of the effects of poor McKibben, our late jovial quartermaster, who died of a fever contracted at Ship Point, on the 17th ult. We all regret him very much, for his amiable disposition, and excellent abilities. Broom will now be commissioned in his place; he has been acting as such since McKibben was taken sick. Wrote home (as did almost every man in camp I think), and told them how close we are to the enemy, and what they may expect very soon. Camp dull and cheerless to-night, all anxious for the rain to stop, so that we may continue the forward movement.