February 5th.—Arrived at home very unexpectedly to all, about 9 P. M. after having marched nine days and over a distance of about two hundred miles.
The weather was freezing cold during our two-hundred mile homeward march. The shoes I had drawn from Confederate States Government were so short I could not bear my feet in them, and so pressed down the vamps and tying the quarters over the instep, my feet, with very thin socks, were exposed on top of the shoe vamps. Result, my big toes were so frozen that soon the nails came off.
Remained at home until the 7th. Reported at Tunnel Hill; was sent to Chattanooga. Brother J. H. Magill came and got us set at liberty, Brother Tom and myself, by our taking the Amnesty Oath. Brother J. H. bought us a nice suit of clothes each and gave us government contract to put cord wood on Eastern Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad at Chickamauga Junction. So we went to work for the Government, and continued until 1st of July, when the job played out, and we returned home. During this time all the Rebel armies had surrendered, and all was quiet. In July I made a visit to relatives in East Tennessee. Since that time I have been at home. While in the army I marched 3,320 miles; and travelled on railroad trains, 2,280 miles; total, 5,600 miles.
R. M. Magill
