[Camp Piatt, West Virginia,] Thursday, June 30, 1864.— This [has been] the hardest month of the war; hot and dusty long marches; hungry, sleepy night marches; many skirmishes; two battles. Men worn out and broken down.
Tuesday, June 14, [we] marched [from Lexington] to Buchanan. A hot, dusty march, twenty-four miles. Bathed in James River. The next day [we pushed on] to “Fancy Farm,” Bedford County, near Liberty, sixteen miles. Fine views of Peaks of Otter. [Thence], Thursday, (16th), to Liberty and beyond on railroad towards Lynchburg. Worked on the railroad, tearing up and burning, etc. [We heard] various rumors generally good.
Friday (17th), Colonel White’s brigade cleaned out Rebels handsomely to [within] three miles of Lynchburg. The next day [the] Rebels [inside the] works [were] re-inforced. [There was] skirmishing and fighting but no general attack. [At] 8:30 P. M., we back out via Liberty Road, [Hunter’s attempt to capture Lynchburg having proved a failure].
Sunday (19th), en route to Liberty, sleepy, tired; hot, and dusty. All goes well however so far. Twenty-six miles. Monday (20th), still on, night and day! Sleepy and tired. Enemy following attacked our cavalry at Liberty yesterday evening with some loss to us. Today at Buford Gap we got ready for battle, but Rebels not ready.
Tuesday (21st), on to four miles beyond Salem. Rebels attack often, but their feeble skirmishes do no hurt to Crook. They however get nine guns of Hunter! Wednesday (22d). fifteen miles to Newcastle. We (First Brigade) guarded the wagon train; poor business. Thursday (23d), [from] Newcastle to Sweet Springs — a beautiful watering-place — twenty-two miles, over two high ranges of the Alleghenies. [Thence, by] night march, seventeen miles to White Sulphur, [arriving] at 2:30 P. M., Friday (24th). Night marches bad unless there is good moonlight.
From White Sulphur, Saturday (25th), [we marched] to Meadow Bluff, twenty-four miles, [reaching there] long after midnight, starved and sleepy. The hardest [march] of the war. The next day [starting] at sunrise, many without sleeping a wink, we march to Tyrees, twenty miles, [at the] foot of Mount Sewell. Monday (27th), at 4 A. M., [we] march and meet a train of provisions at or near Mountain Cove. A jolly feeding time. Camp at old Camp Ewing. The next day, march to Loup Creek, fourten miles; and yesterday to Piatt, twenty-two miles.
