August 5. — Rode over to headquarters this afternoon to see if I could get a leave, in order to go home and accept my commission as lieutenant colonel. Had a letter from Father this afternoon. Got back to camp about ten and a half. Found staff engaged in playing poker.
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Weld did get his commission and was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the 56th Massachusetts Volunteers. After recruiting and training his new regiment, they started for the war in March 1864. Weld’s war diary entries and letters will be back at dotcw.com in March of next year.
