[Nov. 1864] [Dec. 1864]

William and Levi meet after a long separation

IX. THOMAS CRUSHES HOOD'S ARMY - BATTLE OF NASHVILLE DECEMBER, 1864

Oct 1st A.D. 1864. it had rained very hard in the night. I writ some. It rained. The news was that Grants forces had drove the rebels out of the Works & captured more Prisnors than they knew what to do with. & was inwith 4 miles of Richmond & still goying on. & that is the last despatch we have as the wire is cut in our rear. It is said our communication through is ordered to be stoped for 10 days as the road is said to be prety badly destroyed & is not safe at present to send discharged or furloughed troops home. We drew one days light bread. Stanly Clark, Hospital steward of our regt received a furlough approved for 20 days. We had dress parade. I got an order. & the boys got 4 loves of breed. I spent the evening in reading.

Oct 2nd 1864 Sunday it was cloudy & misting rain. We had bread & coffee for breakfast. I writ some. I Inspected the Company at 8:30 A.M. I put my time in at reading & sent out mail. We drew 5 days rations. 3 days hard bread & one bacon (& are to have 2 days light bread.). & some Hommany & vegitable. There was meeting at the 86th Ind but I did not get to go as it was just at ration time. It cleared off & was a beautiful day but was a lonesome day as we had no mail or papers.

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This sheet is the memorandum that you have said has never come to your hands. It was sent in a letter date Sept 30^th, Directed to Sarah A. Eastes. & there was some in the letter to Jas. I want you James to come Pare this & see if it is all that is missing & if it is let me know. & if there is more missing Pleas write amediatly & let me know so I can hunt it up & rewrite it & send it to you.

WM H Huntzinger.

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We had dressparaid. We spent the evening till late talking of bygon days. It rained hard in the night. & about midnight I received orders that reville would sound at 2. & we should have 2 days rations & 40 rounds of Cartridges to the man & everything packed & be ready to march at 5 A.M.

Oct 3rd A.D. 1864. revill sounded at 2 A.M. & I had not slept any more since the order came. We prepaired for the march. It rained. I got 3 bayonetts of Capt Ritter & took two Enfield guns & two set of Accoutrements in full & cartridge box & waist belt & bayonet scabbart & two bayonetts to the wagon. & had some quarling to get our camp kettles hawled. We drew whiskey. The rumer was that we was goying back to Marryetta. At 6 1/2 A.M. the bugle sounded & we started & marched through town & at 11 1/2 A.M. we stoped & the bugle sounded for dinner. & at 12 1/2 P.M. we started & crossed the Chatthoochee river on a poontoon Bridge & we saw that about 30 yards of the railroad Bridge was washed away. I saw Geo W Evans. He was well. It was said that the rebels was back in the direction of Big Shanty Station. We took the Marietta road & marched back to the line of reble works, that they Evacuated the 4th of July. & we stoped at 7 P.M. for the night, having marched about 16 miles. & the roads was very bad as it rained a good deal in the afternoon. My feat was very painful & soar caused by New Shoes. We pitched tents. We drew beef late in the night. It rained considreable during the night.

Oct 4th A.D. 1864. revill at 4 1/2 A.M. It rained. We heared that the 1st Div had orders to put up buncks & camp. At 10 1/2 A.M. the Genl sounded & at 11 1/2 A.M. we started & marched in Marietta about 2 P.M. & marched out to the line of works that the rebels had Evacuated the night of the 2nd of July near the foot & left of Kenesaw Mountain & stoped for the night at 4 P.M. having marched about 8 miles. The talk was that the rebels was inwith 8 miles of us in force & had destroyed the railroad. It rained a little. 7 men of our company was called for Picket. Elijah Anderson was unwell & had to be hawled in ambulance. My feat was very painful. We drew beef after night. & at 2 O'clock the teems came in & we drew 2 days rations of bacon & bread to make out the 5 days rations. It was said the main reble force was near us. & our whole army was with us except what fiew was left for guards.

October 4th [5th] A.D. 1864. we got up before day. Before 8 A.M. the Genl sounded & after 9 A.M. we started & went west across the works. My feat was painful. We drew cartridges & marched along the roads that we advanced along on the 17th & 19th of June & stoped for dinner before 2 P.M. & after 4 P.M. we moved near Pine knob (or top) & stoped at 5 P.M. fronting lost mountain, having moved about 4 miles. We built a line of works as it was said the rebels was on Lost mountain. We got our works don after dark. It was said the rebels atacked Genl Thomas at Alltona Pass & was repulsed & moved off to the right.

October 6th A.D. 1864. it rained a good deal during the night & was still raining hard nearly all the time. John Israel saw from the top of Kenesaw the fighting at two places yesterday. At about noon we got orders that we would remain in camp. & the boys went up on Pine top & saw & heared Genl Shareman talking & laughing. It stoped raining & after noon I boiled our vegitables on a Pine knot fire. It was said the rebels had left & our men was repairing the railroad. & scouting Parties was sent out to lost mountain & said to have went on the mountain & despatched back that the rebels was some distance off from there. I writ some. The Boys told me a good deal that they had heared Genl Shareman telling them on the knob. & he read some dispatches to them & had quite a crowd around him all day.

October 7th A.D. 1864. it was a cool clear morning & the black Pine smoak raised thick in the air. We dryed our blankets & other clothing. Before 1 P.M. we heared a good deal of cannonading on the left west. It did not last but fiew minute. & a fiew shots was heared after 2 P.M. We drew 3 days rations of bread coffee Shugar Salt & one half days bacon & half days beef. It was rumored that two Brigades went out of the 23rd A.C. & found rebel Cavelry. There is where the firing of cannons was. It is said our men captured a Brigadier Genl & Coln & other prisnors. It is said there is about 5 miles of railroad destroyed but not bad. & when the rebels charged Genl Thomas in the Allatoona Pass he let them get near him. & then opened on them with artillery & musketry & they charged 3 times. & but fiew of one Division got away. The Citizens say the rebels brought an empty train of waggons to take away the rations when they captured them at Allatoona Pass as we had a great many rations there & they thought a small force to guard them.

Oct 8th A.D. 1864. it turned very cool & the wind blew hard in the night & continued on all fournoon. I went up on the Knob & could see miles around & could see the knobs & mountains. & the Cumberland Mountains was very blue. & I think I could see Look Out Mountain & the Alleghany Mountains which are over a hundred miles from hear. I writ some. I heared that Lt Joseph Fraker of the 82nd Ind was dead. He died the day after his Commission came to him for Captain. It was a fiew days after I went to see him. He died with Chronick Diarrhea. At 2 1/4 P.M. the Genl sounded & we prepaired to move. & started at 3 1/2 P.M. & marched about 7 miles toward Acworth & stoped to camp at 6 P.M. & there was about 12000 head of beef cattle stoped for the night near us goying toward Atlanta. It was a very cold night. & we slept cold, under one Blanket.

Oct 9th A.D. 1864, Sunday. we was up early. We drew whiskey. & some of the troops moved out. & we heared that the Reseca bridge was washed away. We heared our corps was goying to be left along the railroad to guard it. We drew some of the best beef I think we have drew for over a year. I read some. We made out a morning report. I read the books of Romans & 1st Corinthians today. After 4 P.M. we got orders to lay off camp & put up our tents in nice stile. We did so & pulled grass to lay on. We drew Beef.

Oct 10th A.D. 1864. it was very cold & a heavy frost. We had to lay under two blankets. I took the Diarrhea very bad. We fixed up our tents a little & drew 3 days rations of bread coffee Shugar & Salt & one days bacon. I put my time in at reading. After 2 P.M. the Genl sounded & at 3 1/2 we started & marched through Acworth the County Seat of Cob Co, a small town on the railroad. & we marched on to the Allatoona Pass a little after dark but the moon shun nice. We saw a fiew houses & forts. & they told us that they was fighting at Kingston. & they told us that the rebels charged a fort & took it & could not hold it & killed the batterys horses. & I think the rebels intended to take the Pass & our rations & stay there & try to make us Evacuate Atlanta. We saw the car that had our baggage in it. It was at the Pass when the fight went off. It was from Bridge Port. We marched through the Pass through among the Allatoona Mountains. Part of the time through the cuts on the railroad & part of the time on dirt road. & it was the worst country I believe I ever saw for knobs deep cuts & mountains. We crossed the Etowah river after about 4 miles march through the Pass. & we marched near Cartersville & went in camp at 9 O'clock having marched about 11 miles.

Oct 11th A.D. 1864. reville at 4 1/2 A.M. & the Genl sounded at 5:30. & at 6 A.M. we started our Brigade in front of the Corps & marched through Cartersville a nice little town on the railroad. We marched very fast & passed near Cassville & stoped near Kingston for dinner at 11:30 A.M. & at 1:30 P.M. we started & marched in direction toward Rome about 2 miles & stoped for the night at 3:30 P.M. having marched about 13 miles today. I writ some & eat a lot of grapes & we drew beef after dark & received a large mail. I received 3 letters which was very welcome visitors to me. We got news of a great many of our old acquaintance being drafted which pleased us very much. We took a vote in our regt just to see how many there was who would vote for Morton & all of our company voted for Morton & but 6 votes out of the regt was for McDonald.

Oct 12th A.D. 1864. we had orders to move at 8 A.M. & we started a little before 11 A.M. & marched across the railroad leading to Rome. We heared cannonading after 12 M. & we stoped at 1:15 P.M. for dinner. We started at 3:30 P.M. & marched through a desparate country of hills & hollows & among mudy branches. & could hardly see the ground for flint rocks. At dark we was about 6 miles from where we started. & it rained some. After 8 P.M. we got out of the hills & come in to a nice country & stoped at 10:15 in the night to camp near Rome, having marched about 18 miles today. It cleared of. We heared that Richmond was Evacuated. We retired without supper.

Oct 13th A.D. 1864. we got up about sunn up & got breakfast & received mail. I writ some. We heared that Atlanta was burned & our men leving that part of Ga. We heared come Cannonading. We drew beef & 3 days rations of bread. Coffee Shugar & Salt. The Genl sounded after 2 P.M. & we got orders that Genl W.T.Sherman had ordered us to save every bit of our amunition for the railroad was destroyed between Atlanta & Kingston & Kingston & Chattanooga. We started at 2:30 P.M. & got orders that all company commders would be held acountable for the men stragling. We marched back the same road we came for about 6 miles & then went straight on the big road north East & left the road we came to the right. We got orders after dark that no man should leave ranks or stragle under any consideration. & we stoped at 8:15 P.M. to camp, having marched about 14 miles. It was a nice Country along the valley we was in. The moon shun nice.

October 14th A.D. 1864. Reville sounded at 3 A.M. & the Genl at 4 & at 5 we started & heared the rebels was at Resaca. I was very hoars & had a very bad coald. We passed through Calhoun before 9 A.M. & came to Resaca & saw 4 trains of cars come in loaded with troops & two trains was standing empty, the troops having got out. We passed through Resaca at 11:30 A.M. & we was told the rebels had drove in our skirmishers last night & demanded the force to surrender & the commander sent word back that if they wanted them, to come in & take them but the rebels did not charge. We heared that the rebels was at Snake Crick Gap. We saw where the railroad was destroyed. We marched two miles & stoped for dinner at 12:45 having marched about 14 miles. We heared the rebels had position & goying toward Tunnel Hill. At 3:30 P.M. we started & marched a mile & formed in line of battle to camp for the night. I was very unwell & felt like I was goying to have a spell of sickness. We drew 1 1/2 days rations of beef. We pitched tents as it looked like rain. I did not sleep very much in the night, as I had the toothache all night. At 2 O'clock I awoke & heared a brisk skirmishing to our left (west) seemingly two or more mile distant.

Oct 15th A.D.1864. reville after 4 A.M. I felt very unwell. The rumor was that the rebels had left Dalton & went on destroying the railroad. After 8 A.M. the Genl sounded. & at 9:15 we started & heared a very brisk skirmishing to our left toward Snake Crick gap. & we turned to the left & formed in line of battle fronting north & built a line of works. For the rebels was said to be advancing on us from toward Dalton after being whiped at Tunnel Hill by our forces from Chattanooga. We got a good line of rail work built. & the boys got potatoes & peas. & at 1:30 P.M. the bugle sounded to rally & we was ordered for each man to have 60 rounds of Cartridges to the man. I had a hot fever. We started at 3 P.M. & marched west & started up a mountain (the same chane of mountains that rocky face is a part of). I could not keep quite up. We marched through the woods no road at all. We marched over the mountain & crossed the valley. A very narrow valley. & at dark started up a large mountain & it was very steep & rocky. & when we got to the top we saw the numerous camp fires dotting the dark valley in front of us. It rained a little. We went down in another very narrow valley or gap. It is called Snake Crick Gap. It is a pass between two large mountains. We stoped in the brush to camp at 7:30 P.M., having come 8 miles. & saw where the rebels had cut down timber to block the way. & they had bin atacked in the morning by the 15th A.C. at the entrance of the gap & was whiped back with considreable loss by the 15th Corps. We put up tents.

Oct 16th A.D. 1864, Sunday. reville sounded at 4 A.M. We drew beef & had a fine mess of pot Pees. The Genl sounded at 5:45 A.M. Teems had bin passing all night, as the army of the Tenn was in front of us. We drew 3 days rations of bread coffee salt & two of Shuger & one of bacon. We started at 10 A.M. & marched out of the gap. The gap is from 25 to 100 yards wide between the foot of the two mountains, & several miles through the gap. We marched a westward direction & saw where the rebels had camped. We stoped for the night having marched about 6 miles. I felt very bad. We put up tents & drew beef. The darkies in the valley said the rebels said they would go to Tenn & then to Ky. I writ some.

Oct 17th A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 5 A.M. I writ some. We got pees & sweet potatoes. We got orders that we could turn over all the extra guns & accoutrements & all the teems was to be sent back to Chattanooga except some of the best to hawl rations. & we was not to carry any more than we could help unnecessary baggage. We drew one days rations. & some little clothing. Isaac Higgans came to see me & he is well. I started a letter home by the teemsters. We heared that McDonl was elected govener & some fiew of his friends tryed to cheer over it. I think it is a falshood, a rumor. The boys could go out a forriageing if they took their guns & one of our mess brought in a half hog & some molasses & a chicken & we could not carry all, we had gave the hen to Linsey Stimet.

Oct 18th A.D. 1864. reville before 3 A.M. & the Genl at 5:15 A.M. & the boys that was barefooted was told to keep up as well as possible under the sircumstances. For Genl Woods had sent for 4000 Prs of shoes for his Div. We string out on the road at 6 A.M. ready to start. & at 7 A.M. we started & crossed a range of mountains called Pigeon Mountain I think. We was ordered to make our 3 days rations do 4 days. It sprinkled rain a little. We saw where the rebels had built skirmish works & bin in camp. We turned down the Valley southwest. It cleared off & was very warm & dusty. We stoped for dinner at 1:45 P.M. & started at 2:45 P.M. & turned to the left to take another road. & the Boys stoped out to get Pork & Potatoes. We stoped to camp at 6:45 having marched about 20 miles. We was tired, as we had loads of rations to carry. We got sweet Potatoes. I never saw the like of forriageing in my life.

Oct 19th A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 4 A.M. We had a fine mess of fresh Pork & Sweet Potatoes. A man from each company was called for to go forriageing. An order came from Genl W.T. Sherman that no man should leave ranks while marching on Purpes to forriage. We heared that Gov Morton was elected for Gov of Ind. The Genl sounded at 9:30 A.M. & the bugle sounded for dinner & we started at 12 M & received orders from Coln Post comdr our Div (as Genl Wood is comanding the 4th Corps & Genl Stanly the dept the 4th & 14th corps.) that all commissioned or noncommissioned officers comdg companys would be held strictly accountable for the way the men marched or stragled. We crossed the Catoosa river & stoped, for the 14th Corps was in front & stoped for dinner. We started at 2:15 P.M. & went to the road that we left yesterday & marched to Summerville the County Seet of Chatooga County. & marched about a mile & stoped to camp at 4:15 P.M., having marched about 6 miles. The forriagers got some cattle & our company forriager got a half hog & some Sweet Potatoes. 9 men was called for, for Picket from our company. We drew beef & a little mutton. I heared that I had bin reported by Geo W Andrews for not detailing him for to forriage this morning & let it count as a detail on Picket. But he did not make anything as he had to come to term & go on Picket, as the Capt comdg regt told me to make my details & make them come to them.

Oct 20th A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 4 A.M. & we eat a fine mess of Sweet Potatoes & fresh Pork. The Genl sounded at 6:15 & a man was called from each comp to go a forriageing. We started at 7:15 A.M. & received orders that no man should leave ranks unless from the Pressing call of Nature & then to leave their gun with their comrads till they returned. & henceforth we are not to draw any more rations on this campaign only what will be forriaged by a sufficient detail each day from each regt with a wagon. Our regt was at the front of our Div. & a man was left at each house to guard them till our corps & train passed. I left my canteen where we stoped to reast. It was half full of molasses & was the one I got on Mission Ridge. It was the first thing I believe I left since I have bin in the service. We got orders to have roll call each time we stoped & account for all unlawful absentees. The Principall growth of timber in the valley that we have bin in for the last 3 days is oak & pine some fiew scatering Hickory & some other kinds. The dust was very deep & filled the air when we marched. We stoped at 12:15 for dinner. & at 1:15 we started & crossed the Ga & Ala State line & marched in Alabama & stoped to camp at 4:30 P.M., having marched about 18 miles. Elij Anderson was sick & rode in the ambulance. 34 men of our regt was left to guard houses. Henry Stultz came to see us. Wm Criteser brought in a lot of biscuit & molasses from the house I left him to guard.

Oct 21st A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 4 A.M. We drew beef. I writ some. I have a severe cold in my jaw or newralgey & I have had [it] over a weak. I read a letter of Oct 12th stating that Hon O.P. Morton was elected Gov for the State of Ind. That is good news for the soldiers. It made me glad to hear of the union ticket coming out best. I made a requisition for clothing. We drew 3 days rations coffee salt & Bread to do 5 days. I writ at all odd minuts. The boys went out & got Potatoes. We was notified that the mail would go out in the morning. I was very unwell all day.

Oct 22nd A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 5 A.M. Two men was called from each company to go a forriageing. It was a cold morning. & the ground was covered with a big frost. We did not move & more men from each company was called to forriage expressly for the regt. I went to writing but felt very unwell, caused by cold. The teems came up. A small mail came in. The Second Division of each corps came up. They had bin sent back when we was at Atlanta under Genl Thomas. We was notified that the mail would leave headquarters in the morning for the north. I writ & sent out a letter. We drew some shoes. The forriagers got the head quarter teems loaded with beef Pork & Potatoes. & they issued the Potatoes to the troops & our mess mates got Potatoes & molasses.

Oct 23rd 1864, Sunday. reville sounded at 5 A.M. It was a very cold night & a heavy frost & some ice. Two men from the company was called for to go a forriageing. I made a morning report. We got orders to cleen up camp a little. The most of the boys went out a forriageing. I writ some. I felt very bad & unwell. Our mess got Potatoes & molasses. & some of the comp got meat Potatoes & apples. After we retired we was waked up to draw sweet Potatoes. & at 9 o'clock I was awaked again to draw two days rations to do three. & we was told to make the rations now on hands to do till the 31st. The word was that we was goying to march in the morning.

Oct 24th A.D. 1864. Reville sounded at 4 A.M. A large train went out & some troops to guard it to Rome, after rations. We drew beef. I ast the capt comdg the regt to let some of the boys go out forriageing. I writ some. Wessley T Sheppard was detached at Div head quarters. We layed off camp & put up our tents in regular order. The Boys of our mess got Potatoes & a lot of honey. I suffered a good deal with the neuralgey in my head & jaw. The troops of 1st Brig drilled some. It was beautiful weather. We reasted fine, having a splendid bed of grass to lay on.

Oct 25th A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 5 A.M. We made the morning report. I was notified that Samuel Swan was a patient in U.S.A. Genl hospital Jeffersonville Ind. An order was brought around from dept Hd Qrs to read against anyone goying out a forriageing unless detailed, & have written authority to show. I writ some. We got orders to Police our whole camp from the color line clear back. I done some sewing. We draw beef every day. We drew some beens & vegitable. The camp was ditched & slop sinks. We heared that Sharidon had gained another victory. The boys that had furloughs was ordered to start home with them. I sent letters with some of the boys. I could not reast good as I had the toothache bad all night.

Oct 26th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. Two men was called from the comp to go a forriageing. We are in Cherokee Co., Cherokee Valley near Gaylesville. I put my time in at reading in my testament. At noon one man from each company was called to go a forriageing expecting to be gon two days. It rained a little during the day. Some of my mess went out & got some Potatoes. I read three or four books in the testament. The forriagers did not get the teems loaded with Potatoes. The Boys got a fat Beef & brought it in. & 4 comps intend to devide him amongst ourselves. We had him guarded all night. & it rained all night.

Oct 27th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. It was still raining & we got orders to get ready to march at 8 A.M. We prepaired to march. We drew one days rations of coffee & Bread. At 7:45 the Genl sounded & at 8 A.M. the troops started & at 8:30 we started our regt in rear of our Div. It was rumered that we was goying to Chattanooga. Mr. Holdcroft was sick & had to go to the ambulance. I was very unwell & could hardly get along, as it was very muddy bad marching. We marched through a gap through the Shindig Mountains into Shindig Valley. We passed through a hilly Poor Country & very shrubby timber till after noon we got in to what is called Lookout Valley & could see the Cumberland range of mountains just to our left. We stoped to camp at 3:10 P.M., having marched about 15 miles. It still rained at times. We drew beef. & our mess gave 50 cts for a beef liver & went out & got a mess of sweet Potatoes. We Pitched tents & it cleared off & turned cold.

Oct 28th A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 4 A.M. We had a fine mess of Potatoes & liver. The Genl sounded at 6 A.M. & at 6:30 we started. Wm Holdcroft was sent to the Hospital. We marched through Alpine where the 2nd Div of our corps was in camp. & they fell in our rear & are with us. & we marched through a beautiful country. & it was a nice day but the road was very muddy. We stoped for dinner at 10 minuts till 12 M. Two men from Each comp was called to go a forriageing. At 12:45 we started & marched in to Georgia & stoped for the night near Lafayett at 4:10 P.M., having marched about 22 miles. We Pitched tents & drew Beef. The forriagers got plenty of forriage. Our mess got a hamb of Pork & one of mutton & lots of honey, & potatoes. We retired late & did not reast very good.

Oct 29th A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 3:30 A.M. & the Genl sounded at 5:10. & we started at 5:40 A.M. & Passed through Lafayette the County Seet of Walker Co. Our Brigade was in front of our Corps. It was a beautiful day. We got plenty of Persimmons to Eat. And about 10 A.M. we got to the Place that we had advanced to on Sunday before the Chickamauga battle after the rebels & we passed by Lee & Gordon's Mills & marched along the road that we doublequicked along & then turned to the right & captured the battery. & where the Place Levi was wounded. & we saw the graves scattered all around over the ground & the timber tore by Balls very much. We marched through the Gap in the Mission Ridge & Passed through Rossville & stoped to camp at 10 minuts till 3 P.M., having marched about 22 or 23 miles. We heared the cars at Chattanooga. We drew beef & retired late.

Oct 30th A.D. 1864, Sunday. reville sounded at 4 A.M. & the Genl at 5:45 & at 6:30 we started & marched into Chattanooga & stacked arms at the Depot at 8:15 A.M., having marched 5 miles. & we saw 25 locomotives & we all expected to get on the cars & go toward Huntsville Ala. Sergt Jas. C Dunlap & Hiram Shipman came to us. We got a bord a train of box cars & at 9:45 we started toward Bridge Port & Passed through a Tunnel. The train stoped at Whiteside Station & the Boys got cakes chees & other notions. We Passed through Shellmount. & at 12:20 P.M. we Passed over the Tennessee river at Bridge Port Ala. It is very mountaineous between Chattanooga & Bridge Port. & the railroad winds it way between them. & it is said the road crosses the corner of Georgia. The Country is tolerable good below Bridge Port. We got to Stevenson at 1:10 P.M. & at 3 P.M. we started after changeing Engins & went down through a low flat swampy Country & at 5 minuts till 4 P.M. the train stoped & the Bugle sounded for dinner. & we soon heared that the rebels had destroyed the railroad & the construction train in our front had stoped to repair the road. The rebels had left the road till we got there. & it was said they was fighting at Decature Ala. The Boys that went out from the cars said they could hear the cannons at a distance. It was said to be the gunbots on the river. We crowded in the cars after dark & was so crowded we could hardly sit down. About 10 O'clock the road was finished & we started . We got a small mail. But little did we sleep for we was so badly cramped up. We passed through Huntsville & left the Memphis & Charleston railroad & took the Nashville road. & the cars run at a moderate regular rate of time.

Oct 31st A.D. 1864. at 6 A.M. we arived at Athens. & the troops in the train in front of us began to get off. & at 6:45 A,M. we got off ove the cars having road 140 miles on the cars. & we got breakfast. Athens has bin a nice little town & is the County Seet of Lime Stone County. We layed around in the hot sun wating to move. There was a good many drafted men joined the veteran regts of our corps (but non of our corps came down but our div). & lots are on their way to the other corps. At 11:30 A.M. we started & moved out to the fort to draw half day rations of bread coffee Shuger & salt to do a day. & at 1:15 P.M. we started & marched back through town & it is a nice town & surrounded by a nice country. Dunlap said that Lt Batchelor was examined & bronnounced unfit for the service & consequently he had to resign. & Capt Howe will soon resighn if he has not already resighned. Dunlap took his Plase & comenced doing duty. Shipman saw Levi & he was geting along fine but wants to get to the regt & has offered $50.00 to any one that would get him out of the veteran reserve corps, & get him to the regt. The road we traveled on was nearly all the way through the woods. Two of my mess stoped & killed a hog & found a Bbl of molasses hid in the woods. & they got two canteens of molasses. We stoped in the woods to camp at 6 P.M., having marched 10 miles & it was dark. & we geathered limbs & soon had a fire & a good supper.

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November 1st A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 2:30 A.M. & the Genl at 3:30. & at 4:15 A.M. we started our Brigade in front. & the 1st & 2nd Divs of our corps is said to be at Huntsville. We crossed out of Alabama in to Tennessee. & the timber lookes a great deal like it does in Indiana. More than any we have seen for a long time. The Rumer was that the regt that we left at Athens left shortly after we did & the rebels came in & took possession of Athens. We got to Elk river at 8 A.M. & the Boys pulled off their trousers & shoes & socks & we all waided the river. & there was several houses a fire & rails to dry by. & we marched through Elthun [Elkton] in ____County & took the Pike & marched through a beautiful country & saw a lot of cotton & darkeys Picking the cotton. We stoped for dinner at 11:30 A.M. & at 12:45 we started & saw where the cavelry had throwed the fences & bin skirmishing. It comenced sprinkling rain. We marched in to Pulaski the County Seet of Jiles County & it is the Pretiest little town I believe that I have seen in the South & is inhabbited by some of the Pretiest kind of femails & looks like a northern town. It is situated on the railroad leading to Nashville. We stoped & reasted a while in town having marched 24 or 25 miles. There is part of the 9th & 10th Ind regts cavelry camped hear. & we moved out of town to camp & stoped at 3:45 P.M. It rained a good deal. Two of our mess got half of a fat hog. The stars & stripes is floating over fort Pulaski. 7 of our compy had to go out on Picket. & after dark we drew 1 1/2 days rations of bread & bacon & 3 days of coffee & Shugar & Salt, Desecated Potatoes & soap & candles. & we retired late to reast.

November 2nd A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 5 A.M. It still rained a little. We heared that the whole rebels army was advancing on us. I put my time in at writing. & we was told that the mail would leave at noon. We drew a day & a half rations of bread. The cars runs from Nashville hear but cant runn to Athens for the road is destroyed. One of our mess got some corn Pones. We drew beef. I sent out mail. It rained nearly all day. It was said that the army of the Tennessee & the 14th & 23rd corps had started to Macon Ga & the rebels had recrossed the Tennessee river & started after them. & the rumer was that Each Div of our corps was to be a corps. & each Brig a Div & was to be recruited up to 50 or 60 thousand strong & to be called the Army of the Cumberland & to keep the communication open in the rear of the army. & it was said that the 14th corps was assigned to the Army of the Tenn. & the 20th to the army of the Ohio. It is said Genl Batty came up, also Q.M.Colclagier. It is said Lt Burns is Promoted to Capt. We retired late.

Nov 3rd A.D. 1864. reville sounded after 5 A.M. & it had rained nearly all night & still rained. We have to carry wood over a half mile. Genl Woods sent a congratulary order around to be read to all the troops. He spoke well of the good marching & comparitively no straggling. & after fording the river & marching 24 miles & camping so soon in the day when we came in to Pulaski. & he said where the conscrips tryed so hard to keep up with the more tryed troops such soldiers he thought would stick together in battle. The 1st Div of our corps came in. There was a great many rumors current about the rebels army, & where they was. It turned very cold & rained nearly all day. I writ for the Boys. There was two men from the company called for to be ready at 6 A.M. in the morning to take charge of artillery Horses.

November 4th A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 6 A.M. & it was very cold & had rained nearly all night & was spiting snow. Several trains of cars came in. & William Holdcroft came up on the cars. He came around by Nashville. Artillery was sent up on the cars. We suffered considreable from coald. It was said Part of the 23rd Corps came to this town. We drew some clothing. We received a large mail. I received 4 valuable letters & a Paper from a good union Ladie friend of mine with the speach of Genl A.P. Hovey marked out for me to read. & it is one of the best speaches I think I ever read. I put my time in at reading the testament letters & papers. It was very cold all day. We drew 3 days rations of bread & meat. We received notice of Thomas Swan drawing clothing & so he had bin latly exchanged. I set up late & read. & it was said the 1st Div was to move Early in the morning. It was very cold.

November 5th A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 6 A.M. It was a very cold frosty morning. I put my time in at writing & reading. We drew some more clothing & Boots. It cleared off & was a beautiful day concidering the damp cool air. I sent two memorandum books home. I went up to Fort Pulaski & it is a beautiful position on a high commanding place & will mount several guns & it overlooks the town & whole surrounding country. We layed off regular camp & put our tents in regular stile. & pulled weeds to lay on.

November 6th A.D. 1864. reville at 6 A.M. It had clouded up & turned very cool & was sprinkling rain. 4 men was called for Picket. & I was called for fortigue & I took a squad of 8 men to town & we cleened out a house to store away rations in. It rained some. The railroad had bin cut yesterday. One train came in this morning & brought mail & our baggage that was in the waggons came in on the train. There was a detail of 5 men from the comp. & a heavy detail from all the corps & they went to town & got new Picks Axes & Spaids & comenced fortifying. & from all apperance we will stay hear some time & be paid if the rebels does not make some move to prevent us staying. I went to camp after dinner. We drew 3 days rations. I received two letters. One stated that my step Mas youngest sister had died but a fiew days since. O how shocking the news was to me for the last time she writ to me she was so well & her health was so good I could hardly think that it could be so. O how sorry I was. For I had flattered myself with a long chat with her at the Expiration of my three years before I went out home. For she lived in Indianapolis, on my way home. But alass she is gon & it should be a warning to us who are left to meat death. For the young die as well as the oald. It rained at night. I set up late & read.

Nov the 7th A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 5 A.M. It had rained nearly all night. There was 4 men called for from our company, for fortigue to report at 6 A.M. to fortify. I writ all the time & sent out several letters. Dunlap got me to help him make out some reports. I put my time in all day at writing & writ till late.

Nov 8th A.D. 1864. reville at 5 A.M. It had rained during the night & still rained a little. I remembered that today the Presidential Election was to come off. & well convinced am I that Lincoln will be reelected. I writ nearly all day & sent out two letters. It rained nearly all day. & our regt had to work nearly all afternoon at the entrenchments. Some of the 86th Ind stold our coffee Pot. & I looked around & found it & took it. Genl Beatty is commanding the Brig. & I think Coln Knefler will soon come back to our regt. There has bin something the matter with the railroad for a fiew days as no throw trains have come in. I writ till late.

Nov 9th A.D. 1864. Reville sounded at 5 A.M. & it had rained all night & still rained at times. The Camp was a perfect mud hole & we cut sod & built the walls of our tent & put the tent up. & some carried boards over a mile to put up buncks. It comenced raining very hard. & our regt went out to dig in the entrenches. & it rained so hard that we was sent to camp. & we drew 1 1/2 days salt meet & 3 days rations. I put my time in at reading. & at night it stoped raining & cleared off. I read & writ till late.

Nov 10th 1864. Reville as usual at 5:30 A.M. 3 men was called from the comp to go a forriageing. & at 8 A.M. 4 for pickets. & at noon the rest of the comp & regt went to work on the entrenchments. I writ & sent out two letters. It was a clear drying day. Part of our Brig was being paid & our regt was buisy makeing out pay rolls. The Official Notice came that Lt Thos. C. Batchelor was honorably Discharged the service of the U.S.A. As everything indicates that our Campaign has ended I will state the distance we rode on the cars (140) & the distance we marched from Atlanta to Pulaski (254) total 394 miles. The news was that Genl Sherman had left Atlanta Ga with his whole force. & they are marching toward Savanah in three collums. & that Genl Hood had left the Tenn river at the Shoals & other points that his forces has occupied & are following Shermans army. The forriagers got a quantity of fresh Pork & Corn.

Nov 11th A.D. 1864. Reville as usual. It was a beautiful day. Lt Byrkit comenced makeing our Pay Rolls as he was don with his & is a good fast hand. I went to Brigade Hd Qrs h saw Coln Knefler to see if anyone had bin recommended as 1st Lt in our Comp to fill the plase of Batchelor. & there had not & I ast if he would let the company say who they would rather have. & he said he thought that would be the best & told me to see Dunbar about it. At Noon we went to the fort North West of our camp on the hill & worked on it. It is a fort with 7 sides or fronts. & the most of it is built of stone & it will hold about a brigade of men. There was a small train came in. I dont think it was a through train. A dispatch came to our Genl Comdg that the reports of all the States was in & that Abraham Lincoln had carried the day in all the states except Kentucky Delewar & Newjersey. This was good news to read to us. & we feal perfectly satisfied know. In the evening the 17th Ky had dressparade. & one Privat Benjamin Crabbtra of Comp C 17th Ky was brought in front of the regt. & his centance was read to him that he should be drummed up & down the line in front of the regt & then give him his dishonorable discharge without any pay for deserting in front of the enemy & cowardice. The order was complied to.

Nov 12th 1864.--- Reville as usual. It was a beautiful morning. I writ some. We signed the pay rolls. At noon we went out & dug a ditch about 15 inches deep & the width of a spaid & cut & sharpened rails & put them in & filled dirt around them to hold them all around in front of the entrenchments. & they are puting up what we call hay racks in front & all around the forts. They are made of polls about 8 inches in diameter [with] 2 inch holes bored some 10 or 12 inches apart & bored on two sides & pieces of timber sharpened at both ends & about 4 feet long drove half way through the pole. So the sharp ends show each way & leve no chance for anyone to get over them. We ditched our camp & some of the boys built chimneys to their tents. We drew 3 days rations & as Criteser, Hicks & Mitchell had built a chimney they went to cooking & eating by their fire. & so that leves Dunlap, Hague, Richardson & my self in our mess. The corps train came in & the 19th O.V.V.I. rejoined the Brigade. & Israel & Martin came over & said thay had a very hard trip coming through. & there was gurillas following them all the time & capturing some of the boys once & a while when they went out from the road to forriage.

November 13th A.D. 1864. Reville as usual. It was a cool morning. We got Paid off. I got $146.90. We got 8 month pay. & we made out a Alotment roll & I sent $100.00 home. & our company sent $1820.00 by Alotment roll & several did not send any money home. The trains came through from Nashville & Major Parker came up. & Stanly Clark rejoined the regt. I colected nearly half of the money that was coming to me. There was a large mail came in. I received two letters. One from Levi. & he is a Courier or messenger for Maj Genl Rusaw & runns from Nashville Tenn to Thomsonville on the North Western R.R. distance 78 miles. & he was well satisfied & said the rebels was as thick as rats along the road but he said he thought if they captured him they would never read a dispatch that he carried. I writ some. The rumor was that the five trains that came in tonight would take our Div away tomorrow. After night Serg't Matthew Chandler rejoined the Company. I retired late.

Nov 14th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. I writ & sent out two letters. I went to Capt Dunbar Com'dg the regt & ast him if he would let our company vote on who they would rather have for 1st Lieutenant in our company & he said he would as far as he was concerned & would state the case to Coln Knefler & try to make arangements for our company to furnish a Lieut in the vacancy. & I ast Dunlap if he was goying to try to get the Commission & he said he did not know whether he would except of it or not & as he is intitled to it by rank he said he would study on it a fiew days & then let me know. & he said he was willing to leve it to the vote of the company. We made requisition for all the clothing that we wanted know. The order was to fix up camp. & the teems hawled lumber from houses that was tore down in town expressly for us to build buncks. I don some Sewing. There was about 6 trains came in & a little mail came in. I loned John Israel $10.00 for a fiew days to get a start Peddling Tobacco. Our Baggage that had bin sent back from McDonalds Station last Spring for to be stored away, came up. & Lieut Cardell & the Bbl that we put 13 overcoats in did not come. I writ till late.

Nov l5th A.D, 1864. reville as usual. It had rained nearly all night & still rained. We drew all the clothing that we made requisition for yesterday. & I draw a Pr of Trousers, Pr Drawers, 2 Pr Stockings, Pr Boots, one Shirt, one Blouse & a hat. Our Bbl of Overcoats got misplaced & was with the Baggage of the 17th Ky. & we went down & got them. We had geathered Plank anough from one Plase & another to build a tent up off ove the ground, & bought a Pound of nails & partly built a tent or little house. & it rained so hard that we quit. I changed & sewed Pockets. We drew 5 days rations except meet. I received a letter from Capt D W Howe & two others. & one had a Photograph & some needles & a neadle Book. & the other had needles & Pattent thread. There was a fiew Plank hawled with the teems for us. It was said the 3rd Div of 23rd A.C. came in on the cars.

Nov 16th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. It still rained. I & 4 men of our Company was detailed for Picket & two men with teems. We went on Picket & had strict orders. & it rained nearly all the time. & very hard at times. & was cold. & we sent in to camp & got an ax & choped good wood & Pressed a teem to hawl a load of rails & had a good fire. & after dark it ceased to rain. & we stood four hours at a time. I heared James Cotten rejoined the comp.

Nov 17th A.D. 1864. I slept some during the night. We was relieved & went to camp & finished our tent & have a nice bunck up off ove the ground & Plenty of room as Hague & I stay in one tent & Dunlap & Richardson in another. I felt very bad with coald. It rained some. I sewed a good deal. I bought a new Plate for 25 cts as my old one is Played out. Isaac Higgans came over to see me. He said their camp was one mile distant. The 3rd Div of 23rd A.C. I got a candle of the Sergt Major & writ till late.

Nov 18th 1864. reville as usual. We slept fine in our new house. It had rained nearly all the night & still rained. Two of our company went out to guard teems & two after lumber to Press the teem & hawl a load for to build a tent for Lieut Cardell. I put my time in at writing. & sent out two letters. We drew Sanitarys, crout & onions. Hague & I carried rock & put up our Chimney about half way & dark set in. The Boys did not get Plank for the L'ts tent. The forriagers got in late in the night & Richardson of our mess brought in some fresh Pork. I writ till late. The trains did not come in till late in the night.

Nov 19th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. It had rained all night & still rained. We worked a while at the chimney & got it high anough to build a fire in it & stoped as the rain fell so fast. We bought some apples at 50 cts Pr Dozen. It rained nearly all day. We had a fire in our tent & enjoyed our selves fine. I writ till late. & we retired late & rested fine.

Nov 20th A.D. 1864, Sunday. reville as usual. We finished our chimney & got up some wood & I washed my self & came out in disguise, altogeather in new cloth. Lt Cardell had got Plank yesterday & pu a tent or Dunlap did & stays with him. I writ & sent out two letters. At 11 A.M. the order came for Companies E & I to go to guard a bridge. & we got ready & drew a 3 days rations & went to the Depot & wated to get a bord a train. & at 3:30 P.M. we got on bord a construction train & went a mile & a half toward Athens & got on another train leving one sergt & 6 men as guards. & we went to the Richland crick where the railroad Bridge was burnt. It is on the Tenn & Ala R.R. & we got off Being 6 miles from Pulaski & fixed up little tents very comfortable. & we was told we came down to guard the camp of road hands & framers who had just pitched camp. & it was very cold & raining. The hands was to build bridges which would take them about 20 days. & then we expected to be left to guard the Bridge. & that would be a very nice thing for us. We retired very late.

Nov 21st A.D. 1864. reville sounded by a differant kind of a bugle & we was awaked by the blowing of an Engin. & the word was passed through camp for us to get ready to leve as quick as possible as the rebels was said to be makeing a raid & the hands & trains was wanted to runn into Nashville before the road was cut. It was 3 A.M. & we soon got ready & on the train but the hands & their baggage was not all on till 4 A.M. We started & runn up to the other camp. & then had to back nearly half way back to let some other Engins wood [fuel up with wood?] & then we runn up & loaded up some baggage & then had to water the Engin with buckets from a branch & then Run up near Pulaski Depot & run in to another train & throwed off two cars & we got off ove the cars at daylight & walked to camp. & the rumor was that the 2nd Div of our corps had marching orders. It comenced snowing. We put up tents & streitened up things as well as we could. & it snowed a good deal but as the ground was wet & full of water the snow melted. We had to carry our wood a good ways. I writ some & sewed some. It was rumored the 2nd Brigade of our Div had marching orders & the 9th Regt Ky Vols Inft was relieved from duty. At 3 P.M. the ground comenced freezing & at dark it would bare a man up. I helped the Lt make out some Inventory Papers of the comp & garrison Equipage on hand & to be condemned & turned over. We drew Whiskey. But I dont drink my rations & havent saw whiskey for some time.

Nov 22nd A.D. 1864. reville as usual. It had cleared off in the night & was very cold & the ground sollad. It was rumered that there had bin a fight at Columbia yesterday. & that our men got whiped back. & that we was goying to march. But I think it is a false report as the trains came in last night. The 9th Ky started home as their time is out. I writ some. The mail brought me one letter from home. They was all well & I cant tell how glad I was to hear from home as I had not heared from home for over a month. They thought I was killed or captured for they had not heared from me for so long while we had no communication in our rear while at Atlanta. We drew 2 days rations. I got all of my old clothing washed. I sent out two letters. It clouded up & snowed. Our regt furnished Pickets. We carried up a good lot of wood. There was Plenty of rumors that we would march in the morning toward Nashville. The 2nd Div of the 4th Corps went this morning. & the 3rd Div of the 23rd Corps is gon. The thoughts are that the rebels under Hood are trying to get between us & Nashville. I writ at all odd moments. The trains came in. A notice came to regt Head Quarters that Capt Daniel Wait Howe was discharged the service, being unfit for the service from the affects of the wound he received on the 23rd of June 1864. We regreated vary much that he was out of the service as he was a nomber one Captain. But he has done all he can for the service of his country in the field. But he will be apt to do all he can at home for the union. We carried up a good lot of wood & dried our cloth. I helped the Lt with his clothing account till late.

Nov 23rd A.D. 1864. reville as usual. It was cold & clear. The cavalry left. The rumor was that Richmond was evacuated & Genl Lee & army was makeing their way to Ky. & as I have saw in the papers that Lee had bin sending some of his force away & as they have bin fighting at Bools Gap & Strawberry Plains E Tenn I thought there might be some trooth in part of the army makeing their way to Ky. But I dont think the city of Richmond is Evacuated yet. We had a large mess of fried onions for dinner. The Genl sounded at 12 M. & we prepaired to march. The baggage was sent to the Depot to be transported on the cars. Coln Knefler has bin with our regt for several days & it is said that Major Parker is L't Coln & Capt Dunbar Maj'r. The Suttlers burned their tents & what goods they could not take away. & some fiew rations & sanitary was burned & destroyed at the depot & from all appearance we are goying to Evacuate this plase. & go toward Nashville. At 4:30 P.M. we started leveing camps all on fire. We went to town & at dusk we started & took the Nashville Pike. & our Brigade was in the rear of the whole concern & marched along slow after the train. & we passed hundreds of darkies from the smallest to the greatest size. There was a camp of 15000 darkies near Pulaski who was employed by the Government to tend farms in cotten & c. We stoped at 15 minuts till 2 o'clock in the Woods, having come about 12 miles. & was 9 hours without takeing off our knapsacks to reast, as we had to move with the teems. & did not know what minut we would start when we stoped. When we stacked arms we found we was in a grave yard & we found room anough between the graves where we was goying to lay down to sleep. But the Genl comensed sounding in the other Div. & we got orders that we would move in one hour. & our Bugle sounded reville. We got something to eat. & at 3 A.M. I layed down to sleep & got in a dose when the Bugle sounded.

Nov 24th A.D. 1864. the Boys had fell out so that there was only about one third of the regt Present. We fooled around & did not start till 4:30 A.M. & we marched along joaking each other about the knap that we thought to take & was dissappointed. It was clear & cold & we marched very fast & we reasted at 9 A.M. & heared distant cannonading. At about 11:30 A.M. the order came for our regt to go out on the left flank for the rebels was there & there was only about 55 officers men & all in our regt for they could not stand to march so hard & far as we had. We went to a corn field about 100 yards from the Pike. & our cavelry was holding the rebels in check. & we deployed & advanced through a very thick corn field firing as fast as we could load & fire as we advanced & the rebel cavelry road off dodging very fast & went to a woods & part of them dismounted & deployed & comenced advancing on us. & I loaded & fired as often as I could & I proposed to advance a little to a better position in the ground. & the officer let us advance & then I sliped out further than any one else & the rebs stoped & an officer road out of the woods & started to ride along the line & I fire at him & he spured his horse & road into the woods in a hurry & another road out. I fired at him. He whirled his horse & road back & just as we was ordered to fall back to the fence I saw an officer ride out of the bushes toward the line. & I wanted to see what he was goying to do & he stoped & I fired & he whirled his horse & rode back in a big hurry. He had ordered the skirmishers back just as I fired. & the line run back & mounted their horses & left & I went back to the other boys. & we eat dinner. The rebels balls had come tolerable close but not a man was hurt. We still heared cannonading to the left of the Pike. The teems was passing all the time very fast. At 3:30 P.M. we started & went to the Brigade who was in camp near Columbia a butiful little town situated on the Tennessee & Alabama R.R. with a good many sitizens both men & women. It is the County Seet of Murrey County. & we stoped to camp at 4:45 P.M., having marched 24 miles today. There was several trains of cars in town. The rumor was that we would go on to Nashville. The troops was building works. We retired soon & we had not slept nor reasted worth naming since we left Pulaski which is 36 miles from hear. & we only eat one meal in traveling from Pulaski to where we stoped to skirmish which is back a couple of miles & we would have come clear in before we eat if we had not bin ordered on the flank to skirmish.

Nov 25th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. We was ordered to get spades & we went to work diging entrenchments. & the train had orders to pull out at 6 A.M. & the order was countermanded. The rumer was that the rebels was goying to Clarksville on the Tenn river. We was suplyed with good amunition. The mail came in. I writ home. We bought all the apples that we wanted at $1.00 pr dozen. & we got some apple butter. Just after 12 M the order came to us to get ready to work more. & we heared our Pickets comence firing & out west we heared the cannons comence firing. I think it is down duck river. A shot of artillery was heared about every minut & soon it increased to 10 shots a minut & the boys that went to a little hill said they heared heavy musketry & yells & the cannonading increased till it was very heavy. At 2 P.M. our comp went out to work as we was working the regt by reliefs. There was a brisk skirmishing in our front & one piece of artillery was on the Pike that we came in on. & fired & the rebels shelled it. & we saw the shells exploading. & one came near us. We dug a entrenchment in front of a battery for a regt to stay in to keep the rebels from chargeing the battery. It was said the rebels was forming their lines in our front. There was heavy skirmishing but soon it ceased some. & the cannonading on our right ceased. It is said the rebels got to the R.R. & took up a rail. & the cars came along. & the men drove them away. It was rumored that Hoods whole army was comeing in on the same pike that we came in on. We drew 3 days rations except Pork, one days & one of beef. There was skirmishing but not much. At 6:45 P.M. we got orders to get ready to move amediatly. & we thought we was goying toward Nashville but we moved to the left a little way & pitched tents & retired & reasted fine. It rained in the night.

Nov 26th A.D. 1864. reville sounded on the Picket line by a hevy skirmishing & yells in the front. We got up & Packed our knapsacks. & the skirmishing kept up. & the rebels drove the skirmish line back a little. At day light we got orders to pack up every thing. It rained a little. We got breakfast. Our artillery comenced firing before 7 A.M. a little to our right. & after while it comenced further to the right. & the skirmishing kept up & yells. & I supose the rebels charged the line several times. At 9 A.M. a detail of 75 men of our regt was called for picket. 7 men & a Sergt went from our company. The rebels shells came over to our right. William Holdcroft was sent to the hospital. At 10 A.M. Fred Barton of Co A was brought in wounded in the right thigh or hip. It rained a right smart. After noon the cannonading ceased to only a shot once & a while. It rained nearly all day. The skirmishing kept up. From the way everything is working I think we will withdraw our lines tonight. In the evening Frank Jellef came up to our regt. After dark we got orders to be ready to move & we got our traps or rig on & after a while we got orders to pitch tents & not move till toward morning. We pitched tents & retired on our wet Ponchoe Rubbers & our cloth was very wet as we had stood around in the rain all day expecting all the time to move. It rained some during the night. We slept fine considering everything.

Nov 27th A.D. 1864. we got up at 4 A.M. We heared a fiew shots all night. I could not see any Artillery all along our line. It had left but at 9 A.M. There was some came back, for a shot was heared to our right & a shot occasionly all fournoon. Our boys came off ove Picket before dinner. Before 12 M. we got orders to be ready to move at a moments notice & we was ready in a fiew minute. A fiew shots was heard from our artillery all afternoon. After 4 P.M. the word came that the rebels was advancing on us but the skirmishing was not any hevier. At 7 minuts till 6 P.M. we got our traps on & at 6 we started toward town leving Comp C to come up with the Pickets. We went through town & marched about 3 miles & crossed Duck river on a pontoon Bridge near the railroad Bridge. It was very muddy marching. We stoped in the woods at 9:30 to camp having marched about 6 miles. & was not far from town either.

Nov 28th A.D. 1864. before 5 A.M. I was awaked & heared what I thought was hevy fighting over the river. & a fiew shots of artillery was heared. But when Company C came up they said it was our magazine in a fort blowed up. I think if it was it was cavalry Cartridges cracking. At 7 A.M. the Genl sounded. But most of us had no tents up. At 7:45 we started & crossed Rutheford crick on the railroad Bridge & there was lines of battle laying in front of us. & a heavy skirmishing & some cannonading was kept up on both sides. & we got to the Nashville Pike. & there was a great train Blockaded in the road & we moved to the left of the whole line fronting toward Columbia, having came from the extream right. & we formed our lines about 10 A.M., having marched about 6 miles. At 10:45 we comenced building a line of works. & there was skirmishing in our front. & the artillery to our right comenced firing. We was about 100 yards from the river & could see town very Plain. It had rained all the time since we started but not very hard. At 11 A.M. we had to move & comence our works again in another place & at the same time the rebels runn out a full battery if not More. & opened it on our men a little to our right & fired for a while very brisk. & then our two batterys opened on them & dryed up their nois for some time. The mail brought me a letter from home which was very encouriageing. There was about 800 reinforcements came to our Brigade the 40th Missori & it was rumere there was about 15000 or 20000 reinforcements coming to us. & that we was not goying to fall back any further. But I think if something had not happened unexpected we would be near Franklin at this time, for a little before day the R.R. Bridge & Pontoons was destroyed. We drew two days rations. We pitched tents & retired.

Nov 29th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. There had bin a little skirmishing all night. & we still heared a fiew shots. But it is thought there is no great force in our front near. I writ some. There was brisk skirmishing on our right. At 8:30 the Genl sounded & there was troops marching toward the Pike from our right. At 9:35 A.M. the rebels opened about 8 guns on our men. They was in the edge of town to our right & at 9:40 our artillery opened fire on the rebels battery. & a Artillery Duel was fought & lasted some time & then the rebels quit first. At 10:30 the Brigade started to the rear & our regt deployed along the works it was said for rear guards. & a fiew shots of artillery was heared & a brisk skirmishing toward the ford a little to our right. At 11:30 the rebel battery opened again. & another Artillery duel was fought & very brisk skirmishing. It was rumored that the rebels have crossed the river to our left. Was ordered to have to carry 60 rounds of cartridges to the man. The rebs tried to drive our men from the ford but all proved to be a failur as there was a part of the 23rd A.C. there. & two batteries that put the shells in very close. At 4:10 P.M. a desparat charge comenced. & I think the rebels had massed their force. & we saw them chargeing & firing. But I think they did not get to the ford as I could see. The fighting was kept up till dark began to cover the earth. At 5:15 P.M. we moved to the Pike & the 23rd Corps was moveing out, & I saw Isaac Higgans. He was well. He said the rebels had charged & about a Brigade of rebels waded the river at the ford & charged our mens works. & our Boys repulsed them, as their 10 pieces of artillery was not near anough to do much harm. & ours was close to the river. & after knocking a fiew Wheels off ove the rebs batterys our guns fired cannister. & the rebels loss was estimated at 800 or 1000 hundred [sic]. After the rebs was repulsed they hid under the bank of the river. About 8 P.M. we started & marched very slow through the mudd, as the front of the column was crossing a very bad plase at a crick where the bridge was destroyed. We got across about 11 o'clock P.M. & then we marched very fast. & after midnight we got orders to be very still & march very quiet as a rebel line of battle was laying a half mile from the Pike. & we wanted to pass it & not let them know it. We soon saw a large light & soon saw a long line of camp fires not more than a half mile from the pike at furthest. & the rebels Pickets heared us & comenced firing at us & halting & a line of battle said to be our men advanced toward us. They was near the Pike in a field. & the boys was scared but when they loaded their Pieces they was told it was our men. & we did not fire. I was confident in my mind that it was our men. We marched in the little town near us called Spring hill on the pike in Murray County. & they had bin fighting & it was said the loss of the 20th Div of our Corps was about 500 killed wounded & missing. We passed through town & stoped at 3 o'clock in the morning, having marched about 10 miles. We built a line of works, layed down to sleep & heared skirmishing.

Nov 30th A.D. 1864. we was awaked & had slept a half hour. We started at 5:45 A.M. & there was 3 columns marching side by side. At Sunnup we heared some skirmishing & a fiew shots of Artillery just in our front. & the rebs was all gon from the road when we got up. & we saw about 30 or 40 waggons destroyed & burning. The rebs had charged in on our train. We got inwith a mile of Franklin & stoped at 9:15 A.M. having marched about 11 miles & stoped but once to rest. We reasted a little & Rick McIlvain came to see us. At 10:25 our artillery just a little to our rear comenced firing at the rebels as they was at our heals. At 10:45 A.M. we started & saw our troops building a line of entrenchments near town. We marched through Franklin the County Seet of Williamson County. It is a nice little town situated on the Pike & R.R. & is inhabited by some very intelligent looking Ladies. We crossed ( ) River or crick on the R.R. Bridge & formed in line of battle, having marched about 15 miles today. There was cars hear. We was ordered to build works & then it countermanded. We received mail, 3 letters for me, one from Levi P. He was at Johnsonville when the fight went off. He just arived there when the More house was [or Ware house] was burning & took his dispatches to the commander & ast for a gun to help fight. The Genl told him he wanted him to carry dispatches. He stayed there about 2 days. & was there during the hardest fighting but escaped all danger. He told me how he came to be detailed. He was a corporal & acting Sergeant. & he had lots of friends. & they helped him to get his detail.

We drew beef & bought Liver. We got orders to be ready to move & we heared fighting & brisk cannonading to our left. Everything indicated that we was goying back to Nashville. I had the Diarrhea & felt bad. The cannonading was very hevy. & we could see the shells exploading all around the line. At 4:30 we moved to our left a mile. & there was but little time between each charge for the rebels was doing their hardest to get our men to give back to the river. We could see the flash of the guns after dark. The fighting kept up very hard till near nine o'clock. After we had built a line of works at 10 o'clock we was moved in a large fort on the bank of the crick, (or it is called a river) near the R.R. Bridge. & the Genl told us that our men let the rebels get the first line of works & Genl Stanly rallied them & led the charge from the rear line himself. & our boys captured a great many of the rebels, it is thought about 6000 rebs & it is said that Genl Stanly was wounded in the neck. & it is thought the rebels loss killed & wounded 6000 makeing 12000 altogether & I know it was desparat loss for it was open level ground for them to charge over & then good works for the time they was building. & our artillery throwed cannister very fast. & our loss was very small to what the rebs was, as our men was in works. & the rebs could not use artillery when they got near our works. It is said two rebel Genls was killed, one wounded & one captured. Our men commenced crossing the river. & we was told to hold the fort till they all crossed if the rebels found out that we was evacuating & let our men cross under our fire. We layed in the cold wating patiently, expecting the rebels would come.

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December 1st A.D. 1864. We saw that our men was all across the river. & the R R Bridge was fired & burning. & at 3 A.M. we left the fort. & a fiew cavelry deployed on the bank of the river. & before we got 100 yards from the river the rebs had sliped up & comenced firing. & the cavelry replyed. The rebels had found out we were evacuating & opened their artillery. & I think our men fired some with artillery. & it was very lively cannonading for some half hour. We marched about 10 miles & stoped to eat a little. The troops stoped in line. We reasted good & started after 10 A.M. & heared some cannonading in the rear. We stoped inwith about 3 miles & formed in line of battle at 12 M., having marched about 16 miles. We was tiered & our feet sore & blistered & we felt nearly fortigued out. We drew 3 days rations. We started at 2:25 P.M. & moved 2 miles to the right. We have marched 93 miles since we left Pulaski. We changed our lines. & Levi P Huntzinger came to see me & O how glad I was to see him. He is fat & saucy. I went to see the Coln to get a pass to go with Levi to town. But there was an order strictly Prohibiting it. At dark we moved a mile to the right. Levi stayed with me all night & we talked till late about old times.

Dec 2nd A.D. 1864. reville as usual. Levi & I went to a prety scenery near our camp & there is a tower in a water hidron & glass houses full of flowers & all kinds of shrubbery & it is the pretiest scenery I ever saw & the best & Pretiest selection I ever saw that grows in warm houses or anywhere else. Levi went to town to see if they needed him to carry dispatches. Our regt furnished pickets. We heared some cannonading. We bought a lot of good apples. It is thought by some that the rebels will not atack us hear but will go up or down the river. I don some writing. At 2 P.M. Levi P returned & we had orders to be ready to move & the line was changed & there was some rock fences. & they was tore down & changed for works. & dirt throwed up against it for to make it sollad. We had everything on & in line ready to move. But did not go. & put up tents. The rebel Prisnors said they had a line of battle on each side of the Pike to capture us the night we came in to Spring hill. & at one time they was ordered to rais up on one foot & the other knee & aim & was goying to fire a volley & charge us. But as they was at an aim they got orders to hold their fire. & there was only a fiew shots fired. & they killed one Some of our brigade was wounded. It is the greatest wonder to me in the world that we was not all killed, wounded or captured. All that saved us was they was afraid there was too many of us. & would not comence firing by volleys. The Prisnors also said that at Franklin they had two Genls killed & one wonded & one captured. So I was told. Lt Parker is comdg the regt. & Knefler the Brigade. & Baty the Div. & Woods the Corps, as Genl Stanly is wounded. Parker told me that Knefler was looking every day for leef of absence. & if he got to go home he was goying to go to Gov Morton & recomend 7 men of our regt for promotion & he thought he had my name on his list. It rained & we was in a very muddy plase.

Dec 3rd A.D. 1864. reville at 4 A.M. We was ordered to stand in line of battle at 5 A.M. We moved at 8 A.M. a little way & built a line of works of stone & dirt. Levi went to town. & I sent my watch to get it cleened, as I nor anyone was alowed to leve our regts. to go to town. We heared some Skirmishing. Frank Jellef bought a turkey. & he is messing with us. & we had the best mess that we had for some time. We put up a line of stone on the inside & dirt on the outside about 10 feet through till noon. We drew 3 days rations. After 2 P.M. the rebels comenced advancing on us. & there was a brisk skirmishing kept up. A fiew balls lit near us. About 3 P.M. our artillery just to our right opened on the rebels & soon to our left. & further to our right the artillery roared. The rebels drove our skirmish line in & stoped. We built two lines of brush entanglement in front of our works. We pitched tents. The mail brought me a good letter from Capt Howe. He said him & Batchelor was discharged & neither of them resigned. Capt said that J.M. Drybread & Alexander Stewart was transferred to the Invalid Corps. Levi Brought us a basket of pies, cakes & apples. & we had a good mess. He got my Watch cleened. The cannonading ceased at dark in our front. But hevy guns fired in the night

a good way on our right. It was a cool night.

Dec 4th A.D. 1864, Sunday. reville at 4 A.M. We stood in line of battle. The rebels had a line of works where they had stoped last evening. & their musket balls light in our camp continuly. Our batterys all along our part of the line comenced a brisk shelling of the rebs works. I writ nearly all day. The cannonading was kept up all day. & but fiew shells if any was used by the rebs. Levi brought some more pies, apples & cakes. A good many sitizens & ladies came from town to see the cannonading. & the men was all put to work on the entrenchments. We drew cloth & Sanitary. I was taken with a pain in my back or a stitch, which made me get about very careful. It was rumored that a dispatch was captured sent by Jeff Davis to Genl Hood to take Nashville or burry his men hear. There was fighting between hear & Murfreesboro. & a conductor & Engineer killed on a train. I supose the rebels have posession of the road. Levi reported to hed Quarters. & they told him he could come & stay with me as long as he wanted to, as he had told them I was hear & he had nothing to do. It was a cleer day. We retired late. & there was cannonading down the river in the night, thought to be gunboats. But none in our part of the line.

Dec. 5th A.D. 1864. reville as usual at 4 A.M. We stood in line of battle. It was very cool & frosty. There had bin skirmishing all night. & at 8 A.M. the cannonading comenced ---?--- . The rebels did not reply. Our guns keep up a regular constant shelling. Capt Burns is acting Adjutant Genl on Batys staff. I went to a hill a little to our right & looked to the rebels main line of works, which is about a quarter of a mile distance from our main line. There was cannonading on the right suposed to be gun Boats.

Dec 6th A.D. 1864. reville sounded at 3:30 A.M. & I & 7 men of our comp was detailed for Picket & went out at 5 A.M. on centinal line before daylight. The rebels was near. & we skirmished all day with them & they shot near us. & our artillery put the shells & some sollad shot into some of their skirmish Pits & tore their works & on the right there was hevy cannonading suposed to be gunboats. I saw a rebel geting in his gofer hole. & I shot in a hurry. & my gun kicked me in the mouth & split my lip. We was relieved after dark, having bin on centenal line 12 hours, & durst not rais up. It was rumored that the Louisville R.R. was destroyed.

Dec 7th A.D. 1864. we was awaked at 4 A.M. & told that there was a rumor afloat that a spie had said Hoods army was coming in to atak us at daylight. We was relieved & returned to camp at 5 A.M. & I got a pass & went to town & enjoyed myself fine eating apples, pies, cakes & drinking sider. & I hardly knew the town for it had improved so much since I last saw it & is such a buisness plase. I went back to camp & found Levi & James Mitchell & we went to town & eat cakes & pies togeather. & I went to the quarters where Levi stays & stayed all night with him. There was a large fire in town.

Dec 8th A.D. 1864. I eat breakfast with Levi & the V.R.C. Boys & they have a fine plase & good eatables & enjoy their selves fine. Levi & I set for Photographs at the Cumberland gallery. & I Bought Genls Wm. T Shereman, George H Thomas & Wm. P Mc Phersons Photographs. I purchesed a Diary for 1865. I returned to camp. It was a very cold windy day. & the ground was froze hard. It had rained yesterday. & the rebels had charged our skirmish line on the extreem left yesterday. There was some skirmishing & cannonading along the line & at 11 A.M. the rebels charged the skirmishers of 1st Div & drove them in. But soon by the aid of our artillery they was drive back. We was in line at our works wating for them but well convinsed in our minds that they would not come. Wm. B Ellis & Frank Jelleff brought up Suttler goods & put up a tent. It was so cold we suffered & we choped wood & had it hawled as it was a good way off. I writ some. Some of the boys built chimneys to their tents, as it was so cold & dissagreable. We retired early.

Dec. 9th A.D. 1864. reville 4 A.M. We stood in line of battle. I writ some. It was cold freezing wether. It sleeted or hailed fine hail till it was several inches deep on the ground. & was miserable cold & dissagreable. We drew 3 days rations & some whiskey. & the boys got some ail & got drunk. We retired soon. I was detailed for alarm guard. It was a very cold night. & there was a little skirmishing all day & night.

Dec 10th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. We stood in line of battle. It was cold. I writ a large letter to Dan W. Howe. We drew beef. It was said the Louisville R.R. was destroyed. The papers stated that rebel news said part of Genl Sheremans army had bin ingaged with Wheelers force. I way 168 lbs. There was brisk skirmishing all day. & a fiew shots of artillery. It was said one Brigade of 23rd Corps had bin cut off from us & came up in the rear of the rebels inwith 8 miles of this city & runn into the rebels camp. & then turned their course & marched about 150 miles making a sircle & came in nearly starved. Some is said to have fell ded as they marched. I do not know how true this is. A detail came for corp George W Andrews for litter bearar. & he excepted it & consequently is redused to ranks. There was brisk skirmishing all day.

Dec 11th A.D. 1864, Sunday. reville sounded at 3:30 A.M. 7 men of our Company went out on picket before day & it was windy. & the coldest day I think that I have experienced since I have bin in the service. We suffered out of reason & expressable. We drew beef. The 17th Regt Ky Vols of our Brigade started home, their time having nearly expired. We had a good oyster soop for dinner. We drew clothing. We retired late & slept cold as it is uncomen cold.

Dec 12th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. The boys came in nearly froze. We went out & cut some wood & had it hawled & built good fires. It is rumored that our cavelry numbering 25,000 have come across the river & was seen by some of our boys comeing through town. It is said they are goying to the rear of the rebels force. It was said we was goying to move in the morning as they had orders to be ready to move at hd Qrs. We drew 3 days rations. There was brisk Skirmishing & some cannonading. I had a hot fever. I writ some after night in the Suttler Shubang. & retired late.

Dec 13th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. It was cold. I had very severe Diarrhea, & appearance of the chills & was very unwell. I saw in the paper a full account of the Brigade that come from Johnsonville & missed forming a junction with us & suffered so terribly. & the account of the straglers being captured & formed in line & shot down, one of which was not quit dead & made his escape & informed. It thawed a little. I could hardly reast any way or content myself as I was in misery all over. The rumor was that the rebels had atack Murfreesboro 3 times & was repulsed with hevy loss. The rumor is that Genl Shermans army has reached the coast. It was very windy. I retired early. It rained in the night & turned warmer. I reasted only tolerable as I had a fever.

Dec 14th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. I felt a little better. It was very muddy foggy & thawing. I writ some. I comenced takeing Quinine for the Chills. I saw in the paper that Maj Genl Couch had assumed command of the 2nd Div of 23rd corps. He came to take command of our corps & it is said that Genl Wood told him if he came to visit him he would share with him at the table & bed. But if he came to relieve him & take command of the corps he would kick his sturn & not serve in the corps under him. & so Couch left & we are glad of it. Our camp was ditched. There was brisk skirmishing & some cannonading all day. We retired late & got orders at midnight to be ready to move at 6 A.M. in the morning.

Dec 15th A.D. 1864. reville at 3 A.M. I writ & sent out some letters. We got ready to move. It was our regts time to do picket. & 4 men & a sergt from our comp was detailed to go on picket at 5 A.M. but I was told as we got orders to move. The 19th O.V.I. who was on picket sent out another relief. We got orders & struck tents before daylight. & at daylight we saw it was foggy. Some artillery moved off ove the line. Wm. A Richardson was so unwell that he was ordered to stay. & I was advised by the Lt & others to stay. But I felt a little better & I thought I would go as far as I could for I thought we was goying to the right (or maybe to the left) to suport an asault on the rebels works. After 8 A.M. we saw the troops moveing & massing to the right. The 13th O.V.I. deployed in our whole brigade works. The paper stated that Genl Sherman had took the first line of works & was nearly in the rear of Savana. Our loss estimated at 2500 & the rebels 5000. We heared brisk cannonading on our left & I suposed our men was makeing demonstrations on the left to draw the atention of the rebels while we would try to turn their left wing by our right flank. & soon we heared artillery & gunboats to our right. Levi came to see us & brought me one of his Photographs & mine was not done yet. We moved a little to the right & massed behind a hill. & a brisk skirmish was kept up all the time. & at 5 minuts till 11 A.M. a very brisk skirmishing comenced in our front. & yells & we knew our men was advancing. & the troops to our right loaded their guns & advanced. & before 12 M. we formed behind the works & then moved over them & forward in a very thick brushey plase where all the bushes was cut down. & we heared brisk firing from boath muskets & artillery. & the front line advanced & we moved to the left, nearly in front of our old works. At 5 minuts till 1 P.M. we moved forward over the works & the 1st Brigade of our Div was in our front chargeing the rebels first line of works. & a hevy firing of musketry & artillery was kept up & our Brigad after the 1st had carried the works was moved to the left. & so we was the extreem left flank. & we advanced up to the first line of works & saw some wounded men & our Brigd Inspector was wounded. & we was ordered to form in line from the rebels works toward ours to suport or hold the left flank & our brigade was soon formed the left reaching back toward our old works. & as luck would have it our regt happened to be nearly all behind a stone fence & it was just right & that let me reast as I was almost give out. Our boys put up works to our right & left & all the time the rebels was shooting at us & our artillery was used very freely. The rebels artillery was not used very much in our front. Levi had went to a high hill to view the advance as we could not let him go with us as he wanted to do. He said he had bin with the 5 regts that advanced the line last Tuesday & was in a close plase & came near being hit with a ball in his head. At 1 P.M. it had comenced sprinkling rain a little & the fogg had bin gon ever since about 8 A.M. There was a good deal of cannonading on the right & very heavy musketry & several very hard charges must have bin made for the musketry was nearly constantly kept up & the cannonading was uncomnly hevy. It seemed that the right was gaining ground very fast on the rebels. The rebs artillery was heared firing fast & rappidly.

I received a letter from T.C. Batchelor. He regreated very much that he could not be with us to share our hardships. But his arm is still running & he said likely will be the cause of his death yet. He said he would like to hear of me filling his plase. He is reading law. Some of the 86th Ind who came up to our left & put up works was killed & wounded while at work. At 4:30 P.M. the right had swung around a great deal & then the whole line up to our Brigade charged & took the rebels works nearly on end & closed in on two sides & after a very hard fight lasting a fiew minuts & then the Johnies lit out. What did not was captured killed or wounded. We saw them running scattered every way & the yanks yelled for joy & the right still advanced rappidly. We heared some cannonading at a distance to our left. & it was said Genl Rusaw was to come from Murfreesboro with 12000 men & atack in the rear or right wing of the rebel line, & drive it back. We saw rebel troops go to the right to reinforce just before the last charge. Just as it comenced geting dark we started, as the flank was a little behind & the hevy fighting ceased. & it began to cleer off. We moved about a mile to the front & right & then moved to the left & struck the Granney White Pike & went to the right & formed our lines with the other troops & stoped for the night at 8 P.M. There was a little fighting on the right suposed to be some rebels cut off from the main army.

Levi came up with the boys coffee pots. We saw 4 pieces of artillery that the 1st Brigade of our Div had captured. & it was said 500 rounds of artillery ammunition. They was turned & used on the rebels. There was a detail of our regt went out on picket. The rebels was completely routed. We got supper & retired after 10 o'clock. The moon was bright but it rained in the night.

Dec 16th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. From all appearance the rebels was all gon. Some troops comenced moveing before day. Our bugle sounded at 7 A.M. We heared a little skirmishing out on the pike. At 7:30 A.M. we started & marched east to the left & heared brisk skirmishing, for the right had comenced advancing. & some cannonading on the right. & we crossed the Franklin Pike & then the R.R. & the rebels had 3 good lines of good works. & had at plases 4 lines of sharp stakes in the ground & a wide line of brush entanglements. We marched toward Franklin & recrossed the R.R. & the rebels artillery fired some. We stoped. & before 9 A.M. we started. & Levi gave me & the other boys good bye as he expected we was goying right on to Franklin. & he started back to the city. & soon there was a very hevy musketry & still hevier cannonading comenced. & our Brigade was still on the flank of the main body of our army but Genl Sedman had one div of white troops & two Brigads of colored troops to our left in squads to watch that part of the line & some fiew shots of artillery was heared on our left & we stoped. & at 10:30 A.M. our lines was completely formed & a desparate charge comenced on our right & we moved to our right & the boys to our right was charging the rebels outside line to get a good position. There was a roar of cannons like thunder. & more shots fired than could be counted, as it had bin nearly all morning belching shot & shell. The musketry did not cease but seemed to get hevier. & at 10 minuts till 11 A.M. a very hevy musketry seemed all along the line to roar greater than ever. & then for a minut nearly all was still. & our men had just then took the works. & the firing still kept tolerable brisk & at times very hevy & it seemed like charge after charge seemed to have bin made & our artillery still roared & the rebels also. & the rebs sollad shot came over us. Our Brig still held a position on the left. Before 1 P.M. the musketry was not so hevy as it had bin in our front or right front. But further to the right it was hevier. & at times in our front it would brake out very rappid but did not last long.

It was cloudy windy & sprinkling rain. At 2:30 P.M. there was a very hevy shower of misting rain comenced falling. & the 1st & 2nd Brigade of our Div was massed & comenced advancing & charged a hill in their front which was in line with the large hills on our right. We followed close up. & a very hevy firing comenced & our Brigade was ordered to form behind one of our batteries to suport & hold it at all hazzards if our men was repulsed & the rebels charged us to drive us back. The colored troops charged to the left of our Div. & I heared a hevy firing to the right but dont know whether it was 1st or 2nd Div of our corp next to our right, for our whole corps was on line. We soon saw the boys comeing back & the rebels cannon on the hill was belching cannester & a perfect roar of muskets was kept up. But soon all our boys came back that could & we built a line of works while they was falling back & forming their lines in our rear.

At 4 P.M. the rain had seaced & the charge on the right seemed to have bin renewed & it came closer to us. & it seemed like the whole line was advancing & we saw some rebels get up & leve the works. & Coln Knefler (Comdg Brigade) dismounted & pulled off his great coat & started out over the works saying Come on 79th. & we started & yelled & went toward the hill. & the rebels lit out. Our Lt was before us calling for to come on. We fired after the rebels. & we got up near the works which was strong & had a line of brush entanglement in front of them. & there was lots of our boys laying killed & wounded & lots of colored soldiers was killed near the works & some on the works. & it is said the colord troops had swung around in front of our boys & planted one stand of colors on the works. & the rebels captured them from them. I dont know this to be true. We got on the works. & Capt Ritter of our regt was the second man in the works. & he runn to a battery that we had captured. There was 4 guns. We saw our troops advancing all along. & the rebels had bin charged out of the whole line & was scattered every which way. We captured some prisnors. & they kept firing a fiew shots & falling back. Their cannons shelled us a little & we was perfectly give out, for we had bin running. & I dont know when I was so tired in my life but I thought it was a good caus & would not hurt me for it was for our God & our Country. & I felt satisfied as I was in Gods care that he would take care of me. We saw where the rebels had throwed most every thing that they had away. Lots of rig was cut off & guns thrown away. & I threw my old gun that I had got at Chickamauga away & got a good enfield rifle as my other was worn out.

We still saw the rebels. & we advanced till after night & then stoped having advanced several miles. The rebels shelled us a little. & we was ordered back a little way on line with the others. & we built fires & eat supper. I received a letter which was very interesting. & my cousins Photograph. Levi came up & said he had bin helping with the wounded men. & then he could not reast until he came up to see how our regt came out as he expected some of us had bin killed & wounded. It was said we had captured 37 pieces of artillery of the rebels yesterday & today & thousands of prisnors. We retired after 8 P.M. & it had stoped raining.

Dec 17th A.D. 1864. at 1 A.M. it comenced raining very hard & we got up as we had no tents up. & it kept up raining very hard. Reville sounded at 4 A.M. We got ready to move at daylight, as we had such orders. I gave Levi a couple of letters to put in the office when he went to the City. As he expected we would march right on. & he would start to his quarters. The news was that we had took 30 pieces of artillery altogether & 3 Brigadier Genls & a great many prisnors. Levi Started to the city at 8 A.M. & at 8:30 we started & marched fields & woods & we went down in the mudd about 10 inches nearly every step, for the ground is full of water as it had bin raining hard ever since 1 o' clock. We was wet. & everything we had was more or less wet. We fagged nearly out. & I could not keep up. We heared some cannonading at a distance to our front & right from 8 A.M. often on all day. After noon we took the Turnpike & saw where the cavelry had bin fighting & saw several prisnors goying back to Nashville & two flags that had bin captured by our cavelry. We marched on till we came near the fort that we had left on the morning of the 1st of Dec. & we stoped to camp at 3:30 P.M., haveing come about 12 miles the way we marched. & it had rained hard all day & it checked raining so hard after we stoped & we built large fires after carrying wood near a half mile. We had got a piece of fresh pork & we got supper. We still heared cannonading several miles in front & it was our cavelry hooping them up. & the rebels had bin so badly routed & closely persuid that they could not make a stand at Franklin, for our cavelry hardly gave them time to form a line let alone building works. Squads of prisnors was seen goying back often. It is said our cavelry burnt 200 wagons. We drew 3 days rations of bread & coffee & one of salt meat. We pitched tents & had orders to retire early as we was likely to cross the river as soon as the bridge was don. We retired after 8 P.M. It rained in the night.

Dec 18th A.D. 1864, Sunday. reville as usual. We dried our things as well as we could. It sprinkled rain a little. The bridge was not don yet across the Harpeth river. At 8 A.M. the bugle sounded & we started & went to the bridge at 8:30. & it was raining prety hard. & we had to wate for other troops to cross. Major Dunbar went to Div Hd Quarters to act in the plase of Major Dawsen who was wounded on the 16th. He was Photographical Engineer. Wm. A Richardson came up. He was not well yet but had a hors & road. At 10 A.M. we crosed the Harpeth river (or crick it might be called as it is small). & it looked like nearly every house in Franklin was hospitals full of wounded rebels who was wounded when they charged our two works at Franklin. A rebel Hospital steward said there was about 60 of our men there that had bin wounded & 1500 of their men & some said there was 3000 rebels. We passed through town, the band playing & our regt in front of the Div. & we came to the works & saw the line of brush before the works, as entanglements was all shot to pieces & riddled & to the right there was a grove of black locus timber, the bushes averaging from 2 to 4 inches in diameter & they was so badly shot to pieces that some of the largest fell by musket balls. & on the outside of the works the graves was as thick as in any grave yard. As far as I could see each way around the works was a perfect grave yard. & for several rods wide & then little grave yards or scattering graves for a mile around. & it seemed like most of the rebels had bin burried where they fell makeing the ground nearly as full of graves around the works as they could be. We saw 3 pieces of artillery goying in & a flag that our cavelry had captured. & it is said that the rebels had cut two down. The Cavelry has don the best I ever knew them to do in my life. I could not keep up & road a horse about 3 miles. & the rest of the way I got along as well as I could. There was a fiew shots of artillery to be heared. We passed through Spring hill. It had rained all day, checking a little at times. We stoped at 6 P.M. (after dark) haveing came 15 miles. I did not get in camp till the regt did. The pike was a perfect slosh & muddy. The cavelry camped before we did & we passed them. Their horses was runn down. We retired late. & it rained some.

Dec 19th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. We drew one days beef , 3 days Shuger & 5 days Salt h before daylight it comenced raining hard 6r I went to the Dr. & got a pass to ride in the ambulance, before 8 A.M. the Genl sounded 6 the cavelry passed d after 9 A.M. we started I got my knapsack hawled but could not ride in the ambulance my self for they was all crowded full. we heared very brisk cannonading in front. & our Div went in line on the left of the road. & the cannonading ceased. & they started & then stoped again. & I heared yells in front. & it graduly came back the line & finaly I found the good news was to move in the woods & go in camp. & I went to the regt. The rebels was drive from the banks of the Rutherford crick & I supose our fellows was building a bridge. We stoped at 11:30 A.M. haveing marched about 3 miles. We carried rails & built large fires & got dinner. & at 1 P.M. we got orders to pitch tents & stay all night. That was good news, for it had rained hard all day & still rained. We heared a fiew shots of artillery. We pitched tents. & the boys went out & got a fat hog. I heared a car blow. One the rebs had captured from us as we was goying to Nashville. It is said Genl Rusaw started from Murfreesboro on the 16th & is moveing on our left. & Genl Smith with his corps (16th corps) & Scholfield with 23rd corps was moveing on our right & I think the intention is to try to get the greatest part of Hoods train & artillery & a portion of his troops before they get across the Tennessee river. We drew one days salt meet & two of bread, coffee & Shugar. We cut trees & built large fires & still heared a fiew shots of artillery. After dark it stoped raining & was cold & windy. We dried our close a little & retired after 8 P.M. & slept fine but cold.

Dec 20th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. We got breakfast before day. & it was very cold & windy. & we dried our things. We drew Shoes & Stockings. We expected to move all the time. Before 12 M we heared some cannonading. I writ some. The Genl sounded at 12:15 & we started after 1 P.M. & marched near Rutherford crick & turned to the right of the pike. We still heared the cannonading in front, seemingly at Duck river. We stoped as the troops crossed slow. The papers stated that Genls Stoneman & Gillam had whiped the rebels in East Tenn & driving them & capturing their trains, artillery & troops very fast. & the general news was good. We crossed Rutheford at 3 P.M. & the cannonading ceased. & it began to rain & freeze as it fell on our clowth. We went to the pike & before we got to Duck river we turned to the left of the pike & went in camp at 4:30 P.M., having marched 4 miles. & it was raining hard & stoped freezing. We built large fires & pitched camp. Our regt furnished pickets. & it was said the rebels had all left Columbia except a fiew cavelry. We retired early & it rained but we slept fine.

Dec 21st A.D. 1864. reville after 5 A.M. It was sleeting & snowing & was cold. We did not expect to move & I went to writing. The boys got some good meet & sasafras. & we had tea. They got foder blades to lay on. It snowed nearly all day. I writ nearly all day, stoping at times to warm my fingers. The boys saw troops across Duck river & suposed it was the 16th corps. My bones & back especialy ached so I could hardly reast contented in any position. I think it is the chills in my sistem yet. We was so badly smoked by the fires that we could scarsely see. We retired early & it was still snowing a little & was cold. But we reasted fine considering every thing.

Dec 22nd A.D. 1864. reville after 5 A.M. It was very cold & windy & the smoak made it very dissagreable. We heared some cannonading, seemingly at the old bridge across the river. I writ some, & sent out letters & had to stop writing, for my eyes was so badly smoaked that I could not write. We drew beef & 3 days bread, coffee, Shugar & Salt & at 4:30 P.M. we got orders to get redy to move. The boys brought in some good meet & dried peaches. We started at 6 P.M. & the ground was froze very hard & rough. We went down the river to the Pontoon bridge across Duck river & we crossed & came through Columbia & got orders to load our guns & we saw fires in front & it was said there was a fiew shots fired in front. We went out about 2 miles & saw fires on each side of the road & stoped at 8:30 P.M. for the night, having come 5 miles. We eat supper & did not pitch tents for the ground was two hard froze to drive stakes. We retired after 11 O'clock & the sky was clear. & it was cold.

Dec 23rd A.D. 1864. reville as usual. We had thawed the ground under where we layed & it was muddy under the bed. It was the pretiest morning we had saw for some time. At 11 A.M. the order came to be ready to march. It was rumored that Sherman had took Savanah & 12000 Prisnors. The cavelry comenced crossing the river & passing us. & infantry passed. Our regt cut a large poplar tree to see it fall. It masured over 7 feet across the stump. The Genl sounded at 2:10 P.M. & at 3:30 P.M. we started & heared some cannonading in front. Our Brigade band played as we marched. We stoped for camp at 5:30 P.M., haveing marched about 5 miles. We retired early & reasted fine.

Dec 24th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. It was a cold clear morning. The cavelry began to pass befor day light & artillery passed. The Genl sounded at 9:15 A.M. & at 11: 45 A.M. the cavelry & artillery had passed. & we started & the pike was very muddy & cut up with teems & artillery. & we heared cannonading in front. & we passed through what might be called a gap, for the pike wound around between large hills for miles. & the rebels had built barracades of rails to resist cavelry charges. & we saw cavelry men killed & wounded & several horses. We saw where the rebels had destroyed amunition. The sitizens said there was 5 pieces of artillery & one Div of Infantry & Forasts Cavelry just in our front as rear guard. We passed through Linville & stoped to camp at 5:30 P.M., having come 16 miles. We had heared brisk cannonading all day at times. Our batterys had run up on the rebels artillery & killed several horses & rebels at short range. The boys brought in some good ham meet. We retired at 8 P.M.

Dec 25th A.D. 1864, Sunday. reville as usual. We got up & remembered it was Christmas & I thought back over the year past. & how luckey I had bin & thanked God for preserveing my life through so many dangers. It was rumored that Genl Rusaw had whiped the rebels at Pulaski, but I do not credit the report. At 8 A.M. it comenced raining. We heared cannonading in front. The Genl sounded at 9 A.M. & at 9:30 we started & marched in to Pulaski, band playing in front at 1:15 P.M. & heared brisk cannonading in front & musketry. & we saw where the rebels had destroyed a great deal of ammunition. & there was several rebel Hospitals full of rebels fell in our hands in town. We crossed Richland crick after leveing the pike, on a bridge which they thought they would burn. But our men put the fire out. We marched through the mudd nearly boot top deep, for the rebels had left the pike & took what I believe is called the Military Road for Florance. There was a sudden change in the timber & cuntry. It was nearly all cedar & shrubbery. We saw thousands of rounds of artillery & musketry ammunition & wagons break down all around & along the road & cason wagons cut down. & we heared hard fighting in front. & the artillery ceased. There was several ded rebels laying along the road. & we got prety close to the fighting. & it ceased, as the cavelry had whiped the rebels off ove some very high hills & out of a gap which we marched into. & the cavelry told me the rebels had charged their artillery & took one piece & it was infantry. & they said they recaptured the piece & some others with it. We stoped to camp at 5:30 P.M., haveing marched 5 miles from Pulaski, makeing 15 miles today. It was still raining & had bin all day. We pitched tents & had supper & I felt very bad in my bones & retired at 8 P.M.

Dec 26th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. It was very drisley & very foggy. & we got orders that we would get 3 days rations to do 5. We got beef. It was said the rebels got one of our pieces of artillery yesterday & took it away. I writ some. I felt very much like chilling. The rations came up to us before 3 P.M. We had eat beef & dried peaches for dinner, as our rations was all gone. We saw cars burning when we came through Pulaski. & it is said the Engin & some artillery was run into the crick. & it is said the rebels burnt a lot of small arms. We drew one days salt meet, one beef, 3 of coffee, Shugar, bread & some Whiskey. We was expecting to move at any minut. There was cannonading heared at a distance in front from the tops of the hills. Our regt had furnished pickets last night & they was relieved. & we got orders at night that we would stay all night. We retired early.

Dec 27th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. The Genl sounded at 6:45 A.M. It was misting rain. There had bin troops passing ever since before day light. We started at 8:30 A.M. & saw teems passing with 8 mules to them & from 8 to 10 horses to the piece of artillery. & the mud was hubb deep to the wagons nearly all the way. & we marched outside the road in very thick bushes & shrubby country. & it is no use to describe how bad the roads, hills & hollows was for it was beyond description. We stoped for camp at 3:15 P. M., haveing come about 12 miles. & it rained nearly all day. & I couldnt have kept up if had not put my tent & Ponchoe rubber & meet on Richardsons horse. We drew beef. We retired early.

Dec 28th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. The Genl sounded at 8:15 A.M. It was reported there was a force of our men under Genl Steal had bin marching up the Tenn river toward Florance. It is said the 16th corps stoped at Columbia. & the 23rd at Pulaski. & that we was goying to Florence to winter. We started at 9 A.M. our regt in front of the Div. & it was reported from Div Hd Quarters that Genl Sherman had intended to asault Savanah on Christmas. & Genl Hardee had sliped out on Christmas eve & our men went in & took Savanah with 800 Prisnors & a great number of negroes & 150 pieces of artillery & 33000 bails of cotton & 130 locomotives & 190 cars. The papers Stated that what artillery our men took at Nashville & since we left there amounts to upwards of 60 pieces & Forests loss of men at Murfreesboro is estimated at 1500. & I think their ass [loss] at Nashville & since we left there killed wounded & Prisnors is not less than 10,000 men & a great many valuable things. Soon the dispatch came in writing to Brigade headquarters & it was official from War department Washington to Genl Thomas. We heared cheering. We crossed Shugar crick. & had crossed out of Tenn in to Ala late last evening or this morning & it is such a wilderness that we did not find out exactly where the line was. It cleared off & was a beautiful day overhead. But we traveled through mudd & swamps & a perfect wilderness for miles & we got out of the wilderness & marched in to cleared land & stoped near Lexington a very small villiage at 4 P.M. to camp, haveing come 12 miles. We gave 50 cts for a chicken. Our regt furnished pickets. We had fried chicken for supper. It was clear & got cold. We retired early.

Dec 29th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. It was cool but clear, a nice morning. The Genl sounded at 8:15 A.M. The pickets was sent in. & an order came around for two men from each company to go out a forriageing & all the others to stay in camp & have roll call several times during the day. The forriagers went out & I went to writing. It was rumored that we was goying back to Pulaski. It is rumored that the sitizens has heared gunboats for the last 3 days. & that the rebels has bin whiped at or near Florance. Our two forriagers brought in one ham, one shoulder & one middling of good salt meet & some corn meal & molasses. & we had a good supper. We drew beef. We retired early.

Dec. 30th A.D. 1864. reville as usual. We had a good breakfast of molasses & cornbread. It began raining. & we pitched tents. It is rumored that we are goying back to Pulaski but I dont credit the report. It is said Genl Stoneman & Gillam has give the rebels another whipen & routed them from the salt works & led mine in Va. We drew 3 days rations bread, coffee, Sugar & salt to do 5 days. It was rumored that we was stoped to awate orders to know where we should go. & it was said we would go to Huntsville Ala- it was still raining. & we retired early & got orders to be ready to move at 6:30 A.M. in the morning. The rain turned to sleet & then to snow.

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