07. Civil War Diary Part VII (March 1863-May 1863)



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At Camp Davies


(in red ink) Mch 12 1863. Gen Lew. Wallace commanding the Middle Dept. was placed in command of the 8th Corps.


March 1863 – The rainy month came + went with nothing to excite us. Sometimes there would be a guerrilla alarm + men would all take their posts, but we never had a fight at the stockade. There were skirmishes outside at Rienzi to which rebel cavalry sometimes came. I went out there once with a company – we stayed over-night + got a few prisoners. Sometimes our men got shot at near camp + one man got killed. But generally it was as peacable here as at Sheffield Ills.


May 1863. The flowery month came beautiful + fresh. Our fort looks finely – green + soft grass + our parade ground as clean as a floor. Well kempt.


During the winter many of the men had been troubled with an inflammation of the eyes –which appears to be contagious + we had some cases threatened with complete blindness. The lids are granulated + these granulations have to be burned off with caustic. I have a regular round of eyes to burn each morning. Aside from this, there is now + then a case of bilious fever – colic – pneumonia rarely + hardly ever a death our former cook “Charley the (lame) boy” has gone home. + we have now two men one a tall round shouldered, sandy haired son of Ohio. The other a thick heavily whiskered German who loves to bake dried apple pies + sell them to the “boys” at 20c each. + I believe the old fellow had made over $600 clear this winter. We have flour regularly now + it is baked into bread very nicely. We also get butter + milk. More than we suspect that our German pie baker does not always clearly distinguish the flower he buys and the flour “Uncle Sam” does,


Sketches of several people, from left to right – Jim the assistant cook, Old Charlie the cool, Jack the Teamster
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