Diary of an Enlisted Man
New Haven, Conn. THE TUTTLE, MOREHOUSE & TAYLOR COMPANY 1910
Copyrighted 1910 by Lawrence Van Alstyne
WITH LOVING REGARD FOR THE MEMORY OF MY PARENTS WHO WATCHED FOR AND EAGERLY READ THE DIARY AS FROM TIME TO TIME IT CAME TO THEM AND TO MY COMRADES-IN-ARMS WHETHER LIVING OR DEAD THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.
In the multitude of books written about the Civil War, very little is said of the enlisted man. His bravery and his loyalty are admitted and that is about all. Of his everyday life, the very thing his family and friends cared most to know about, there is hardly anything said.
It is to remedy this omission in some degree that the following pages are published. They were written by an enlisted man and are mostly about enlisted men. They are filled with details that history has no room for, and for that reason may have an interest quite their own.
They were written at different times, in different places, and under a great variety of circumstances and conditions. Some were written as the line halted for rest while marching from place to place, some while waiting for trains or other modes of transportation, but the most were written by the light of a candle or a smoldering camp-fire while my comrades, no more weary than I, were sleeping about me. All were written amid scenes of more or less confusion, and many times of great excitement. They were written because of a promise made to my parents that I would make notes of my wanderings and of the adventures I met with.
At first I found it an irksome task, taking time I really needed for rest; but as time went on the habit became fixed, and I did not consider the day's work done until I had written in my diary of the events that came with it.
The diary was kept in small pocket notebooks, of a size convenient to carry in my pocket, and be ever ready for use. There was never a lack of subjects to write about. Events crowded upon each other so fast that each day furnished plenty of material for the time I could give it. I had never been far from home. The sights I saw were new and strange to me and made deep impressions. These, as best I could, I transferred to the pages of my diary, so the friends at home could, in a way, see the sights I saw and that seemed so wonderful to me. When pages enough were written for a letter, I cut them out and sent them home to be read by any who cared to, after which they were strung together on a string and saved for me to read again, should I ever return to do it. When I did return I found the leaves had so accumulated as to make a large bundle. There was no need for me to read them at that time, for the story they told was burned too deep in my memory to be easily forgotten.
Lawrence Van Alstyne
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PREFACE
CONTENTS
August 19, 1862.
August 20, 1862.
August 21, 1862.
August 22, 1862.
August 23, 1862.
August 24, 1862.
August 25, 1862.
August 26, 1862.
August 27, 1862.
August 28, 1862.
August 29, 1862.
August 30, 1862.
August 31, 1862.
September 1, 1862.
September 2, 1862.
September 3, 1862.
September 4, 1862.
September 5, 1862.
September 6, 1862.
September 7, 1862.
September 8, 1862.
September 9, 1862.
September 10, 1862.
September 11, 1862.
September 12, 1862.
September 13, 1862.
September 14, 1862.
September 15, 1862.
September 16, 1862.
September 17, 1862.
September 18, 1862.
September 19, 1862.
September 20, 1862.
September 21, 1862.
September 22, 1862.
September 23, 1862.
September 24, 1862.
September 25, 1862.
September 26, 1862.
September 27, 1862.
September 28, 1862.
September 29, 1862.
September 30, 1862.
October 1, 1862.
October 2, 1862.
October 3, 1862.
October 4, 1862.
October 5, 1862.
October 6, 1862.
October 7, 1862.
October 8, 1862.
October 9, 1862.
October 10, 1862.
October 11, 1862.
October 12, 1862.
October 13, 1862.
October 14, 1862.
October 15, 1862.
October 16, 1862.
October 28, 1862.
November 1, 1862.
November 2, 1862.
November 5, 1862.
November 8, 1862.
November 9, 1862.
November 10, 1862.
November 11, 1862.
November 13, 1862.
November 14, 1862.
November 15, 1862.
November 16, 1862.
November 17, 1862.
November 18, 1862.
November 19, 1862.
November 21, 1862.
November 22, 1862.
November 23, 1862.
November 24, 1862.
November 25, 1862.
November 26, 1862.
November 27, 1862.
November 28, 1862.
November 29, 1862.
November 30, 1862.
December 1, 1862.
December 2, 1862.
December 3, 1862.
December 4, 1862.
December 6, 1862.
December 7, 1862.
December 8, 1862.
December 9, 1862.
December 10, 1862.
December 11, 1862.
December 12, 1862.
December 13, 1862.
December 15, 1862.
December 16, 1862.
December 17, 1862.
December 18, 1862.
December 19, 1862.
December 20, 1862.
December 21, 1862.
Christmas, 1862.
December 26, 1862.
December 28, 1862.
December 29, 1862.
January 1, 1863.
January 2, 1863.
January 3, 1863.
January 4, 1863.
January 5, 1863.
January 8, 1863.
January 9, 1863.
January 11, 1863.
January 17, 1863.
January 18, 1863.
January 19, 1863.
January 27, 1863.
January 28, 1863.
January 29, 1863.
January 30, 1863.
January 31, 1863.
February 6, 1863.
February 11, 1863.
February 16, 1863.
February 20, 1863.
February 21, 1863.
March 4, 1863.
March 5, 1863.
March 6, 1863.
March 7, 1863.
March 8, 1863.
March 9, 1863.
March 10, 1863.
March 11, 1863.
March 14, 1863.
March 15, 1863.
March 16, 1863.
March 17, 1863.
March 18, 1863.
March 19, 1863.
March 20, 1863.
March 21, 1863.
March 26, 1863.
March 27, 1863.
March 28, 1863.
March 29, 1863.
April 1, 1863.
April 2, 1863.
April 3, 1863.
April 4, 1863.
April 5, 1863.
April 6, 1863.
April 7, 1863.
April 8, 1863.
April 10, 1863.
April 11-12, 1863.
April 13, 1863.
April 14, 1863.
April 15, 1863.
April 16, 1863.
April 17, 1863.
April 18, 1863.
April 19, 1863.
April 20, 1863.
April 21, 1863.
April 22, 1863.
April 23, 1863.
April 24, 1863.
April 30, 1863.
May 6, 1863.
May 10, 1863.
May 11, 1863.
May 12, 1863.
May 13, 1863.
May 18, 1863.
May 16, 1863.
May 17, 1863.
May 18, 1863.
May 19, 1863.
May 20, 1863.
May 21, 1863.
May 22, 1863.
May 23, 1863.
May 25, 1863.
May 27, 1863.
May 28, 1863.
May 30, 1863.
May 30, 1863.
May 31, 1863.
June 1, 1863.
June 2, 1863.
June 3, 1863.
June 4, 1863.
June 5, 1863.
June 6, 1863.
June 7, 1863.
June 8, 1863.
June 9, 1863.
June 10, 1863.
June 11, 1863.
June 12, 1863.
June 13, 1863.
June 14, 1863.
June 15, 1863.
June 16, 1863.
June 17, 1863.
June 18, 1863.
June 19, 1863.
June 20, 1863.
June 21, 1863.
June 22, 1863.
June 23, 1863.
June 24, 1863.
June 25, 1863.
June 26, 1863.
June 27, 1863.
June 28, 1863.
June 29, 1863.
June 30, 1863.
July 1, 1863.
July 2, 1863.
July 3, 1863.
July 4, 1863.
July 5, 1863.
July 6, 1863.
July 7, 1863.
July 8, 1863.
July 9, 1863.
July 10, 1863.
July 11, 1863.
July 12, 1863.
July 13, 1863.
July 14, 1863.
July 15, 1863.
July 16, 1863.
July 17, 1863.
July 18, 1863.
July 19, 1863.
July 22, 1863.
July 23, 1863.
July 26, 1863.
July 27, 1863.
July 30, 1863.
July 31, 1863.
August 1, 1863.
August 2, 1863.
August 3, 1863.
August 5, 1863.
August 6, 1863.
August 7, 1863.
August 10, 1863.
August 11, 1863.
August 12, 1863.
August 13, 1863.
August 14, 1863.
August 15, 1863.
August 16, 1863.
August 17, 1863.
August 18, 1863.
August 19, 1863.
August 20, 1863.
August 21, 1863.
August 22, 1863.
August 23, 1863.
August 24, 1863.
August 25, 1863.
August 26, 1863.
August 28, 1863.
August 31, 1863.
September 1, 1863.
September 2, 1863.
September 3, 1863.
September 4, 1863.
September 5, 1863.
September 6, 1863.
September 7, 1863.
September 8, 1863.
September 9, 1863.
September 11, 1863.
September 24, 1863.
October 3, 1863.
October 8, 1863.
October 12, 1863.
October 13, 1863.
October 16, 1863.
October 17, 1863.
October 18, 1863.
October 19, 1863.
October 20, 1863.
October 21, 1863.
October 22, 1863.
October 23, 1863.
October 24, 1863.
October 25, 1863.
October 26, 1863.
October 27, 1863.
October 28, 1863.
October 29, 1863.
October 30, 1863.
October 31, 1863.
November 1, 1863.
November 2, 1863.
November 3, 1863.
November 4, 1863.
November 5, 1863.
November 6, 1863.
November 7, 1863.
November 8, 1863.
November 9, 1863.
November 11, 1863.
November 12, 1863.
November 13, 1863.
November 14, 1863.
November 15, 1863.
November 16, 1863.
November 17, 1863.
November 18, 1863.
November 19, 1863.
November 20, 1863.
November 21, 1863.
November 22, 1863.
November 23, 1863.
November 24, 1863.
November 25, 1863.
November 26, 1863.
November 27, 1863.
November 28, 1863.
November 29, 1863.
December 3, 1863.
December 4, 1863.
December 5, 1863.
December 6, 1863.
December 7, 1863.
December 8, 1863.
December 9, 1863.
December 10, 1863.
December 11, 1863.
December 12, 1863.
December 13, 1863.
December 14, 1863.
December 15, 1863.
December 16, 1863.
December 17, 1863.
December 18, 1863.
December 19, 1863.
December 20, 1863.
December 21, 1863.
December 22, 1863.
December 23, 1863.
December 24, 1863.
December 25, 1863.
December 26, 1863.
December 27, 1863.
December 28, 1863.
December 29, 1863.
December 30, 1863.
December 31, 1863.
January 1, 1864.
January 2, 1864.
January 3, 1864.
January 4, 1864.
January 5, 1864.
January 6, 1864.
January 7, 1864.
January 8, 1864.
January 9, 1864.
January 10, 1864.
January 11, 1864.
January 12, 1864.
January 13, 1864.
January 14, 1864.
January 15, 1864.
January 17, 1864.
January 18, 1864.
January 19, 1864.
January 20, 1864.
January 21, 1864.
January 22, 1864.
January 23, 1864.
February 27, 1864.
February 27, 1864.
February 28, 1864.
February 29, 1864.
March 2, 1864.
March 3, 1864.
March 4, 1864.
March 5, 1864.
March 6, 1864.
March 7, 1864.
March 8, 1864.
March 9, 1864.
March 10, 1864.
March 11, 1864.
March 12, 1864.
March 13, 1864.
March 14, 1864.
March 15, 1864.
March 16, 1864.
March 17, 1864.
March 18, 1864.
March 19, 1864.
March 20, 1864.
March 21, 1864.
March 22, 1864.
March 23, 1864.
March 24, 1864.
March 25, 1864.
March 26, 1864.
March 27, 1864.
March 28, 1864.
March 29, 1864.
March 30, 1864.
March 31, 1864.
April 1, 1864.
April 2, 1864.
April 3, 1864.
April 4, 1864.
April 5, 1864.
April 6, 1864.
April 7, 1864.
April 8, 1864.
April 9, 1864.
April 10, 1864.
April 11, 1864.
April 12, 1864.
April 13, 1864.
April 14, 1864.
April 15, 1864.
April 16, 1864.
April 17, 1864.
April 18, 1864.
April 19, 1864.
April 20, 1864.
April 21, 1864.
April 22, 1864.
April 23, 1864.
April 24, 1864.
April 25, 1864.
April 26, 1864.
April 27, 1864.
April 28, 1864.
April 29, 1864.
April 30, 1864.
May 1, 1864.
May 2, 1864.
May 3, 1864.
May 4, 1864.
May 5, 1864.
May 6, 1864.
May 7, 1864.
May 8, 1864.
May 9, 1864.
May 10, 1864.
May 11, 1864.
May 12, 1864.
May 13, 1864.
May 14, 1864.
May 15, 1864.
May 16, 1864.
May 18, 1864.
May 19, 1864.
May 20, 1864.
May 21, 1864.
May 22, 1864.
May 23, 1864.
May 24, 1864.
May 25, 1864.
May 26, 1864.
May 27, 1864.
May 28, 1864.
May 29, 1864.
May 30, 1864.
May 31, 1864.
June 1, 1864.
June 2, 1864.
June 3, 1864.
June 5, 1864.
June 6, 1864.
June 7, 1864.
June 8, 1864.
June 9, 1864.
June 10, 1864.
June 11, 1864.
June 12, 1864.
June 13, 1864.
June 14, 1864.
June 15, 1864.