June 7. False alarm in the night. Man with nightmare disturbed camp by upsetting a stack of guns and bringing out the whole regiment. Inspection at 9 o’clock A. M.
June 8. Harrison W. Dearborn, Co. B, died at Baton Rouge. Immense lots of cotton bales being hauled to the front for breastworks.
June 9. Smart firing during the night. Large fire to be seen in Port Hudson.
June 10. Some heavy cannonading during the night. Chaplain came up from Baton Rouge with mail today. Quartermaster came up from Baton Rouge with new teams.
June 11. Many of the men are suffering badly from rheumatism, malaria and kindred ailments, acquired from lying in the rifle pits, which are much of the time half full of water. Nothing more has been said regarding an election of Lieutenant-Colonel, and there is much speculation among the officers and men as to the reason.
June 12. An election for Lieutenant-Colonel was ordered by Col. Stone and held today and Capt. Stanwood was unanimously chosen.
June 13. The regiment received orders at 10 o’clock A. M. to report to Gen. Augur’s headquarters at once. On reporting to Gen. Augur we were ordered to march away to the right to report to Gen. Arnold, chief of artillery. Reported at about 11 o’clock after a very quick march, in which many of the men suffered terribly, it being in the very heat of the day and with but one halt on the road; we must have marched at least seven or eight miles. Stacked arms and took entrenching tools—which in plain English means picks and shovels and axes. Some of the companies were detailed to clear out a big ravine which led up in the direction of the rebel breastworks and just in the rear of where it was intended to plant a battery, while others were busied in throwing up the breastworks, carrying up ammunition and other duties. Worked till dark and without supper; made preparations to bivouac, when we were ordered to take up our march again to our old camp at the rear near the Plains Store, whence we had started in the morning. Arrived in camp late in the evening, and after enjoying (?) coffee and hardtack laid our tired bones on the ground with the hope of gaining some rest; but our hopes were blasted. We had got scarcely settled to rest when the following order was received directly from Gen. Banks’ headquarters:
“Headquarters, Department of the Gulf.
“Before Port Hudson, June 13, 1863, 8.45 P. M.
“Maj.-Gen. Augur will order the 48th Massachusetts, Col. Stone, to proceed at once to the headquarters of the 2d Division and report for temporary duty to Brig.-Gen. William Dwight, commanding the Division. A general assault upon the works of the enemy at Port Hudson will be made tomorrow morning, 14th instant.”
The regiment got into line, being nearly 500 strong (or weak), but so used up that many fell out during the march through the woods, which occupied nearly all the night—the guide sent with us losing the way—and it was nearly morning when Col. Stone reported to Gen. Dwight. It was intended that we should occupy the extreme left on the river bank and make our charge at that point; but after reconnoitering the ground we were moved further to the right, to near the Mount Pleasant road, and bivouacked at the side of the road.