3d day, 5th mo. 24th. Slept very well on the ground last night; arose at daylight, went to the run and took a good wash. Had roll-call and were counted by a rebel sergeant, whose name is warmer. There were ninety men in our mess. Drew rations at 5 o'clock P. M. Half a loaf of corn bread and half a square inch of bacon to each man. The bacon is excellent. There were three or four hundred more men put in here to-day. The place was too much crowded before. They brought them in on the main street and told them to go and find places wherever they could. Griffith and I having but fifteen cents in money, and that being mine, we are bad off. Bought two split pieces of pine, six feet long and two and a half inches square, to put up a shelter. These I purchased for my fifteen cents. These not being enough, I traded my looking glass for two more. Put up my woollen blanket over our ridge pole and now have a good place to stay in. This place contains about fifteen or twenty acres of ground, enclosed with a stockade twenty feet high, with a sentry stand every one hundred and fifty feet. There is a stream of water running through it with a hill extending up from each side of it. For thirty or more yards from the run the ground is swampy and has a bad smell coming from it.
4th day, 5th mo. 25th. Spent this day about the same as yesterday, laying in our tent, &c., &c. Drew the same kind of rations. More prisoners were put in to-day.
5th day, 5th mo. 26th. This was a very hot day. There are men here just like skeletons, they are so far gone with the chronic diarrhœa. The boys caught some of the raiders and punished them by shaving their heads. There are plenty of "sweat" boards in operation, and other kinds of gaming. Drew a loaf of corn bread, two-thirds of a pint of mush, and four square inches of bacon for two of us. The cornmeal is of the roughest description, not being sifted. Went to the run this morning and washed a pair of drawers and a shirt, and then took a bath myself.
6th day, 5th mo. 27th. Spent this day like yesterday, doing nothing. Drew a loaf of corn bread, three bits of meat, and nearly a pint of boiled rice. The pork to-day was all boiled jowls. The sun was scorching hot. Sent a few lines home to father.
7th day, 5th mo. 28th. Was a very warm day. One hundred and eighty more prisoners were put in here to-day from Sherman's army, making in all sixteen thousand six hundred and fifty (16,650). There are sixty-one detachments of two hundred and seventy each, not including what came to-day. Drew the usual quantity of corn bread, bacon and mush to a man.
1st day, 5th mo. 29th. Was extremely warm. Lay in the house[4] most of the time. There were about fifteen hundred more men put in here to-day. Did not draw rations until sundown, when we got pork and corn bread.
2d day, 5th mo. 30th. This day is very oppressive. More prisoners came in to-day.
3d day, 5th mo. 31st. Weather as hot as ever. Was at the stockade where the rebels throw over their produce. Greenbacks are worth twice as much as "scrip." Peas, beans, tobacco, onions, turnips, eggs, cakes, groundnuts, &c., &c., are passed over in large quantities and sold at enormous prices. My disease seems worse and I am getting weak.
4th day, 6th mo. 1st. Was cloudy until the middle of the day, then had a heavy thunder-storm, and a little rain now and then until evening. I lay in the house most of the day—was very weak. We made some burnt corn bread crust coffee this morning. There were about four hundred more prisoners put in here to-day; none of them from the Potomac Army.