August 16th. Our battery was inspected and reviewed at ten A. M. by Capt. C. H. Whittlesey, Assistant Adjutant-General of the Artillery Reserve.
August 18th. At nine A. M. we bade adieu to the attached men of the One Hundred and Sixty-fourth Ohio Infantry, who have served with us since the first of July. We held these soldiers in high esteem. Their term of service has expired and they are about to return to their regiment for muster-out. The original members of our battery are very much exercised, as they claim that they enlisted to serve the unexpired term of the regiment, and their term of service has already expired, and insist that they too should be mustered out. A meeting was held in the company mess room, and Corporal Howard was appointed a committee to wait upon President Lincoln and present our grievances to him. Upon interviewing the president he listened attentively to the complaint made by the committee, and then said: “I see by your petition that it has been through all the departments, and I find that your claim is right and just, and you should be discharged. You come at the eleventh hour to ‘Old Abe’ thinking he will order you discharged. But the government has 50,000 men just the same as you are. We cannot spare these men at present, but as soon as you can possibly be spared you shall be sent home. I am truly sorry for your men.” And this closed the interview of President Lincoln with our committee.
August 29th. Private Earl Fenner was detailed as acting sergeant, and ordered to duty as sergeant of the guard at the fort. Privates Sampson, Alderwick and Stone were detailed for picket, and ordered to report to the commanding officer of the picket near Fort Strong. During the afternoon the paymaster appeared in the fort and the men were paid two months’ pay. The men on picket were ordered to return to the fort and receive their pay, but they arrived too late as the paymaster had gone, and they were ordered back on picket, Private Alderwick having been detailed to relieve Private Hayfield on the outpost. On proceeding to the place, he was challenged and shot by Hayfield. He was hit in the right shoulder, causing a severe wound. It was generally thought that Hayfield was an unfit person to occupy the position of an outpost.
Lieut. Hezekiah Potter.
August 31st. Long roll was sounded at three A. M. All the companies in the fort were ordered to the guns and remained there until reveille.
October 6th. Artificer Leon Allison was sent into Washington to-day by Captain Allen on official business. On his return he was brutally assaulted and all his valuables taken from him, even to the shoes on his feet. On his arrival at the fort he was sent to the hospital, where it was found that his jaw was broken.
October 13th. Private James Booth died in hospital near Fort Strong. He was buried by a detail of men from our battery.
October 16th. We have received welcome news to-day. Our battery is ordered to Camp Barry, where we are to receive guns and horses and be remounted again as a light battery. The men are delighted and almost beside themselves with joy. They have been very much dissatisfied, not having enlisted as heavy artillerymen it was but natural that they should long to return to their own arm of the service. We moved from Fort Smith at ten A. M., and on arriving at Camp Barry occupied barracks No. 1.
October 18th. Twenty-five men were detailed to draw horses and harnesses for the battery. This order was obeyed with alacrity. We were subsequently ordered to draw a battery of Napoleon guns.