Larkinsville, Sunday, Dec. 27. Rain, rain, all last night, and to-day I was on guard. Stood with toothache and swollen right side of face in no pleasant mood. Felt cross and lonesome. Foragers sent after corn. Returned with plenty of fresh meat, etc. Larkinsville is situated in a very fertile valley, and citizens well disposed and loyal. Forty miles east of Huntsville, twenty-two west of Stevenson and two hundred twenty-six east of Memphis. 3rd Brigade and 12th Battery busy at work hauling stones, timber, etc. for winter quarters.
Larkinsville, Monday, Dec. 28. Rain ceased and sky cleared off. Sun shone down on mud six inches deep on level. Camping ground staked out and tents ordered to be moved into position. Blake gone out after fresh meat. Dixon and Evie started after cedar timber to wall the tent. I snaked them down with horse team. By night we had tent up, four feet red cedar logs with bed of cedar boughs. Rather cold bed. Blake and Snyder [Seiders?] returned with half a porker. Snyder [Seiders?] changed with Schmidt and came into our mess and tent.
Larkinsville, Tuesday, Dec. 29. Warm and pleasant. Long train sent foraging under escort. Snyder sent on detail. Hauled stone from bluff and put up fireplace and chimney, mudded up, etc. Streets of the Battery presenting a lively appearance, men's sleeves rolled up, coats off, rolling stones, chopping, making mud buildings of every fancy and description to suit the proprietors. Soldiers are not lazy when they work for their own immediate interest.
4 P. M. Snyder's [Seiders?] horses led into camp by infantry men loaded with five hogs, twenty-six chickens. Guards took him to headquarters, but he outgeneraled them by sending off the game which they wanted, therefore he was returned.
Larkinsville, Wednesday, Dec. 30. Cold and cloudy day. I suffered much from neuralgia and toothache, from which I could get no rest. Dressed the two hogs brought yesterday, and salted them. The chickens hung up for New Year's. We drew rations for the tent and cooked at the fireplace, a family of our own. Camp still busy improving. Women and boys in camp trading cornbread off for coffee and salt, etc. with the soldiers. Eight hundred rounds of powder ammunition received by Lieutenant Clark for new battery. Unloaded and stored down town.
Larkinsville, Thursday, Dec. 31. Wet and disagreeable. Rained all night and day. Water running into our houses so as to threaten drowning us out. So we stole lumber enough from a deserted house to build us bunks, E. W. and myself on the upper shelf four feet above, where I laid and tossed from pain until late; the other bunk underneath. Could not sleep and I thought of the closing year that we had commenced two hundred miles west of here on a tedious march from Germantown to Lafayette, and since then travelled many a hundred miles of rebel country, meeting the enemy and winning.