Huntsville, Thursday, Feb. 25. Slept but little during the night, deglutition being very painful and throat much swollen. Reported at sick call (the first time since I left Vicksburg) and was excused from duty. Four desperate big powders of quinine, opium, etc. to be taken. Retired to quarters, burned the powders and went to bed with cold water application to throat. Could eat nothing whatsoever all day. Had a raging fever, all throat very painful. Bathed in the evening. Fever a little lower.
Huntsville, Friday, Feb. 26. Felt very much better than yesterday. Could eat a little with pain to-day. Off duty and laid in tent all day, most of the time alone. Boys all on duty, Hungerfords foraging. Carriages washed preparatory to painting. Sergeant Hauxhurst under arrest for refusing to obey Sergeant Hood's orders on drill.
Huntsville, Saturday, Feb. 27. Throat better. Tumor broken. Bad cough yet. Excused from guard, it being my turn. Camp policed. Lieutenant Clark's wife arrived. No parade. Mail. Carriages all painted over with olive paint. Twelve on the sick roll this morning. Weather exceedingly changeable.
Huntsville, Sunday, Feb. 28. Fine pleasant day. Attended church with Cousin Griffith. Went to the Presbyterian church. A sermon fraught with Southern principles. Services in camp this afternoon by Chaplain of 7th Iowa. P. B. Moss, after a short illness, died very suddenly at 2 P. M. It was wholly unexpected by all, and spread gloom over all the camp.
Huntsville, Monday, Feb. 29. Rained very heavily all night and continued through the day without interruption.
10 A. M. the funeral ceremonies of Moss took place. The procession in charge of Sergeant Hood, his former commander. Sixth piece in the lead followed by the caisson on which the coffin was placed, the hind chests taken off. The Company marched after it in column of detachments, his own Platoon in front, officers in the rear. Mounted in this way the procession marched about two miles passing through town. The roads very bad indeed. Formed hollow square at the grave. Chaplain offered a short prayer before the burial. It was a solemn but tearless scene, comrades paying the last tribute of respect to a fellow soldier, leaving his remains among the honored dead of Huntsville, over whose head no marble slab and carved obelisk was reared in memoriam, but to him a rude head-board was all that told of his resting place. What a consolation to the bereaved mother in Wisconsin to see the place where he lay.