April 1863

1st   clear windy day last eve Col. Black came back to us exchange our team for a six mule team

2d   the weather continues clear & windy roads good

3d   Cav. march at 7.A.M. Inft. at 8.A.M. cross the Gasconade river & proceed N.E. 14 miles camp on the Rubudue Creek it is a beautiful day for marching just cool enough for comfort.

4th   march N.E. 14 miles to the banks of the big Piney camp on the left bank & build a bridge to cross in the morning roads excelent weather beautiful men in good Health & fine spirits

5th   break up camp at 7.A.M. Cross the big Piney & march N.E. 12 miles camp on Spring creek roads excelent weather fair not much water on the road today for the last three days we have followed the ridges most of the time we have a good kindhearted leader (Col. Mc E. Dye of the 20 Iowa) & we have had an easy march this time we expect to over take the Cav. & Artilery on the little Piney tomorrow night

6th   march twelve miles & camp on the little Piney find the Cav. & Artilery here weather fair we are now ten miles south of Rolla

7th   weather fair roads excelent mail comes in once in two days Reg. in good Health

8th   Grand review by Major Gen. Herron who has now assumed the command of the army of the Frontier Brig. Gen. Van Dever assumes the command of the 2d Div'n both were formerly of the 8th Iowa Inft.

9th   this is a beautiful day the roads are in excelent condition trains arrive daily with clothing Rations forage &c. from Rolla.

10th   beautiful morning clouds up at night

11th   rained some last night but has cleared off now & is likely to be a pleasant day

12th   pleasant day men receive furloughs for thirty days

13th   weather fair roads continue good

14th   it rained most of the time last night & is still raining Health of the Reg. good.

15th   beautiful day, Serg't G. H. Merrill starts for

16th   Home on furlough, windy day

17th   a clear beautify day Boys in excelent Health & spirits Col. Black assumes command of the Reg. Major Payne to do the field duty for the present until Col. Blacks arm is well

18th   pleasant weather

19th   Sabbath no drill company inspection of arms

20th   today we have had our first Battalion drill in this camp (Totten) & the first under Col. Black since he was wounded (Prairie Grove Dec. 7th/62) he is now Col. of the Reg. thus far our Div'n commander is well liked

21st   all the available cavalry & one batery have gone on a scout under Gen Van Dever taking fifteen days rations with them weather fair roads in favorable condition men healthy

22d   weather fair

23d   this afternoon we have to march leaving everything except what we can carry on our back in our knapsacks therefore my dear old journal (over which I have passed many a lonely hour) you & I like all friends in this weary world must part not knowing whether either may survive the ravages of war I bid you a sorrowful adieu Eve_ here is a mistake instead of marching south as we expected to we march north 10 miles to Rolla camp just north of town for the night

24th   Embark on board the cars & run to St Louis (110 miles) arrive at 7.P.M. & march to the south side of the Arsenal 3 miles where we bivouac for the night beside the Arsenal wall

25th   march one mile south to Fort No 1 & lay there until afternoon when we march back to the Arsenal our tents are brought to us we pitch them & get ready to live once more. This morning (at the fort) the 37th Iowa (Greybeard Regiment) cooked & brought us coffee (in barrels) boiled Hams & bakers bread enough for our breakfast it was a kind act of them & deserves all praise at 10.P.M. we receive orders to march in thirty minutes things are packed in a trice & off we go for the arsenal levee Companies A. & B. embark almost immediately and are of the transport that is to take us has to take on coal from a coal Barge which lies here & there & delays us a long time

26th   Embark at 3.A.M. on board the transport Francis Ficher & start down the river arrive at Cape Girardeau at 2.P.M. just as the skirmish there is ending we take our position on the right & lay there until midnight waiting for the Rebs to renew the conflict but they donot come they have withdrew

27th   soon after midnight marched to Fort C. (near the centre of the line) where we lay until about 3.P.M. when we march (without arms[)] to the levee load our tents messboxes &.c. come back & while we are pitching our tents it commences to rain still we are quite comfortable as we have our tents to shelter us & our blankets to keep us warm

28th   rained most of the night but it has cleared off this morning & is quite pleasant at one P.M. move out of the fort & pitch our tents nearer the river the Cav. & part of the Artilery have gone in pursuit of Marmaduke we receive orders to march with three days rations in our haversacks no tents one blanket at 7.P.M. we take a macadamized road toward Bloomfield S.W. march until midnight over good roads when we lay down

29th   march at two A.M. pass through a very bad swamp until 10.P.M. (40 miles) when We bivouac for the night during the day we have crossed white river

30th   march 11 miles into Bloomfield cross the Gascon on a bridge built by the 32d Iowa (a splendid Reg't.) here we join the main force (Van Devers cavalry scout) 5,000 Cav. 22 pieces of Artilery & about 600 Inft. under command of Brig Gen Vandever Brig. Gen. McNeil 2d in command Col Black (ours) com'd'g our Brigade here the Secesh had made great preparations to receive us in style but before we came came up they run as usual and we take peacable possession of the place & lay here over night the town has been a beautiful one but it has been ransacked by the Reb's, & strange as it may seem the people are rebel sympathisers still the Officers of the Rebel Army have allowed their men to pillage this town they have even taken the dresses bedquilts & pillows from the Ladies and in some instances they have taken the victuals from the houses so that the people have to go hungry it is hard telling what they are to do until grain can grow well another month has gone into eternity & we are here 50 miles into the swamp & like to go farther before we go back there is a little chance yet of getting a fight out of them yet at St Francis river