April 1864
1st go to Newels Andersons & Warrens quite pleasant day
2d come Home from Warrens & stay at Home
3d go to Church East of Here in the Evening, rainy, night
4th rainy day, stay at Home.
5th go to Town meeting rainy day
6th rainy weather
7th rainy morning fair afternoon go to L. N. Tongues, & Cranes fine visit
8th rain
9th go to Belvidere cloudy
10th go to Church at the Red School House & East of Here at the White Church
11th Go to town & South prairie to Arven[?] Oakes[?] receive ($23) twenty three dollars for Lt Kennicott
12th Cloudy go to Harper H. Stows to see Lt Geo. H. Merrill return at noon & write
13th go to Warrens cloudy day
14th go to Harvard to see Lt Kennicott he has gone to the city, return & have Arthur take another Horse & go to Belvidere with me to bring back the Horses send him back & then find out that I cannot go find Henry & Mrs. Tripp ride up with them & stay over night at Mrs. Tripps
15th go to Newells Drapers Andersons Mrs. Henry Cranes go back to Newells & stay with Ben, decidedly a gay time
16th go to town come Home & go to Drapers Newells &.c.
17th go north 14 miles to hear the funeral sermon of one of our co. preached it is not preached beautiful morning but rainy afternoon
18th go to Belvidere take the 7.A.M train for Chicago with Capt. Loop. report as my Order says at Camp. Fry. none there to report to & I return to Belvidere on the 4.P.M. train stay over night with L. N. Tongue who has now moved to this place
19th go to a quilting at C. D. Jacksons (to take the Ladies[)] at noon & visit at A. Yateses in the Afternoon have a good visit as any one always does who goes there, in the Eve take the Ladies to Mrs. Andersons have ^a good visit & return Home
20th visit at Jas. F.[?] Sheldon's in the forenoon & at Mr. __ Jewett Sheldons in the Afternoon very good visit_ go to church in the Evening at the White Church_ Splendid time
21st go to Haskin's Warrens Cranes &.c. X
22d leave Bonus to rejoin my Reg. at Chicago, get as far as H. H. Stows find Lt Merrill's he goes to Belvidere & he persuades me to stay with him until tomorrow when he is going in go with him to the Baltic Mills & make a call at Dr. Jones'es fine people George's Mother is a mother to all a Noble woman
23d bad day, some of the Bonus people down A Yates & others take the 12=10. P.M. train for Chicago arrive at 4.P.M. report to Col. Black & he grants us leave of absence until Monday (25th) & we (Lt Merrill & myself) return to Belvidere on the 11=30 train
24th it is raining this morning but we obtain a Livery & go to Bonus but before we get there I am shaking with ague for the first time since last summer have a very hard day of it O, for this one day of good Health before leaving Bonus but why should I complain have not these past twelve weeks been Happy ones to me in this short period have passed the happiest moments of my life within this time I have been sadder & happier than I thought it possible for mortal man to be, but in the meantime where has the 37th been = when the Orders for re=Enlisting came with one accord nearly the whole Reg. signed the Rolls & started for Home marching 22 miles to Point Isabelle they Embarked crossed the Gulf & after laying over in New Orleans 4 weeks came up the river to St Louis & by rail to Chicago where a warm reception awaited them, the warmest of any Reg. that has yet came back from the field our Reg. is 2.57 strong our Flag has a few stars left otherwise it is nearly all gone give it back to the board of trade who gave it to us with another both very beautiful when we return we Expect to receive two more from the Board of trade Prouder still am I to belong to the 37th Ill. Vol. Inf'ty than Ever before & our boys during these past 30 days at home have ^cast the lie in the teeth of the sneaking copperheads who say a man cannot serve his country with^out becoming demoralized., & now we are ready to take the field again for another three years unless sooner discharged which will be when the Rebels are whipped (the boat trembles)
25th rainy day start at 9. A.M. for Belvidere very weak this morning but feel quite well bid adieu to Old Bonus for a long long time, leave Belvidere on the 12=10. P.M. train run into Chicago stay at the Matteson House.
26th a pleasant day Express our things Home & prepare to march. leave Camp Fry at two P.M. march to the "Soldiers Rest" receive two beautiful flags the Banner with the 37th Ill. Infty. Vols. on one side on the other is Pearidge Prairie Grove Chalk Bluff & Vicksburg inscribed in beautiful gilt letters the Battle Flag Dark Blue with a large spread Eagle &.c &.c. a nice little speech is made by a member of the Board of trade which is responded to by our Col. (Black) both are nessacarily brief as we are to leave at 5. P.M. break ranks wash for supper & reform for the occasion without Arms & march in where a bountiful repast is awaiting us prepared by the Noble Ladies of Chicago long may they live & much happiness be theirs is the Earnest desire of a Soldiers heart those who have of their plenty have supplied the wants of the Soldiers on their way to & from the field will be long & fondly remembered by the soldier in his wanderings & surely they will be rewarded in a fairer clime than this where war is not known where all will be Peace joy & Happiness O, will not that be Glorious, start at five P.M. run all night,
27th rainy day arrive at Cairo Fruit trees in full bloom
28th 1 O.C. A.M. such another mud Hole was never found I guess see James Timony, 15th Ill. Vols. also Serg't Anderson 95th Ill. Vols. nearly the whole 17th Army Corps is here & preparing to move in some direction they think to the Army of the Cumberland but they can tell nothing about it one thing is sure they would be stuck in the mud only for the boats & R.R. Embark at 6.P.M. on board U.S. transport Belle St Louis start down the river at 9.P.M. lay too at Columbus at 11.P.M. for Amunition & again we are on our way for the Sunny South, land of Chivalry
29th rainy, arrive at Memphis at 4. P.M. lay over night Expect to change Boats here the 9th Cavalry (on the boat with us) Expect to stay here as here is where they turned over their accoutrements when they started Home
30th rainy march off the boat at ten Oclock A.M. & half the Reg. is detailed for Piqiuet, the whole Cavalry & Artilery force have gone in pursuit of Forest & we are left to guard the town go out about two miles on Piqiuet Corn potatoes beans &.c. are up & looking finely Every thing looks lovely flowers in full bloom meadows looking green & beautiful, but what are our prospects at present dull indeed reverses await us on Every hand & still we may hope for the best our Armies are being reorganized & preparations are rapidly progressing for an active Campaign which will soon commence