10th   rainy

11th   go to Warrens & Levi Tongues snow this morning roads very bad no tidings from the Reg. last day of School in this District, go to Mr. Haskins stay over night with Edgar

12th   stay at Mr. Haskins's. a splendid visit go to Bonusville for the Mail with Edgar

13th   come Home go to Church at the Red school House & the little church start to go to Bonusville to Church get as far as Mr. Haskins give it up & stay over night

14th   Come Home go to J. D. Stow's to a sale it is so cold I have to come Home a very disagreeable day Ruth is sick,

15th   start for town very cold get as far as Mrs. Tripp's stay all day & night have a gay time

16th   go to town see Cap. Loop come Home again

17th   Cap. Loop starts for Springfield Illinois I go to Andersons Cranes Chases &.c. &.C. weather fair but windy

18th   weather quite fair but cool go to Warrens come Home & stay all day

19th   very cold & windy stay at Home today have visitors

20th   a very disagreeable morning our visitor leaves comes off quite warm go to church at the white Church in the Eve

21th   quite pleasant. go to Deacon Smith's Sale in the A.M. & to Garden Prairie at Evening

22d   go to Warrens Avery's & Porters very cool wind our Reg. arrives at Chicago & receive such a reception as no other Reg. has received that has come back our Flag. is returned to the Board of trade with the Expectation of receiving new ones when we return to the field Speeches by Gen. White (our first Col.) Col. Fuller (State A. G.) Col. Sherman (88th Ill) Col. Black (of our Reg.) Lt Col. Payne (do.) Lt Col. Mann (39th Ill)

23d   weather fair go to Belvidere with Edgar Haskins come Home & go to Church a gay time

24th   go to Marengo call at Hannah Brown's (my cousin) see Aunt Lydia Drake have ^a good visit take the 12=45 train for Chicago our Boys are gay just receiving their furloughs & getting ready to start for Home Enlist or re=enlist for the term of three years unless sooner discharged

25th   stay in Chicago boys nearly all gone but I am waiting to be mustered 15th Ill. arrives on their way Home

26th   cannot be mustered therefor I take the 9. A.M. train for Belvidere quite pleasant weather roads good people commence sowing

27th   very windy go to Church at the Red School House in the Afternoon & at the White Church in the Evening

28th   rainy morning Ruth has gone to Mr. Bailey's visiting this week

29th   very disagreeable weather rainy & muddy rainy go to Canens also to Sheldon's & Tripps stay over night at the latter place

30th   come Home cloudy weather go to church at the W.C.

31st   go to Belvidere report to Capt. Loop come Home again & another month has passed & still the this Cruel War is raging with unabated fury no decisive battles have been fought but Sherman Hurlbut & Mc Pherson have made an important raid into Ala. & Grant is placed in command of the United States Army & with the Zeal which he has always manifested is with him yet he is reorganizing the whole Army & the "Army of the Potomac" in person which he is to command in the Spring Campaign & now we may Expect Success to crown our efforts but is is to be a long long time before we can be permitted to return to our Homes in peace one & one half or two years & perhaps three years for all our people are Expecting such an Easy conquest we have bloody work yet before us but let it come anything rather than an unhonorable Peace rather the last Loyal man should perish than find shelter in dishonor but we will have no such thing as God is just so he will [indistinguishable] for the right & though our triumph [the following is written vertically along the right edge of the page and over the top of the some of the previous text] be delayed it will be yet the more Glorious when it does come