Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-09-06

camp, but waited until after . show
err, then went on after the teams.
Moved about half a mile and went
into camp in a very pleasant place.
There was heavy cannonading in
front today. 1t rained and we built
rail pen and covered it with shakes.
then pitched our tent over it. It
made a very good bunk. Wrote sew
eral letters today. Had nush and
mutton for dinner and fresh pork and
sweet potatoes for supper. We drew
three days rations today to last five
days. Have only drawn one days
rations for the last six days and
then got only 2k hardtacks apiece.
Went to bed early. Today we receiv-
ed the welcome intelligence that Gen.
Slocum entered Atlanta the day be-
fore at eleven a. m. The rebels left
the night before and blew up eighty
carloads of ammunition, which they
had loaded but were unable to get
away with. This was the cause of
the heavy firing we had heard the
night before.
Sunday, Sept. 4, 1864.
We did not hurry in getting up
this morning. After eating mush
and fresh pork, read little while,
then fixed up a table and a mess
chest, etc. After dinner put an end
board into a wagon, made a box for
knapsack for which the owner gave
me quarter. Wrote in my diary,
washed, got water, and looked for lit
tie shells, etc. Found nice large
beetle and scorpion, and got some
whiskey to preserve them in. A lit
tie firing today in front. The mail
came today but did not have any.
Monday, Sept. 5, 1864.
AS soon as l ate my breakfast i
got some water and washed my shirt
and vest. Went out in the woods and
got some little hickory trees and
wagons, which occupied my time un-
til noon. Ate dinner and then got
orders to pack up and be ready to
move at two o'clock. However, we
did not get started until four o'clock
and then went back by the same road
we came on. About shutdown it COM
menced to rain very hard but we went
on through the mud and water. 1t
rained good share of the time until
nine o'clock that night and then clear
ed off. The wagons soon began to
stick in the'mud and they had to work
over an hour to get one wagon out.
Our six wagons were just behind this
one, but they all went through safe.
On we went through the water and
mud, the darkness being so intense
we could not see anything ten feet off.
Regiments had been sent ahead and
they had left couple of men in at
different places to build fires and keep
them burning. By this means we
were able to dry ourselves a little
and get torches by which to light our
weary way. At one time we stopped
for about two and half hours and
had time to set down and snatch a
little sleep. We passed by one house
where five brothers lived, all of whom
had been in the rebel army and were
in the battle of Jonesboro. One of
the boys had had both legs shot off
one a leg; another an arm, and the
fourth had received a severe wound
in the head. The fifth brother had
deserted and. was now at home car
ing for the rest of them. We contin-
ued on through the mud and water,
the boys carrying torches most of the
way. Thus we kept on until 2:30 a.
m. of
Tuesday, Sept. 6, 1864.
We had marched about eight miles
and stopped for the remainder of the
night. Took three chairs from the
wagons and slept in them until sun
rise Started to prepare breakfast
but were soon obliged to pack up and
then had to go about half a mile to
a good place for headquarters and
then went into camp. Pitched our
tents and ate some breakfast, then
washed the mud off of our boots and
-
little during the remainder of the
forenoon and in the afternoon 1 slept
little while. It rained during the
afternoon. There four prisoners and
two deserters brought in today.
A light diet is the best board of
health.