Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-09-06
Interesting Accounts Taken
From, Diary of the Late
c. M. Sloyton



Thursday, Sept. 1, 1864.
This pleasant morning found us up
at $3.50 a. m. in order to have some
fresh pork cooked ready for break
fast, as we had orders to march at
$50 a. m We are rejoicing because
the summers campaign is over with,
but it is only because the summer IS
ended. The fall campaign began as
soon as we got up this morning. 1t
found us about two miles southeast
of Eastpoint and eight miles from
Atlanta. We are on a grand raid or
rather move, as there are six corps
with us, leaving. only one corps, the
and that has moved across the Chat
tahooche river. We learned that the
third division had cut the Macon
railroad and are lying across it now.
We marched east, southeast and most
every other direction, stopping fire.
quently and at $50 p. m. reached the
Macon railroad which had been entire
ly DESTROYED and the remains of the
road were still burning. We went
into camp at dark on the north side
of the railroad, about nine miles
southeast of Eastpoint. We had
marched eight miles today. We ran
across sheep that would not take the
oath of allegiance, so we gave it a
minnie ball and appropriated 1T to
the Union cause for the benefit of our
mess. Corn is trumps. Grated corn
meal made in mush and mutton and
bacon make a fat living; but l hate
to march all day and then set up
half of the night to cook the meat.
Heard a good deal of cannonading to-
day.
Friday, Sept. 2, 1864.
We were up at 4:30 a. m, and had
a grand breakfast of mutton and
mush. Heard very heavy cannonad-
ing during the night in the direction
of Atlanta and / imagine it was at
that city. 1t was continual roar
for two hours. We lay around until
ten o'clock, and in the meantime
looked for shells and found one new
species of Helix, it formed sharp
angle along the phorphery of the out
err whirls and thickly set with little
short hairs at the junction of the
whirls. At ten o'clock we started
and went about forty rods and then
came to a halt. Troops were brought
back and took position in our rear
as it was thought that the "rebs"
were going to attack us from the
rear. We lay still until 200 o'clock
when it was ascertained that the
"rebs" had taken another road, and
then we started off. We went east
and south, marching slowly until
eleven o'clock at night. Then we went
into camp to lie down tired, tentless
and supperless to get what sleep we
could. We are about two or three
miles southeast Of Jonesboro, which
is on the railroad and twenty-five
miles from Atlanta. Jonesboro is
the county seat of Clayton county.
On August 81 there was a sharp bat
tie at this place, the rebels charging
our right wing consisting of the 18th,
10th and 18th corps, and they were
repulsed with heavy loss. The fed
erals 400 rebel dead the next day.
Today we passed many of their
wounded who were unable to taken
with them. The surgeon said that
therer were $50 there, most of them
were laying out of doors on the
ground. / saw legs that had been
amputated lying around on the
ground. We marched ten miles to-
day. Obtained some apples and a
few sweet potatoes.
Saturday, Sept. 8, 1864.
We had storm of thunder and
Lightning just before daylight this
morning. We got up and fixed up a
"shebang" and spread our tents on
it to keep the rain off, but as the
wind blew hard, we had to lay with
our rubber blankets over us to keep
dry Had sour meal and made it in
to corn cake, with sweet potatoes
and bacon for breakfast. After eat
ing we rested awhile, then mended
the bows of one of our wagons that
broke the day before. At noon we
packed up and got ready to move