Belding banner., 1917-02-14
Interesting Accounts Taken
From Diary of the Lofe
&. M. Sioyton
Camp Stoneman, Wash, d. c.,


the pages Of another book, that /
may store up the doings of which /
am witness for ours and others future
reference. This book, unlike my
last, opens when we are apparently
idle and doing nothing. Our corps,
the twenty-thi has just arrived
here from Tennessee, and are now
lying still.
By a lucky (for us) mistake of the
commissary day or two ago, we
drew rations for eighty-one men in
stead of eighteen which gave us much
more bread than we could eat. So
this morning as soon as ! had finish
ed nv breakfast, ] went to selling it
to a regiment close by. / sold over
fifty loaves at cents a loaf, the
money of which we concluded to use
to buy sausage with, which I did in
the afternoon, paying thirty cents a
pound.
was not called up on to do any
work so mended my clothes, read,
drew rations and in the afternoon /
bought counterpane of one of the
boys for $1.50.
To-day was extremely pleasant,
| and the ground thawed some, making
it quite muddy underfoot.
The troops are still arriving.
Thursday, February 2, 1865.
Last night after getting to bed, !
was sent for to come down to the
paymaster's tent to sign the payroll.
/ did not feel very well to-day, but
the provost-marshall wanted a pair
of cross-legs made for desk. so ]
went to work and made them, which
took me all day.
1t was pleasant to-day.
Friday, February 8, 1865.
/ thought that possibly l would be
able to get to town to-day, but the
uuartermaster was busy issuing
clothing so / could not get pass.
/ stood around most of the forenoon
and in the afternoon / made a box for
the major to put blank books in.
The weather was pretty cold to-
day and it started to snow pretty
hard before night
Saturday, February 4, 1865.
| made up a bundle of things to
send home and called for a pass to
go to town, but before / could get
away the general (Couch) sent for
me and wanted me to make a box for
him with partitions in which would
hold six bottles. / went to work at
it and worked busily until night to
get it done. The general sent to
town for the hinges and lock.
A pleasant day.
Sunday, February 5, 1865.
The wind blew very hard last night
laying some of the tents fiat. 1t tore
ours some. We could build no fire in
the stove so had a cold time eating.
| had nothing to do to keep me
warm, but went over to the suffers
to see if l could find place to write
some. His place was jammed full,
all crowding in to keep out of the
wind.
started to go down to the river but
the wind blew so hard that / could
not see anything.
went back to the tent put on my
overcoat and mittens, then covered
myself up with blanket and read.
The wind is still blowing tonight.
Monday, February 6, 1865.
The prospects are for a fair day,
so ] asked leave and received pass
for town. Was read to go about ten
o'clock and started. ] had to show
my pass to cross the bridge, but no
turned to the left and went to the
navy yard. thinking that would take
a look inside, but found several street
cars waiting to go to town, so paid
my fve-cent fare, got in, and rode
up to Hardin's Express office to send
my bundle home.
/ then went up to the capitol and
got some of the different kinds of
marble used in the construction of
the white house. / got through about
noon and began to look around town.
Went down Pennsylvania avenue and
past the treasury building and then to
the White House. / went inside the
latter to take look at the Presidents
mansion, but as they were fixing 1t
up for some social function to take
place that night, l was unable to see
anything that day, but was told to
come some other day and look around
the rooms, etc. / then went to the
war and navy departments and took
long walk around the National
monument, but as it was not finished
yet / could not see much. / went to
the patent Office on 9Th street, GO
ing by the post office. Here was a
sight indeed. The building is large
granite one with an open court in the
center. The floor of the main en-
trance is composed of officers, but on
going upstairs you enter a long hall
with light blue, arched ceiling, sup
DOTJeQ Dy uetp Dluc COlutiiilS Will q
black base and red-and-brown capi-
tol, which gave it very pleasing APP
pearance. Here we registered our
names, then went to look at the mod
els, etc. The first thing that at
; tracted my attention was a glass
case containing the printing press
used by DR.. Franklin, when he was
a journeyman printer in England in
J 1852. The things we saw were some
relics of Washington's, such as his
clothes, which wore at the time Of re-
signing his commissions blue coat
and buckskin-colored pants and vest
his sword, dishes, chair, etc. Here
also were the treaties made by the
the United States with different ma
tions; medals with images of their
rulers; gifts from various nations
, especially the Barbary States OF
northern Africa, and from Japan
Now we came to the different models
of the different improvements and