Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-04-18

from where we started in the swamp.
We parked in a nice, cleared field;
spread our blankets and things out
to dry, then / wrote letter home.
Lieutenant Clingman took half the
train and went to the railroad after
more ammunition. 1t was six or eight
miles to where the trains came from
Newbern. Our rations are to come
that way now.
Monday, March Is, 1865.
We got no orders to move today, so
reveille did not disturb me this morn
ing and / did not get up until after
sunrise. Today l washed some of
my clothing repaired one of my boots,
nailed, a heel on one of Lieutanent
Anderson's boots and one for another
man. We cooked beans for dinner
this noon, and in the afternoon a
fixed up a medicine box for General
Mclean and did various other odd
jobs. The troops are encamped all
around us and this evening they are
all on dress parade, which looked old
fashioned. We are about six miles
from Kingston and one mile from
where the battle took place last
Friday.
Tuesday, March ID, 1865.
Lieut.. Clingman and the part of
the ammunition train, who went to
the railroad after more ammunition.
returned about midnight. There was
some talk of moving, but as we did
not get orders, we remained in bed
until nearly six o'clock. We had a
hurry-up breakfast and were ready
to march about seven. After advanc-
ing about mile we came to a line
of breastworks where the fight had
taken place last week. We could see
the marks of the mimic balls on most
every tree, while occasionally we saw
large tree which had been severed
clean through by "a big shot. We
stopped here for two hours waiting
for another division to get ahead of
ours; then advanced another mile and
stopped again. After dinner we
went into camp. We were going to
cross the river to Kingston, but had
to wait for our pontoon train to come
up. We only marched about five
miles but had good roads. Could see
the bullet marks on the trees all
along our way, and at one place a
large white house was completely
riddled by mimic balls. After stop
ping for the day / did several odd
bits of work, read, etc. Such marches
as we made today are easy. We
passed a mill pond today which was
nearly filled with cypress trees, which,
with their big tapering trunks and
straight bodies, looked very curious.
The mail came last night but there
were no letters for me. 1t has been
nearly month since / received any
mail
Wednesday, March Is, 1865.
We are in a country now where
there is scarcely any timber but pine.
so that we do not have to make wa
gon tongues and coupling poles every
day when we stop while on the march.
For that reason we have nothing to
do today. After breakfast I read a
while; borrowed some shears and
trimmed my hair and whiskers, and
then went to work cutting out a shirt
for Santee, the quartermaster's or
derby. / began it about half past ten
and worked on it until four d. M.
stopping only for dinner, getting the
body partly done and the sleeves
ready to sew in. About this time the
troops began striking their tents and
packing up. Although it rained hard.
we concluded there was a move on
hand and commenced picking up a
little. In half an hour or SO. after
the rain had Stacked up some, we got
orders to move also, so took down
our big hospital tent, loaded M. and
were soon on the road. We moved
slowly; went about two miles and
camped again, it being dark and
raining lightly.