Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-05-16
Interesting Accounts Taken
From Diary of the Late
c. M. Siayfon


him, then fixed an axe helve, and got
wagon tongue ready to put in. /
then went and got an order to get some
scantling for wagon tongues. Had il
approved by the provost marshal and
tried to get them, but as the assist
ant quartermaster Of the fourteenth
corps had taken possession of them,
/ could not get any. came back
and ground axes, etc. While looking
around today / happened to go up to
the depot which had been burned the
day before and saw hundreds of
nile and ten-inch shot and shell lay
ing around that had been left by the
rebels. Saw the fifteenth army corps
come i'm. They looked dirty and
rough, but were fat and cheerful.
Most all of them had some. kind of
forage which they had taken. This
town is Goldsboro and is the county
seat of Wayne county. 1t is rather
on overgrown town, covering about
five times as much ground as it would
up north. There is enough vacant
land in town to feed all the inhabit-
ants, and, / believe, on a foggy day
you would have to inquire the direc-
ton from one house to another. This
is quite a manufacturing place COM
posed mostly of woodworking plants.
and today our men had two steam
grsit mills going. We are camped
near the courthouse which is quite
building. but the Jail nearby, is very
small. In the same yard is small
platform about twelve feet square,
with a roof over it in which is set of
stocks, with holes in the upper plank
for two mems necks and their hands,
and below are places for their feet.
The stocks are an ancient relic of
barbarism There is also four
story brick college nearby, which is
the largest building / have seen in the
place. 1t was used by the rebels for
hospital and is now used by us for
the same purpose. We have orders
to be ready to move at six o'clock in
the morning. We are going back to.
wards Kinston.
Saturday, March 25, 1865.
1t was hard to get up this cold,
frosty morning at five a. m, when
we had been used to laying still un-
til sunrise. At half past six we
were ready to to go, and in an hour
started off,. This morning before day
light we were surprised to hear the
cars whistle as they came up from
Kinston. We took a different road to-
day on our return, going now down
the railroad track. About one o'clock
we stopped an hour for dinner, then
moved on until after five p. m, max
ing sixteen miles and going into camp
at a little station on the railroad.
called Mosley Hall. The third and
first brigades of our division stop
ped back from one to five miles to
guard the railroad and other roads
~, +OHoxy aof t,oa IF
General Sherman's foragers or
"bummers" as they are called. re-
turning to camp loaded with chick
ems, bacon, meal, etc. Most of them
were on horse back with half a dozen
chickens hanging to each side of their
horses or mules, as many hams and
shoulders, a bag of meal behind the
saddles and perhaps a gourd of mo-
lasses in one hand, the bride in the
other and their guns on their back.
Many had hitched their horses to a
buggy and were whirling along the
road as merrily as if going to cir
Gus or Fourth Of July. Some would
have yolk of steers hitched to q
light cart, which was well-loaded with
country produce, and thus moving
along towards town. One team /
thought was quite novel. 1t consist
ed of one three-year-old steer yoked
in the thills of a cart, while the driv-
er rode a pony in the rear, guiding
this team by a single line. Sherman's
"bummers" have unlimited sway in
their foraging excursions, taking. ev-
erything edible that they can and of
ten burning the rest. If they came to
large plantation where they could
not find much they would commence
probing the ground around with bay
onets and ramrods, and not infre-
buried, which they were sure to dig
up and appropriate. / saw today
where they found ten cwt. of hams
and shoulders thus hidden under a
chip pile, but the Yankees were too
much for them. Today we could see
in all directions the smoke of burning
fences. Hundreds of loads of corn
are now being collected daily and TAX
en- to Goldsboro and stored for future
use, while rations are being hauled
from Kinston.
Mosley Hall, Leno County, N. c.
Sunday March &c, 1865.
A rather cold night, and when we
got up this morning the water in our
bucket was froze over. Before / had
got through with my breakfast there
was job of work ordered, but 1 did
not primse to do it. In the afternoon
/ mended camp stool for DIR. Wood
for which he gave me $1.00. Our
teams went out foraging this morn
ing and at noon two of them return
ed loaded with corn. At two o'clock
p. m. headquarters struck tents and
moved, but we had had to wait until
the teams returned so did not start
until five o'clock. Moved about four
miles back in the country and went
into camp on large plantation, head
quarters occupying the house, which
had been vacated by the owner. Had
chicken for dinner and supper.
Monday, March q, 1865.
This morning was most beautiful
one, clear and cold, and as there
were sheep and lambs, cows and cali
YES, and other young stock around,
thar hloat,,o xno1a q cas1pd Eka