Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-05-02
Interesting Accounts Taken
From Diary of the Late
c. M. Slayton
Thursday, March 16, 1865.

This morning we found ourselves
camped in a very pleasant, dry place
that the rebels have used for camp
ing ground, Before / got the dishes
washed an orderly came up from
Headquarters with orders to report
there with tools as soon as l could
get ready. / went down there where
Captain Spain, provost marshal, de-
sired me to make him some cross legs
for his desk. l took the measure OF
it and went to another man after
some material, which we obtained by
saving joist out of a house, then
took it to our quarters and went to
work on it. finished Captain SPANS
little after noon and went to work
on a pair for Lieutenant Clingman
and worked until almost supper time,
getting his nearly completed. Had to
make them out of pitch pine lumber
which is very hard to work. Today
was very pleasant, but warm and
windy and not unlike some of the
very drying days we have up north
later in the season only warmer.
Yesterday we got new mich cow
that the commissary had picked up
Yesterday we got a new mich cow
for beef and tonight we had some
good mush and milk for supper.
Friday, March II, 1865.
Last night, after we got to bed in
our tent we had good proof of the I'M
stability of the sandy soil on which
we had il pitched. The tent was stalk
ed very well we thought, but we had
to get up and stake it again, after
which we retired again and slept
quietly until mroning. After break
fast we again went to work on the
desk legs. I mended the doctors and
the adiutant generals, then made a
set for a captain at Headquarters,
and finished the heutanent's; also
made a nail box. The weather is
cold this morning, but warmed up to-
noon. The ammunition train boys
came up today. Troops had general
inspection.
Near Kinston, N. Car,
Saturday, March 18, 1865.
As soon as breakfast was over we
got a pass took our tools and went to
town to grind them. 1t is nearly two
miles to town and the roads are very
sandy. We passed through long
line of rebel breastworks and past
several isolated works nearer town,
in which were two cannon, dismount-
ed, and a large magazine filled with
ammunition. The village was quite
place with wide, sandy, regular
streets; the house built of wood and
low and well scattered, giving the
town a rather loose, desolate appear
ance, especially as there was moth
| ing going on. The workshops were
all riddled and the stores empty.
saw three or four church spires, but
the courthouse and Jail looked as
though crime and justice were meager
or scare. We ground our tools, and
went back to camp getting there just
| in time for dinner at noon.. In the
afternoon we made some desk legs
for DR.. Wood. There is talk of our
moving in the morning and the troops
are drawing more ammunition. They
have to carry seventy rounds apiece.
Lieutanent Clingman went to depart
ment headquarters to act as ordin-
ance officer there and Let. Chambers
was appointed in his place: A very
pleasant. drying day. The teams are
all foraging today after rations.
Sunday, March 10, 1865.
We were up early this morning, and
learned that there were little pros
poets Of moving, so did not hurry a
great deal. After breakfast we made
another desk stand, which took until
ten o'clock. l then. wrote letter
home and helped make camp stool.
Today was pleasant and dry.
Monday, March 20, 1865.
We all slept under tent fly which
we had put up for shelter, having no
other tent and the wagons being all
gone. We got up this morning at
FIVE o'clock. All was hurry and con-
fusion among the troops as they had
orders to march at six o'clock. We
loaded our tools, ETC., into the head
quarters forage wagon and . little