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John Welk Diary - MMS 136

Diary - 1863

January 1863

1st considerable fighting along the whole line. Pleasant day.
2nd Some fighting all day hard Battle on the wing at four ock pm. the Sixth Brigade made a heavy charge and drove the Rebels back. Rained all night
3rd a little fighting all day hard battle in the eve in the center battle lasted until 11 ock at night Lived on corn. Rainy day
4th Sunday pleasant day Rained all night details were made today to bury the dead on the Battle field lived on parched corn and beef
5th Rainy day nothing done today but burying dead drawed 2 crackers and a small piece of flitch and some coffee
6th left the Battle field at 2 ock p.m. went to Murfreesboro and marched out 6 miles on the Shelbyville Pike went on Picket cold day
7th went to camp in the morning and put up tents got one days rations of crackers and coffee
8th in camp Rainy day drawed one days ration of crackers and foraged a lot of meat
9th in camp Pleasant day got some corn meal and beef wrote a letter home
10th in camp Pleasant day wrote a letter to H. A. Welk Bought a watch of James H. Ewing at 14.15
11th moved camp 1 1/2 mile to rear warm day Sold a watch to James T. Duley at $14.00
12th in camp warm day
13th Brigade went out five mile with forage train Pleasant day very warm
14th was detailed to unload Rations at div. head quarters unloaded 152 six mule teams rainy day
15th rained all night and all day very high water commenced freezing in the evening
16th cold day about one inch of snow
17th went out with forage train cold day
18th Sunday pleasant day Washed shirt and drawers at the creek
19th cold rainy day
20th rained most all day
21st rainy day
22nd Brigade was Out foraging I stayed in camp
23rd I was detailed to go foraging on extra duty for staying in yesterday warm day
24th in camp had Batalion drill in the a.m. by Capt. Cummings. Col. Wallace is commanding the Brigade Col. Gibson the Div and Genl. Johnston the Corps. General McCook is absent Rained all afternoon
25th Sunday warm day Went on picket at 7 ock a.m.
26th was releived from picket at 9 ock a.m warm day
27th Rained all night went on picket at 7 ock commenced snowing at noon got very cold at night
28th was releived from picket at 8 ock cold day 1 inch snow
29th in camp pleasant day
30th worked on the fortifications at Murfreesboro 15:32:39 Regt.
31st on fortifications

January 1863

1st Sunday rained most all day
2nd went on picket at 7 ock cold day
3rd was releived from picket at 8 ock a.m. very cold morning was the coldest night this winter no fire on the Reserve
4th went with the forage train met the Rebels on the Shelbyville pike 4 mile from the picket line
We had three Regts. of Infantry the 15th, 39th, and 49th and four pieces of Artillery.
Skirmished all day got our train loaded and returned to camp at night cold day
5th in camp cold day
6th worked on fortifications one mile west of Murfreesboro very cold day
7th went on picket at 7 ock a.m.
8th was releived at 8 ock by the 2 Mo. Regt. warm day Sunday
9th went forageing at 8 ock pleasant day
10th in camp Rainy day
11th went on picket at 7 ock pleasant day
12th came off picket at 9 ock rainy day
13th went with forage train
14th in camp Sined pay Roll
15th went on picket at noon Sunday
16th Came off picket at noon Rainy day
17th in camp
18th went out with a forage train rained most all day Very high water got back to Camp at 9 ock. pm.
19th Pay day Recd $52.00 pleasant day
20th in camp warm day
21st was detailed with a forage train Regt. went on picket rained all day
22nd cold day was on Patrole guard wrote a letter home and expressed 35.00
23rd in camp pleasant day
24th was out with forage train 9 mile nice day
25th in camp Rained like the devil all day wrote a letter to H. A. Welk
26th Rained hard all day
27th in camp pleasant day had general Inspection
28th went on picket at 7 ock. am.

January 1863

1st came off picket at 9 ock a.m. had inspection in the pm
2nd cold day had marching orders
3rd cold windy day in Camp
4th went out on the Salem pike 15 mile for forage cold day
5th Returned to camp at two ock this morning from forageing this was a cold and windy day
6th left camp at 8 am marched to Middleton Skirmished until night then retreated 2 miles and encamped Rained all day and night our Comp went on picket
7th Marched at 2 ock am got to Camp at 2 ock p.m Rainy day
8th went on picket at 7 ock am Rainy day Posted this far.
9th came off picket at 10 a.m pleasant day Struck tents and packed up to march order was countermanded at 4 pm. pitched tents again
10th went on picket at 9 ock Rained hard most all day
11th Came off picket at 10 ock pleasant day
12th Went on picket at 7 ock pleasant day
13th came off picket cold windy day
14th I was detailed for Patrole guard Brigade went on picket
15th on Patrole guard Brigade came off picket
16th in camp warm day
17th warm day had Battalion drill
the 15th, 32d Ind and 1st Ohio Battery had a Sham fight
18th moved Camp to the Rear about 1/3 of a mile north of Murfreesboro nice warm day
19th cleaned up our new camp and ditched it
20th had Review by General Rosecrans
21st went out on the Shelbyville pike to support the picket line in the morning to camp at night
22nd Sunday had Inspection in the morning was ordered to march at noon went on the Salem pike 5 mile and releived first Div 15th went on picket
23rd came off picket Rainy day
24th Rainy day out on Salem pike
25th went on picket Rained in the morning cleared off at 10 ock AM. pleasant day
26th was releived from picket in the morning marched to camp Sill in the evening
27th went on picket on the Shelbyville pike Rainy day
28th was releived at nine ock am. It Rained Blowed and thundered all night I went to the 105th Ohio in the P.M.
29th Sunday in camp Cold Stormy day
30th had Brigade Review by Maj. General Rosecrans
31th in camp

January 1863

1st went on picket
2nd came off picket
3rd in camp
4th in camp had Battalion drill
5th Division went Salem I stayed in camp wasent well
6th in camp on the Sick list
7th in camp Reported to the doctor
8th on Sick list
9th I was detailed on fatigue duty at Brigade Hd Quarters
10th on Sick list in camp Regt came from Salem
11th in camp on Sick list
12th on Sick list turned over our old Sibley tents and went in the dogs. Signed pay Roll
13th drawed the old tents again warm day on Sick list
14th Recd' two months pay
15th Rainy day Sent home $20 by Express
18th I sent home my overcoat and John Sheelys Blankets by express Paid 1.65
21st Div went on a Scout I stayed in camp
24th the Division came to camp
26th Brigade went on picket
30th had general Inspection and muster in the morning Brigade went to Salem at noon

January 1863

3rd I went to the Regt at Salem
4th went on picket
5th went to camp at Murfreesboro
6th was detailed to unload rations at Brigade Hd Quarters
5-6-7-8 of May Cold Rainy weather
10th Brigade went on picket
11th came off picket
12th drilled four hours
13th drilled four hours
14th drilled and had Inspection
15th drilled 4 hours
16th drilled 4 hours
17th went on picket
18th went to camp
19th drilled 3 hours
21st went on picket
22nd went to camp
24th went to Salem
29th went to camp Rainy day
30th in camp Rained hard most all day

January 1863

4th went on picket Wilkinson pike Cannonading all day in direction of Tryune Salem and Manchester
5th went to camp Rainy day
6th Sheehy Tucker Nafsker and Ramey came to the Regt
7th Sunday Sheehy and I went to 3rd Ohio Cav.
10th went on picket Rainy day
11th Went to Camp Rainy day John Harnet came to the Co
12th we got new Enfield Rifles
16th went on picket
17th went to Camp
24th Left camp at 5 ock AM. got to the Rebel lines at one ock PM. at Liberty Gap we fought about 4 hours and drove them back
25th commenced fighting at noon fought 3 hours and the Rebels Run
26th lay in camp all day Marched about 5 mile to the Manchester Pike
27th Advance to Beech grove
28th left Beech grove
29th got to Manchester this morning at 3 ock and camped
30th in camp all day

January 1863

1st left Manches at noon got to Tullahoma at midnight
2nd went into Camp a Tullahoma the troops all left this morning and marched after Bragg
3rd left Camp at 12:ock last night out Regt and the L.L.'s went 10 mile towards Manchester to guard a Supply train to Tullahoma got back at 2 ock pm with about 175 wagons
4th in camp at Tullahoma, tenn was detailed to gather up Rebel tents for our own use
5th in camp
6th we went on Picket at 4 ock AM
7th came off Picket in the morning hot day
8th commenced guarding amunition in Tullahoma our Comp" was detailed and moved quarters to town
9th two trains of cars arived this morning at two ock from Murfreesboro
12th in camp I borrowed two dollars and fifty cts from John Tudhope
13th I went with a forage train to Normandy for grass Normandy is a R.R. station 8 mile north of Tullahoma
14th I was on guard duty at the amunition train
15th in camp Amunition train moved about 300 yds
16th on guard at the Ordnance Dpt
17th in Quarters
18th I was on guard at the amunition train
21st on guard at the A" train
23rd on guard at the amunition train Pay day I recd. $52.00
25th Sent home $20 by Express
26th on guard
29th on guard at the amun train

January 1863

1st At Tullahoma on guard at the div." ord" dept
6th on guard
8th we were releived by Co. G 1st Ohio and we Returned to the Regt
13th went on picket
14th came off picket
16th We left Tullahoma at 5 ock PM and marched to Elk River brige about nine mile
17th Started at 6 ock AM and marched about 15 mile went through Winchester
18th Started at 4 ock AM marched about 20 mile went through Salem and crossed the Alabama line Marched most all day along the foot of the Mountains
19th Started at 7 ock Marched about 10 mile and camped in a cove near the Mountains
20th Marched about one mile to the foot of the Mts and halted for the wagons to go up Comp. I and D went on picket
21st Started at 6 ock went up the Mts. and marched about 8 mile.
22nd Started at 4 ock AM went down the mountain and marched to Bellefonte again 2 ock distance 18 mile Al Sproate and I went about a mile out from camp and got sweet potatoes and peaches
23rd fixed up camp at Bellefonte
26th went on picket
27th Went to Camp (?) Conger and I fixed up a fly and bed
30th we marched from Bellefonte at 6 ock AM Camped on Crow Creek at noon 3 mile from Stevenson. distance from Bellefonte 10 mile
31st Marched 2 mile and crossed the Tennessee River 4 mile South of Stevenson on a Pontoon Bridge

January 1863

1st John Zook John Albert and I stood guard on the Bridge
2nd Marched at 8 p.m. went up the Sands Mountains and marched about 5 mile
3rd Started at 5 a.m. and marched 12 mile on the mountain
4th we lay in camp till 4 ock p.m. then marched 3 mile Went down off the mountain
5th lay in camp all day
6th our Company started for Stevenson with the Division Supply train of 40 wagons reached the tennessee River at 4 ock p.m. and encamped dist. about 22 mi
7th went to Stevenson and loaded the train with Supplies and drove back to the tennessee River
8th Stayed in camp all day at the River
9th we left the River at Day light went up the mountain and marched about 8 mile camped on flat Rock Creek we had 10 and 12 mules to a wagon going up the hill
10th marched about 15 mile and went off the hill Encamped a mile from where we left the Division and 1 1/2 mile from Look Out Mountain
11th We lay in camp till noon then started up look out Mountain went into Camp at about 11 ock PM Marched about 10 mile to day Look Out Mountain is about 1 1/2 miles up on this Road and is very Steep dust from 3 to 9 inches deep
12th Started at day light and marched about 5 mile then turned back and Stopped 1/4 of a mile from the last nights camp
13th the train was divided into two parts our Company went back about 5 mile with half the train and a company of the 93rd Ohio went to the front with the other half we encamped on a Small Stream on top of the Mts. that falls over 100 feet at this place
14th the Division camp back from the front and Recrossed Look out Mountain we Started at noon and marched back off the mountain and went up the Valley 4 or 5 mile Stopped at about 9 ock p.m.
15th We lay in camp near the division at a large Spring in the Valley between the two Mts. Sheridon and Davis's Divisions marched from here at 5 ock p.m. this is in Decalb Co. Ala
16th We started at 7 ock AM" and went up Look Out Mt again on the old road on top of the Mt. we took a road to the left and marched until 7 ock p.m. distance about 12 mile to day Company D Reported to the Regt in the Evening
17th We started at 6 ock AM" marched in a Northeast course about 17 mile then went down the Mountain and marched in a Southeast direction until 9 ock p.m. and encamped in Walker County, Georgia marched to day about 25 mile
18th We advanced about 2 mile to the line of Battle and Supported the picket line at night we were moved a mile back and to the left Stood picket till morning there was heavy cannonading on the left most all day
19th We started at sunrise and marched 10 or 12 mile to the left and commenced fighting about one ock p.m. our Brigade drove the Rebels about 3/4 of a mile took 3 guns and a good many prisoners including one Major at dark the enemy attacked us on the flank and drove us back 3 or 4 hundred yds" we were releived at about 8 ock and went to the rear

Last Entry by a Friend of John Welk

Sept. 20 our Brigade went the fight in morning about 11 oclock John Welk was killed John has kept this Book up to the 19. On evening of the 20 we left the field and the Rebels to possession of all the dead and wounded.

MMS 136 - John Welk Diaries 1862
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