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Hiram Ketcham, served with Company G, 67th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

The original of this diary is at Wright State University, Special Collections
Collection Number: MS-392
Title: Hiram Ketcham Civil War Diary

Hiram Ketcham Diary

Hiram Ketcham of Buchanan, Post Office, Perry Co., Ohio

This book belongs to Hiram Ketcham, the carrier thereof, of Buchanan Post Office, Monroe Township, Perry County, Ohio.

Was drafted in the service of the United States, Sept 27th, 1864, at Circleville, 12th District, State of Ohio. The notice bearing date Oct 18th, commanding to report on or before the 25th and not served until the 28 & said Ketcham left home the 9th of Nov, reported the 10th & was examined & accepted & went into barracks.

 November 1864

13th, on Sunday, went to Tods Barracks, Columbus, Ohio.

14th, reexamined, which was Monday.

Wednesday 16th, recd orders to be ready to leave at any warning.

Friday 18th, inspection.

Saturday 19th, drawed rations & left about 3 o'clock PM. & got to Delaware before sun set & at Cardington before dark & landed in Cleveland about ten o'clock & changed cars for Buffalo.

Sunday 20th, about daylight landed in Buffalo, walked out to Barracks at Fort Porter on the lake & stayed till evening, come to town & took cars about dark on the Buffalo, Erie & N.Y.R.R. and went through Hancock just before day, next morning met over 100 cars.

Monday 21, passed Fort Jarvis at 8 o'clock, at Middletown before 9, at Goshun a little after 9, and at Patterson a little after 11 & were down the farrie to Jersey City & crossed over into N.Y. City & went into Battery Barracks about one o'clock and at night wrote a letter home and also one to Buckner of New Lexington, enclosing ten dollars to pay taxes.

Tuesday 22nd, left Bar. & went about the Steamer Fulton, left harbor at 2 o'clock P.M., sailed all night.

23rd, sun rises clear & pleasant, not in sight of land, in the evening quite rough sea & quite sick, ten o'clock anchored.

Thurs 24, about sunrise took small boat & landed at Fortress Monroe 1/2 past 8 & went into Fort. Thanksgiving Day at ten o'clock went abord & left dock, sailed up James River to City Point, anchored at ten o'clock, laid on deck all night.

Friday 25th, at 9 o'clock went board of Silver Star & went to Bermudah Hundred & went in camp, met G. Roberts, L. Landers Marshall & others & drawed rations & marched to front some 12 miles, reported at headquarters, division quarters, brigade quarters & went to camp of the 67th Reg. O.V.I.

Saturday 26th, assigned to company G & went to building tent.

Sunday 27, finished tent and wrote a letter home.

28, nothing of note.

Tues 29, washed clothes first time & drilled.

Weds 30, drill, weather fine ever since I was in camp.

 December 1864

Thurs Dec 1st, wrote a letter home.

Saturday 3, commenced build new tent.

Sunday 4th, finished new tent & had inspection, Jesse Latta came to my quarters & sayed all night.

Monday 5, took sick.

Tues 6, excused from drill, J. Latta & C. Straight come to see me.

Wed 7, raining.

Thurs 8, able to drill.

Fri. 9, turned very cold, wrote a letter home, Brigade drill P.M.

Sat 10, attack on skirmish line, ground covered with snow, very sloppy, 67th O. moved out of breastworks & 197 N.Y. placed & in the evening 10 Con placed.

Sun 11th, all quiet, very muddy.

Mon 12, very cold.

Tues 13, on fatique on road & drawed guns & equipments.

Weds 14th, drilled with arms.

Thursday 15th, fireing on picket line, called out in readiness, grand inspection in P.M., wrote a letter home & also to Columbus at night.

Sunday 18th, Recd a letter from Bentley stating Sarah Janes [Davis] papers had come.

Monday 19th, Recd letter from home.

Tuesday 20, Drill & dress parade.

Weds. 21, Raining & 5 men shot, said to be for deserting.

Thurs 22, on fatigue on road.

Friday 23, Clear & cold, nothing but drill, wrote letter home to send by Latta

Sat. 24th, On picket 1st time

Sunday 25th, Come in off of picket, Christmas most lonesome day ever witnessed for me apparently

Monday 26th, Called out in hollow square to see a man shot while raining for deserting

Tues. 27th, Recd. Letter from home bearing date Dec. 20

Wed. 28, Raining, wrote letter at night to S. Bost

Thurs. 29, Very sloppy & snowing

Fri. 30, Co. drill a.m. & p.m. Bat. Drill

Sat. 31, Vry sloppy & snowig & mustered for pay

MMS 1332 - Hiram Ketcham Diary Guide
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