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Samuel McClain Diary - September 1864

1 Thursday. All well today. I got a meat rine today that a man had to grease his boots & eat it and the boys all laught at me for it. Fire in Richmond tonight.

2 Friday. All well this morning. We got a little corn bread & meat & a gill of bean soup peperd with bugs. 2 fires in Richmond tonight.

3 Saturday. All well. We have no blankets nor tents. We lay on the ground like cattle night & day.

4 Sunday. All well. Wrote letter no. 34 to my wife today. Prair meeting here every evening out on the open lot. We set on the ground. Rain today. 8 days since we came to Richmond.

5 Monday. All well this morning. We got news that Atlanta, Geo. had fallen. Fire in Richmond tonight. We ware counted today.

6 Tuesday. Raining all day. We are almost froze. We got tents today. We was glad to get them.

7 Wednesday. All well today. Pleasant today. Counted today. Fire in Richmond tonight.

8 Thursday. All well, but B.F. Ash has gone to the hospital. Fire tonight. We lay in our tents tonight on the ground. I puld some grass to lay on today. It goes better.

9 Friday. We went out today. Lay out all day. 12 men tryed to escape today, but got cot again. Got rice today.

10 Saturday. Big fire last night all night. We got rice and wheat bread today. The boys got enough one time, since we came on the Isle. We got in to 41 squad.

11 Sunday. All well this morning. A fire in Richmond last night. All counted today. A hail storm this evening. Cold night.

12 Monday. Some of the boys are not very well today. We got wheat bread & rice & mogts [maggots?] to eat today & meat.

13 Tuesday. We went out on the river bank today to be counted. We ware counted back in to camp. We give the no. of our Regt.

14 Wednesday. We lay in camp all day today talking of home & how we would like to be at home with our family, etc. etc.

15 Thursday. All well this morning. I was at prair meeting last night. We gave our names & state and Regt. etc. today. We got some tents today.

16 Friday. All well today. We lay all day in our tents talking of home. A fire in Richmond last night. Cool night.

17 Saturday. All well. A fire last night in Richmond. We are hungry all the time. Henry Fortny cut my hair today. We ware counted today. Very warm today. I made a haversack today. I. Vanhorn wrote a letter.

18 Sunday. All well today. We ware taken out and counted today. Mess no. 4 divided rations today. We had extra of beens today.

19 Monday. Counted today again. All well today. I made a ring for Annie McClain today out of Gotipercha [guttapercha]. Warm today. Cool night. Heavy cannonading in the direction of Petersburgh.

20 Tuesday. All able for our grub today. Got fresh beefe & beens today. I bought one ration of bread today for 50 cts of I. Vanhorn.

21 Wednesday. All well this morning. Fresh beefe, fresh bread, beans & salt. Heavy fireing in the direction of Petersburgh today.

22 Thursday. All well. Rained last night. A man died in camp today & was buried. Thear cracking bones to get the marrow out to eat. We louse once per day & generly have good luck.

23 Friday. All well today. Rained today. The boy making rings out of boans today to pass time away faster. I. Vanhorn told me to pay old McCary $100 if he never got back.

24 Saturday. I maid a ring today out of a beef bone & A. Sautter cut the initials of my name on it for me.

25 Sunday. All well but me. I have the rheumatism & headache. I bought a ration of bread from Fin Barton today for $.50 cts. Cool day & night.

26 Monday. All well except Fin & me. We went to the doctors call. Got some pills.

27 Tuesday. I am not well today. Maid a brest pin today. Traided a ration of beefe for a ration of beens.

28 Wednesday. All well today except Fin & me. We went to the sick call. Got some powder & pills. Evening all talking of what we like best to eat & what we alowed to have to eat when we got home, etc.

29 Thursday. Heavy firing in the direction of Petersburg today. Fin & me went to the sick call today. Evening all the boys are telling what they like best to eat. They like most anything while they are hungry.

30 Friday. All well except Fin & me. About 600 Yanks come on the Island today. Heavy cannoning in the direction of Fort Darling today.

MS 640 - Samuel McClain Papers - Introduction | Transcript List
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