The 16th Nov. [1862] we pitched our tents and spent nearly the whole morning with it because the ground was mostly stony and uneven so one could nowhere, install blocks, it was

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near noon we were all finished, and a quarter hour afterward we heard some cannon fire, in the distance and immediately thereupon general march blew, the tents were taken down again and loaded on the wagons, we hung around there for about an hour, and when we marched off it began to rain hard, and rained the whole afternoon, it was about a half mile march When we then pitched a camp on an open place, according to the regulation the whole brigade in a line, all were soaked, we made a big fire and dried ourselves, however, the ground on which we had to lay was still wet, the 18 Nov. our regiment came on picket, I had to write in the camp. In the evening 10 o’clock came marching orders, next morning the 19 Nov. marched off 4 o’clock in the morning was reveille, and promptly one-half hour thereafter, it blew to pull the tents down It was still pitch black 4 wagons from our regiment were sent to Mitchellsville in order to obtain provisions and the few people in camp now had to load all the things on the wagons, which were crammed quite full. I carried My knapsack that day[,] and misted and rained continuously the whole day[,] at the Stones River where the bridge was burned down we made a halt for a half an hour until the wagons made it up over the hill on the other side, soldiers from each company had to help several of them, We marched off again. left off at 2 out of the Murfreesboro Pike which branches off the Lebanon Pike, and camped in the woods between the Murfreesboro Pike and the Stones River (We had also passed the same day the house and grave of Andrew and Richard Jackson, it was 11 miles from our camp. When we on the 12. March 1862 marched out there from Camp Andrew Jackson on orders of General Nelson, who was our division commander, our brigade was all alone there with Hazen and Nelson themselves, it was from where we camped still 7 to 8 miles to Nashville

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Next day the 20 Nov we pitched our tents and in the evening our whole brigade formed up on an open place where then a Lieutenant from the 41st Ohio had his shoulder straps ripped off because of not fulfilling his duty and drunkenness and a private of the same regiment from Comp. A had his head shaved and was drummed out in front of all, the latter had already separated himself 2 times with the Battle of Shiloh and Perryville, and then stayed away from the regiment several days. The 23 Nov. a Sunday we had brigade review. 25. Nov. we received marching orders around 12 o’clock to march off, we had already packed up some things however the order was changed and we did not march until the next morning 26th at daybreak around 6 o’clock. we marched off again on the Lebanon Pike, and 2 M from Nashville left it and came in the area of the Murfreesboro Pike and fields{felden?}, and from there, marched up here and pitched camp in an apple orchard, 4 miles from Nashville at the Stones River and Murfreesboro Pike, on the 27 Nov. our whole regiment had to go on Train Guard with 58 wagons to get fodder, It went 10 miles out, we drove out there in the wagons over the rough and stony forest road, it nearly shook the entrails out of the body, we had to collect the fodder in the whole area, and wagons went in all directions and loaded up where it was found, we came back at night, when we had loaded all the wagons, the moon shined from time to time, it was cold, however, when we ran it made us warm, we arrived at 10 o’clock at night in camp, we marched by a burned down house and to a burning fence in front on our way back to the camp the 30 Nov our Division had under Gen [General] Smith General Review on a large open place 2 M. from Camp General Rosencranz [Rosecrans] was there.

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our regiment was the first from the whole division, and we had a music band from the 84 Ohio which played before us here, Genl. Rosencranz along with his staff and Genl. Smith were posted in the center and we marched past them, it was a cheerful day, and then we marched back to camp again the 4 Dec.[,] I was on leave with Sergt. Maas in Nashville and after we left[,] our regiment had to be ready to march off, because a brigade went out in order to forage, in case they would encountered the enemy, the regiments immediately prepared for the departure, the 7 Dec. our brigade had to picket 5 miles from camp. I stayed in camp because I had to write the 8 Dec at noon they came back again, and an order announced that we must always have 3 days rations in our haversacks until further orders, in order to be ready to march at any moment and no one can venture out of the camp without permission, the 9 Dec. we heard in the distance to our right, a half hour cannonade but it stayed quiet by us, the 11 Dec in the evening 7 o’clock we heard several shots rather near to our camp and in the surrounding area and our colonel said one whistled over his tent, it was dark before the moon came, and the whole regiment stood in line of Battle within 5 min [minute,] many had already laid down and, as was called Fall In, were all lively, after a quarter of an hour passed we could go to our quarters, but with the order to be ready at each moment when it is required, there were again several times shots, then it stayed quiet for the night, no one knew what it was[,] the 12. Dec our brigade came again on Train Guard with some 50 wagons, the 15. about noon it began to rain and storm until night then it was cold after that, the 16 Dec our regiment came on picket, it was clear weather but very windy and cold, I had to write in the camp, the 20 our brigade was suppose to go as Train Guard, when right away the order came the whole division must go

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and make a reconnaissance met however no enemy, and made a march there and back of 32 miles, our regiment and brigade was in front. I was in camp and had to write[,] the 23 we received marching orders, the regiment was on picket, We in camp had everything packed except for the tents, then it was called at daybreak to march off we did not march off however, and the regiment then came on picket, the 24 Dec. We had orders to be ready to march at each moment and have our haversacks filled with 3 days rations On Christmas day the 25 Dec. Our brigade had to serve again as Train Guard. I stayed in the camp and wrote Muster Rolls, and the 26 Dec in the morning 7 o’clock we marched off our baggage was sent to Nashville, and we marched up the street to Murfreesboro, hardly had we 3 miles behind us and it began to rain hard and rained the whole day, about 9 miles from Nashville we met the enemy, and drove him back to within 2 miles of Lavergne, the street was a straight line for 3 miles, ours and the 9th Indiana Regiment were ordered into the bush to the right 1/4 mile from the street, in order to see whether it was clear. We marched in Flank March into the woods, without skirmishers and without having loaded our rifles, all at once, about 30 to 40 shots fell quickly one after another on our right wing, the Rebels had hidden themselves, and expected our arrival, our regiment fell into confusion, because no one had loaded[,] Colonel Whitaker had at that time the brigade command, the line was formed again and we moved forward, there were 3 men from our regiment wounded and at night we camped by the others, it lasted however until 10 o’clock at night before we arrived at a particular place our clothes were wet and it misted and rained continuously, the 27 Dec. we marched through Lavergne. the Rebels had left the little city, it

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rained tremendously, the houses in Laverne were mostly burned down and the few that were still there were drilled through by cannon balls and had been ruined the residents had all fled and the place deserted and empty, several miles from the little city our brigade went left a different road the main army marched on the main street to Murfreesboro, the enemy was continually before us here and we had Skirmish Fights with them, in the evening we made halt by a creek, our battery fired several shots off into the area where the Rebels were located, the weather the whole day was rain, it stopped but then became cold we burned only fence rails there because there were enough, the 28 Dec it was pretty cheerful weather, around noon mealtime, time a strong skirmish fire took place to the right of us, where we then all had to join in, the 41st Ohio marched there on the double quick, but came back again after a half hour, and we grabbed our rifles and separated again, in the afternoon 4 o’clock came our and Comp K on picket, I had found a Sesesh Rifle there, that I however could not keep and otherwise had no where to keep it, We slaughtered a sow, cooked and roasted the meat we all liked it[,] the 29. Dec. in the morning 8 o’clock we were relieved by the 44 Ohio Regiment, Wood’s Division where then a different Brigade took our place, when we returned to the regiment, everyone was ready to march the 41st Ohio was already away, We marched then again to the main street, and came to a little hamlet and Railroad Station Smyrna, the one street from the other, was 3 miles from one another, the whole army marched off then, we had drawn rations beforehand which we still had in the wagon, Mitchell’s Division was in the Rear[,] 5. miles from Murfreesboro our brigade went right from the street, and marched about 3 miles on the double-quick through woods over fences cornfields and everything possible which warmed us in the cold and damp weather.

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We marched in close column by Division, after standing around here and there, we finally camped in the woods it was already late night when we camped, in Close Column, like we had marched, we had enough wood to burn, it began to rain again after midnight, but not continuously, the 30th Dec. in the morning at daybreak the skirmishers, or rather the pickets went again to their work, we camped the whole day on an open field, always ready to battle. toward evening our brigade marched back into the woods again and made ourselves a fire and coffee, there was for a long time a terrible cannonading in front of Negley’s division which stood in the evening in rather severe fire, we made ourselves as comfortable as possible we still had to go on picket at 10 o’clock at night, we were deployed in an open cotton field the wind blew strong and cold, and we could not even think about sleep, the 31 December in the morning, at daybreak it started again on both sides, and towards 8 o’clock it degenerated into a real battle. we stood in the fire until our 60 cartridges were fired that must have been about 3 o’clock, then we moved back and again drew fresh cartridges after 20 or 30 minutes rest we had to move forward again, we stood, the most part in front of our army, in open fields, when we came before the enemy again, I got a bullet through the heel of my right foot, I hopped with my rifle as good as I could, and as fast as possible and got out of shooting range when I felt a little secure I washed my wound out and bandaged my foot by tearing my drawers I made it from there into a Hostel. That was however already full and everything lay in confusion. I was in the yard where I sat down for a bit but not for long, then came a piece from a bombshell which burst and a piece of it flew into the ground not 2 steps from me I got away from there as fast as possible and went with help from another comrade to a distant hospital, that also was full

PAGE 36 We stayed in the yard, and made a fire there, during the night most of the wounded were removed, it was cold we had nothing to eat, and also nothing in order to cover ourselves[,] we had to help ourselves as good as we could, in the morning toward 7 o’clock the 1 January 1863 ambulances came and took us away to a remote hospital 3 miles back it was insecure here because the cannon balls roared nearby, the hospital was then moved 2 miles farther back Where the General Hospital had been set up, and after much questioning and searching we finally found our brigade and regiment hospital where we then at last stayed, our ambulance driver Franz Schwerer drove me about 3 miles back, and I rode again with him to the hospital. Where I then stayed but it suddenly began also to become dangerous there but only for a short time, the hospital was on the street and the enemy was approximately 3/4 to 1/2 mile distant from there We received meager food there and the night of from January 2 to the 3rd January it rained continuously until daybreak[,] I and several more who had no blankets stayed close by the fire the whole night with only one eye closed. Some old cloth from tents which was there came into the possession of those who got there earlier but were of little protection because they were old and full of holes[,] the 3rd January it rained and stormed the whole day, the aides had wooden huts built for us in the front it was quiet the whole day only some skirmishers and pickets were heard to shoot from time to time, toward evening it stopped raining but the wind blew very strong. We had so-to-say no shelter and not one time blankets to cover ourselves, it began to rain and storm again that night. It was cold and one could not linger by the fire, because the wind was too strong, it froze us like dogs, toward nightfall the same evening, there came up for an hour a heated fight with a terrifying cannonade, the 4 Jan. the weather cleared up and towards evening our troops moved into Murfreesboro, the enemy had left it and retreated in the evening about 8 o’clock a wagon train came with nearly 100 wagons and took all the transportable wounded with it, We drove the whole night through, it was cold and by the little city of Lavergne and thereabouts lay on the road at least 100 wagons burned to ashes, a work of Wheeler’s gang of robbers[,] and by daybreak 5 Jan 1863

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we arrived in Nashville, and moved into a newly established Hospital No. 18 Corner of College and Church Street, Nashville, Ten [Tenn.] I was in the basement where it was very dark, and was not light even with the nicest weather and also was smelly. The 11 Jan. we were moved next door to the third floor, where it was much nicer and lighter the 13 Jan. I was on the list to be sent away, in order to go to Cincinnati, and was already prepared to travel and on the bottom floor however there came the order, that at Harpeth Shoals 30 miles below Nashville several of our boats had been burned by a robber band of Rebels, and we had to remain there, the 14 Jan., it rained the whole day and the 15 Jan. it began to snow and was cold, several times it was called again to prepare to be sent away, but it never happened until the 15 Feb. on Sunday 50 men from our hospital were sent off. I was one of them. We were driven in Ambulances to the landing and boarded the Boat Nashville however after half were already on it, again came down because the Captain told Doctor Gordon that the boiler has a crack and he could not take us, whereupon we again left and sat on the wharf for an hour, until we were finally taken into the engine room of the Saint Patrick, which was a nice new boat. We lay on the hay which was put down beforehand, in the afternoon about 2 o’clock the boat departed from Nashville during the night a stop of several hours was made at Clarksville the 16. Feb. at daybreak we passed Fort Donelson, a fleet with 20 or 30 boats passed us, while they steamed to Nashville and had with them 8-10 gunboats for protection the 18. Febr we reached Louisville Ky. and moved to the Hospital No. 9/SchoolHouse/Corner of Wenzel and Market Street the 19. Feb in the afternoon I could go home however had to report to the doctor each day and since then had many days to write there. END