Excerpts from Diary of a Confederate Soldier

by John S. Jackman (Edited by W.C. Davis)

…We met some of the wounded on foot with their arms and heads bound up in bloody bandages, & I felt then that I was getting in the vicinity of "warfare." Soon we met ambulances and wagons loaded with wounded, and I could hear the poor fellows groaning and shrieking, as they were being jolted over the rough road. Met a man on horseback with a stand of captured colors. We were now in proximity of the fighting, and we met crowds of men; come crippling along, wounded in the legs or about the body; others, no blood could be seen about their persons - yet all seemed bent on getting away. There were heaps of wounded lying about, many of them I knew, and first one then another would ask me to give him water or do some other favor for him.

…Occasionally there would be a lull for a short time; but the cannon were never entirely hushed. The would break out in increased thunder, and the roar of musketry would roll up and down the lines, vibrating almost regularly from one extreme to the other. All day long the ambulances continued to discharge their loads of wounded.

…How little feeling soldiers have sometimes! though ever willing to help a comrade while living, when dead, there is never much shedding of tears for them.

…I had not gone far, before I came to several of our boys that had been wounded on the skirmish line and as the shells were tearing up the ground about them which makes a helpless man feel very uncomfortable, I helped put them in an ambulance and sent them to a hospital. I went a little farther, in hopes of finding the drummers, but they were nowhere to be found. I then started back for the regiment. The rattle of musketry was kept up pretty lively. As I passed along over the field, could see all the little gullies were packed full of straggling soldiers.

…There are three Protestant churches in Dalton - Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian. There is also a very neat Catholic church in town. Of Sundays, these churches are generally full to overflowing, with soldiers. Chaplains from the army generally officiate. Many soldiers go to church just to get sight of a lady.

…But the rain is come, and with it slush and mud, making it more disgreeable than ever in camp. For some time past, owing to the inclemency of the weather, all drills, reviews, etc., have been omitted, but will, no doubt, be doubled as soon as the mud becomes "navigable."

…Camp life is not so horrible as one might suppose. The "old heroes of an hundred battles" assemble around the roaring log fires, kindled on their earthen hearths, some to talk of the gay times they will have "when this cruel war is over," to recount their adventures and hardships in former campaigns, and to speculate on those to be made in the future; and, not seldom, to talk of their faraway homes, many of which are in the lines of the enemy; others again read their bibles by the light of a blazing pineknot - "soldier's candles" - while many seek amusement in the mysteries of "seven-up", 'poker," and other games. Thus are the long winter evenings whiled away.

…In passing through these soldier towns, one may observe that the spirit of speculation has crept into the army to some extent. The trade is principally confined to "gingerbread" and "goobers," which are temptingly displayed at many cabin doors for sale. There are also restaurants in full blast, where a cup of "genuwine" Misc. with "etceteries, can be had at all hours.

…On the railroad, which is the thoroughfare between camps and town, a driking saloon is sometimes opened, in the shape of a man, with several canteens swung around his neck, who doles out the "pine top" at the moderate rate of two dollars a drink. There is generally a crowd around this "saloon," which seems to do a thriving business in a small way.

…Our corps had another sham battle to-day, Cleburne and Bate, against Cheatham & Walker, this time using blank cartridges. Many people were on the ground to witness the scene. Ladies from nearly every city in the south, or in Georgia, rather, were present. the spectators were on a hill hard-by, where they could see all the manoeuvering. The firing sounded very much like a battle. The cavalry charged our division, and we were formed in oblique squares. Our boys shot wads at the spurred gentlemen, and wounded one or two pretty badly.

…To-night thousands of camp fires are gleaming in the valley, and the Federal bands are giving us a serenade - when our soldiers request them to play "Dixie," they readily comply, but always taper off with "Yankee Doodle."

…The night was dark, the road muddy, and crow[d]ed with troops. We would march probably a few steps, then halt a moment - not long enough to sit down to rest. We were until after daylight marching 10 or 12 miles. Once while standing in the road, one of the men, who had his gun swung across his back, went to sleep and fell back against me, his gun sadly bruising my nose.

…W. though a jew, is death on swine, He kills more hogs than any man in the regiment.

…W. killed a large pet hog belonging to the premises and while, scalding the animal in the large pot at the spring, the old lady came after her pot and caught them in the act. After giving them a piece of her tongue, she reported them to Capt. S., in command of the brigade skirmishers. He immediately had them arrested. When the old lady had gone, (being satisfied, as the Capt. had promised to report the offenders to the "General,") the culprits were turned loose, and went on with their cooking. Part of the meat, after being cooked, went into Capt. S's haversack, and it is not likely that the "bear hunters" will be reported.

…The night was dark as pitch, the rain pouring down. I could not see what kind of a country we marched through; but it seemed one continued swamp - the mud and water being from ankle, to knee deep every step. Troops preceded us, the mud was well worked up. I kept on my feet all the time, but many of the boys fell down and would splash and splatter the mud in every direction. When a fellow would fall, his more lucky comrades would yell out to him to "get up out of that mud - what are you doing down there?"

…Suddenly every thing got dark, and I became unconscious. If I had been sitting erect, when the fragment of shell struck me, I never would have known what hurt me. When I cam to my senses, Dr. H., our ass't surg. and Cap. G. Were lifting me up off the ground. I stood on my feet, and not feeling any pain, I could not imagine, at first, what was the matter; the first thought that entered my mind was that my head was gone & I put my hand up to ascertain whether it was still on my shoulders. I did not hear the piece of shell coming, and it was such a quick sharp lick, I did not feel it strike. The fragment probably weighed little more than a pound. It came like a minie ball. After glancing off my head, it struck against a rock, then bounced and struck Col. C. on the leg.