April the 6th. 1862 was one long to be remembered for at daylight the cannonading was heard on the other side of the river which continued all day.  At 8 our Colonel received orders to report with his regt. at the battlefield.  The Colonel ordered Co. I and R to remain behind as guards to take care of the Company.

April the 7th.  The battle continued all night.  We have heard a number of reports but cannot tell whether it is true or not.  All we remained up.  There was little sleeping done as the soldiers of other divisions was passing all night.  At sundown there was about 8 thousand cooking supper at our camp.  As soon as they had their supper they started again.  The 6th Indiana regt. was one that eat their supper at our camp.  As I was walking around I found several of my old acquaintances but to my sorrow I learned that George A. Benefield was sick and left in a broken ambulance.  Some of the boys went to Savanna which was some 2 miles from our camp and brought word that the tent was full of wounded soldiers and also stated that there were several rebel prisoners.  Then between 5 and 6 in the afternoon the cannons ceased firing and there was calm.  At noon today George A. Benfield came to our camp and took dinner with me and then I went to his camp and took supper with him and enjoyed myself well.  I returned to our camp.

April the 8th.  There is considerable stir in the camp this morning.  All went to town this morn.  George passed our camp on his way to join his regt.  I bid him good bye not expecting to see him again soon.  In the afternoon we went out foraging and killed 2 hogs and 1 beef.  It is very muddy and it has been raining.  At 3 this afternoon I went into our tent for some things and found my bed under water.  We then threw a bank around the tent and by the help of pans and buckets bailed water out of our tent.  We then built a fire in the middle and dried our tent and bed clothes.

April the 9th.  Today Capt. Briggs was ordered to town with enuf men to guard 500 prisoners.  I was delighted at the thought of guarding rebels but I was sorry of it afterwards.  I was astonished at the appearance of the men.  It seemed as though half of the men were not accountable beings.  I never saw a rougher set of men in my life.  I did not think that there were 500 such beings in the world.  We guarded them about 4 days when they were sent off on a boat down the river and I saw them no more.  It rained every day and night and I was exposed to the weather.  I took a severe cold which was gradually bringing on a fever.  Capt. Briggs was ordered to join the regiment which was 7 miles up the river.  I saddled my mere and started with my company but after I got on the boat I began getting worse and when I got to the battlefield I was too unwell to ride my horse and Capt. sent me back to Savanna to the hospital where I remained until the 13th of June.  I will name a few things that transpired while I was there.  The first 10 days that passed after I went to the hospital I was too sick to take much notice of things but I recollect of seeing Doctor Helms.  He gave me some medicine that broke the fever at once and I soon got well again.  As soon as I was strong enough to walk around I commenced visiting other hospitals and the sick and wounded soldiers in town and for several days I thus employed my time until I was able to do duty and was thinking of going to the regt. when Doc Hollingsworth had me detailed as a nurse in his hospital.  My nerves were very weak but I done well considering my condition.  We were then ordered to move our hospital down on the bank of the river as there was still danger of an attact and we were and we were at the edge of town.  The ground assigned us to occupy had been used as a burying ground just after the battle and there was scarce room among the graves to set our tents and the tent that I occupied covered 2 graves and there was one other in 5 feet of the door of the tent.  One of the nurses and myself had a grave at the head of our bed.  From the appearance of the graves I had my head on the head of the grave.  About this time I began to realize the sorrows of war in earnest.  The wounded was dying at from 8 to 15 and sometimes that many of a night.  I went down to the warf to get a newspaper one day and as I came back I found a molotta man laying in a tent dead.  I notified the proper persons and had him buried and many other such circumstances were occurring every day.  I will name some others as I pass along.  I recollect a quarrel that passed one day between a rebel and a Yanky.  They were both wounded and unable to get to each other but swore that they would kill each other as soon as they got able to walk but they were sent away and I don't know if they killed each other or not.  I was now fully recovered and was thinking of going to my company when I was detailed as a nurse.  There was 53 sick persons and two nurses and it kept us busy.  In a day or 2 one of the nurses was promoted to sturd which made it harder on me and in a week or less time Jo Dunham the sturd was promoted to ward master and me to sturd.  About this time the boats was beginning to to come for the wounded and sick soldiers and take them home.  The remainder was sent to the Church hospital and I went with them there.  At that time I had dirrea and was taking medicine but soon got well again and resumed my labor in the hospital.  The States had sent us a large supply of fruits and vegetables for the sick soldiers which enabled us to take better care of them.  About this time there was a woman came from Missouri to see her husband and when she got to Savannah her husband had been dead 2 weeks.  She grieved after him for a while and then commenced courting as though she had never been married in her life.  She often visited our hospital which enabled me to get acquainted with her. I also got acquainted with several other ladies in town. I got acquainted with 5 of Cherry's girls.  I also got acquainted with about all of the citizens of the town. While I was here I had the privilege of attending preaching 2 or 3 times a week.  Our congregation consisted of soldiers entirely and they were from every state in the Union and dressed in all kinds of uniforms worn by soldiers and no women present at all.  About this time I left the hospital and found a company of men called Minute Men.  They were ready to do any business or duty wanted.  I remained here about 3 weeks and on the 13th. of June I got on a boat going to Pittsburg Landing where I heard my company was camped out.  When I got there I found that they had been ordered 40 miles up the river.  There were 4 of us together and we went 2 miles up to Handburg Landing where we remained 4 days waiting for a boat to go to Florence.  We had to remain on the bank in the hot sun not knowing when a boat would arrive.  Late in the evening of the 4th. day the Mary Miller stopped on her way to Florence and we went on board and got started about sundown and arrived at Eastport 20 miles up the river at midnight.  We slept all night on the boat.  Next morning we had to lighten the boat to get over the shoals which took us till noon.  While there I saw Jonathan Hart on his way home.  I gave him a ring to give to my wife.  At 8 o'clock in the night we arrived at Florence.  We remained all night on the boat.  Early in the morning we ate our breakfast and started to find our company.  After walking till after dinner we found them.  They were glad to see us.  I remained there about 8 days.  Was on picket once and acted provost guard once or twice.  Helped drive cattle some.  We then started on a march to Huntsville, Alabama where we remained about a week.  We then moved down within 2 miles of Stevenson where we stayed about 2 weeks more.  We then moved our camp a days march farther and camped in Battle Creek Valley where we remained till the 20th. of August.  While here Uncle Samuel McCormick was discharged and sent home.  The first two weeks we were here we had to stand picket every other night which was pretty hard.  The night of the 20th. of August we started on a march up the Tenn. River.  We marched 10 miles to Jasper and remained till morning.  We then went 8 miles farther and camped till morning.

August the 22nd.  We marched 8 miles farther up the river and turned around and came back within 4 miles of our old camp in the valley.  We stayed all night.  I was on picket.

August 23rd.  We selected a better camp and went to it but had not been in camp one hour when 2 companies of our battalion was ordered to Stevenson to guard a train of wagons loaded with provisions.  We arrived at Stevenson late in the evening.  We ate our supper and went to bed.

Aug. 24.  At 2 o'clock this morning we again started for camp and arrived there at noon but found that the enemy had moved forward.  We was ordered to be the rear guards.  We marched as far as the foot of the mountain.  We put out a strong line of battle and went to bed for 3 hours without either dinner or supper.

Aug. 25th.  Early this morning we started up the mountain and dark came on us before we got to the top of the mountain.  At midnight we stopped for the night.  Major Bill went to one of the wagons and got some meat and crackers for us.  I believe I never eat as good victuals in my life.

Aug. 26th.  Once more we started down the mountain.  About the middle of the afternoon we got into the valley.  We soon found our camp.  The cooks had our supplies ready to eat our supper and then we went to bed.

Aug. 27th.  This morning we moved to a nice grove close to headquarters and fixed our camp in nice order but at 1 o'clock in the morning of the 28th. we received marching orders.  Our battalion took the advance, ascended another mountain.  Took a town called Altamont.  We also took 30 prisoners and camped in Public Square close to the Court House.

Aug. 29  Today remained in camp.   I was on picket tonight.

Aug. 30th.  We went down the mountain, the picket being the rear guards.  Capt. Briggs with 28 men run General Forrest who had 12 or 15 hundred men.  About 5 we took 3 horses and one wagon and got to camp at 7, eat supper and our battalion and 2 regt. of infantry was ordered to persue Forrest.  We marched all night but could not over take him.

Aug. 31  We returned to camp.

Sept. the 1st.  Company I was ordered out foraging.  We got 30 head of cattle and as many sheep and 2 barrells of wiskey, 1 of brandy.

Sept. 2  We again moved forward.  Nothing of importance occurring till the 4th. when instead of going on the Pike we took through the country capturing horses, cows and sheep.

Sept. 5  I saw George A. Benefield

Sept. 6  We remained in camp till noon then marched 6 miles through Murfreesboro camped on a river bank.

Sept. 7th.  Marched in the morning.  We was rear guards.  We traveled 30 miles to Nashville.

Sept. 8th.  We remained in camp until 12, marched 4 miles to a big spring in the fair ground.

Sept. 9th.  Remained in camp till 3 in the afternoon then crossed the Cumberland River.  Marched 14 miles to where our regt. was camped.

Sept. 10  We again moved forward together and traveled about 20 miles and camped in an open field.

Sept. 11  Company I was ordered in the advance and marched 22 miles to Bowling Green.

Sept. 12  Remained in camp today.  After dinner I saw a funeral of soldiers pass our camp to bury a dead companion of theirs.  Such things frequently occur.  I will state that we are living fine.  There is plenty of potatoes to be had by digging them and we have had plenty of peaches, sheep, hogs, turkeys, geese, ducks, chickens and vegetables of different kinds form our grub free of charge.  Dave Hunter came by our camp this afternoon.  He is a gentleman of the 7th Indiana Vol.  There is several boys here I know.  We have again received marching orders.

Sept. the 13th. 1862  Early this morning we went a mile from town and arranged our camp, put up our tents and was comfortable.

Monday the 14th.  Two hours before we formed a line of battle and waited for daylight to come.  Nothing of importance occurred today.

Tuesday the 15th.  We formed a line again before daylight and at sundown started for Murfreesboro.  Between 3 and 4 thousand calvary went in advance, the infantry and artilery in the rear.  We marched till midnight then camped out a strong picket on 4 roads and went to bed.

Wednesday the 16th.  Early this morning we again started but soon had to fight.  The rebels fired into the advance guard.  We did not march more than 5 miles today.

Thursday the 17th.  Early this morning the rebels attacked our pickets and fought till 1 o'clock this morning.  We didn't advance any today but kept fighting along the line.

Friday the 18th.  was spent in the same manner nothing of importance occurring.

Saturday the 19th. of Sept.  We remained in camp till 10.  Company I was ordered to take a flag of truce and go to the rebel lines to take some prisoners to them.  They treated us friendly as we could ask and we did the same by them and conversed with each other for for some time we bid each other good bye and parted like friends.

Sunday the 20th.  We remained in camp till after dinner.  We then received orders to march.  We saddled in a hurry and took the road leading to Mumfordville and went on double quick for 8 miles when we was fired into by the rebels.  We formed a line an was advancing in a fast gallop through a corn field when one man, horse and all fell into a well.  We then formed columns and moved forward to the front.  Formed a line in front of the relief company but before we could dismount to fire they had skedadled.  We again mounted and pursued them 1/2 of a mile further.  The rebels halted and we dismounted and and routed them.  We then mounted and rode to the edge of the woods, dismounted and sent our canteens for water.  Our cannons had been firing for more than an hour and balls and shells was flying in every direction.  An orderly came up and ordered us to Crossroads River into Mumfordville.  It seemed to me that my mare nearly flew with me.  As soon as we got into town we turned to the left and formed a line in a tobacco patch and made a charge, jumping ditches and everything that came up in the way for some distance.  At last we halted to let our horses get their breath as they were nearly run down.  It soon became too dark to follow them any further.  We then turned around and walked our horses back to the river and watered them.  We then went into camp.

Monday the 21st.  We started early but did not march for till we began to pick up prisoners.  We took 43 today.  Our advance guard commenced fighting with the rebels about 11 o'clock but the rebels give back and we would advance till 2 the evening.  The advance halted and ordered up the artilery.  The cavalry then advanced, formed a line and was marching on the rebels and they give back.  We formed columns and went into the road when the rebels opened their cannon on us but as it happened we was on low ground and they shot over us.

"---" means text was unable to be interpreted
(1) "Sturd" is steward.
(2) George A. Benefiel was Joseph's nephew - George's mother being Elizabeth Taylor.
 
 

 Charles M. Taylor