An Interesting War Record by F. S. Loyd,
of Fredonia, Lieutenant Company H.
Part 4 of 11
Monday August 8th. Moved at 12 o'clock to the right, built works and did not get them finished until we were ordered to move forward and charge the Rebels and drove them two miles, taking their skirmish pits and one line of their works which we held until dark. Our troops fell back and built breastworks, working all night. Rained all evening; men wet and sleepy and rations short. Sergeant Major C. T. Kelley wounded in the head. Very warm day.
Tuesday August 9th. Received orders to move in a moment's warning. At 1 o'clock we were ordered to charge the enemy. Ordered to leave everything in camp except guns and ammunition. We commenced the charge, drove the enemy about a mile before we were ordered to build breastworks. Did not get them done until we were ordered to take another hill in our front, which we did and laid on our arms expecting a charge from the Rebels but they did not come. We were ordered to build breastworks, and worked all night. Rained very hard all evening.
Wednesday August 10th. Laid in camp all day. No fighting except skirmishing. Elisha Boister, Co. D, killed, ball taking effect in the back. Corporal Henry Waddill, Co. D, wounded in the head, ball taking effect in right eye and went out on back of his head. Sergeant Stephen Woodruff, Co., F, wounded in the left leg, broke it so it had to be amputated. Rain in the evening. No cannonading today.
Thursday August 11th, laid in camp all day. No fighting going on of any consequence. Co. H was out on picket. Heavy cannonading and fighting about 11 o'clock at night. Rain in the evening; very warm.
Friday August 12th, laid in camp all day. Heavy skirmishing going on in our front. Jas. Tabor, Co. D, wounded. Sergeant Myers, Co. G, killed; Sergeant Mark wounded in left arm; Sergeant B. F. Young and Sol Chambles sent to hospital. Some shells fell in our camp. Rain in the evening.
Saturday August 13th, laid in camp all day. No fighting going on except skirmishing. Dan Folia, Co. F, wounded in the hand; Corporal Henry Myers, Co. D, wounded in left hand; Sergeant Cal Akers, Co. D, died. Very warm; moon shines bright at night.
Sunday August 14th, laid in camp all day. No casualities in our regiment today. Very warm. All quiet in front.
Monday August 15th, laid in camp all day. No fighting except picket fight. Sol Chambles, Co. H, died in hospital. Rain in the evening.
Tuesday August 16th, laid in camp all day. No fighting except skirmishing with the pickets; no casualities in our regiment today. Details of 60 men made to work on the fortifications today. Beautiful weather. Moon shines bright.
Wednesday August 17th, still laid in camp all day. Details of 60 men from our regiment at a time to work on the works, day and night. No fighting except pickets skirmishing. No casualities in our regiment today. Very warm, bright moonlight nights.
Thursday, August 18th, still in camp but have orders to be ready to move at a moment's warning, did not move. Heavy shelling all day; commenced early in the morning and continued all day. Gen. Cox moved up his line, skirmishing all along the line. We expected a hard fought battle every moment; looked for a charge all day.
Friday August 19th. At eight o'clock we received orders to move and leave everything in camp under a light guard; take no tents down; moved off to the right and occupied Gen. Cox's works while he went out to the [?] At 3 o'clock the Rebels opened with seven pieces of artilery on us. They blew up one of our right to make a demonstration. Heavy engagement on the left, the heaviest cannonading I ever heard canons that belonged to the 6th Michigan battery and destroyed it altogether. Only one man wounded. Very warm in the evening. We had a very hard rain at 7 o'clock. Marched back to our camp and took our positions in our works and remained all night.
Saturday August 20th, my company was ordered to go on picket, and at 4 o'clock a. m. went out and remained all day. Our regiment was ordered to the right to occupy the same works we did the day before. Heavy cannonading on our right. Our men cut the Montgomery railroad and returned to camp, and we returned to ours. Rained slowly all day. Heavy cannonading all night.
Sunday August 21st, still laid in camp. Our pickets and the Rebs have an arnistus; would talk to each other, swap coffee for tobacco. No fighting today. Very warm in the morning; rain in the evening.
Monday August 22nd, still laid in camp. Pickets agreed not to fire on each other. Some cannonading on our left. Pleasant cool morning; rain in the evening.
Thursday August 23d, still laid in camp; no skirmishing going on. Heavy cannonading on our left. All quiet in our front. Our men would meet the Rebs on half way ground, leaving their arms, and talk and trade all day. Nice weather; some rain in the evening.
Wednesday August 24th. Still laid in camp all day; no fighting in our front. A few shells passed over our regiment but did not hurt any one. One man killed and six wounded in the 123rd Indiana. Very warm today.
Thursday August 25th, still in camp all day. No cannonading of any consequence. Sergeant T. J. Pitant, Co. D, 20th Ky., wounded in left hand; F. M. Benton of Co. H, 20th, Ky., sent to hospital with erysipelas in left leg. Very warm. Our baggage sent to wagon.
Friday August 26th, laid in camp until 4 o'clock when we were ordered to move to the right and build breastworks. Left everything in camp and returned about eight o'clock. Rained very hard in the evening. Phillip Halio, Co. H, wounded on skirmish line. Very warm. Heavy cannonading on our left.
(Continued in Next Issue.)
