DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | George C. Burmeister diary, 1862

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1862-11-24

Mon. 24.  About four o’clock this morning, I was awakened by the cry “We are in Cairo” upon looking out I discovered a great many lights in the river and heard the signal bells of the watch steamers announce the hour.  I jumped out of the car and hurried to headquarters to ascertain what was to be done; no one knew finally we were informed to take ourselves and fixins off the cars, and prepare breakfast.  We formed a kind of square with our arms of our company, built a rack to hang kettles on, and soon had the best kind of coffee smoking the boy’s tin cups, it made us all feel a great deal better, it revived us very much, and as it began to grow a little lighter I took a peep at the celebrated city of Cairo, but I must candidly confess that it made rather an unfavorable impression on me, it is exceedingly low, and has a dilapidated, disorderly appearance.  In the afternoon the Colonel reported that we were ordered to stay here until we should receive better arms, and do guard duty in place of the 101 Ill. which is ordered further south.  We took up our line of march for the barracks which have a very unpleasant appearance indeed.  We spent this night in our small day tents, the air is chilly and the ground low and wet, this arrangement did not suit the boys at all.  There was considerable growling done yet owing to their fatigued state they soon slept.

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Mon. 24. About four o’clock this morning, I was awakened by the cry “We are in Cairo” upon looking out I discovered a great many lights in the river and heard the signal bells of the watch steamers announce the hour. I jumped out of the car and hurried to headquarters to ascertain what was to be done; no one knew finally we were informed to take ourselves and fixins off the cars, and prepare breakfast. We formed a kind of square with our arms of our company, built a rack to hang kettles on, and soon had the best kind of coffee smoking the boy’s tin cups, it made us all feel a great deal better, it revived us very much, and as it began to grow a little lighter I took a peep at the celebrated city of Cairo, but I must candidly confess that it made rather an unfavorable impression on me, it is exceedingly low, and has a dilapidated, disorderly appearance. In the afternoon the Colonel reported that we were ordered to stay here until we should receive better arms, and do guard duty in place of the 101 Ill. which is ordered further south. We took up our line of march for the barracks which have a very unpleasant appearance indeed. We spent this night in our small day tents, the air is chilly and the ground low and wet, this arrangement did not suit the boys at all. There was considerable growling done yet owing to their fatigued state they soon slept.