DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Sewell Van Alstine diary, 1863-1864

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1864-04-20 -- 1864-04-22

69  came in, camped in town, 21st remained in camp all day, horses saddled, & teams hitched up expecting. to move, every hour, called into line at 12 at night, moved a mile & stayed until morning, smart skirmishing all the afternoon, this town is one of the prettiest towns I have seen in the south before the war it contained over 3,000 inhabitants it has a level, rich, & fertile country about it, extending on our line of march, between Cave, & Red rivers to the mouth, of Cave R, plenty of excellent timber of various varieties, white clover is the gen. pasture is very flourishing, 22nd started at 10 Am, made slow time, were hindered by trains ahead, at 2 Pm the enemy overtook us while at a halt, our brigade immediately formed & went back 3/4 of a mile to meet them, we were in a large field of several hundred acres of corn, the rebels were in the skirt of woods, & in and under cover of houses at the West side of the field, they had been following up & skirmishing with our cavalry all day we were marched up within musket range where 2 pieces of artillery were posted, which opened

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69 came in, camped in town, 21st remained in camp all day, horses saddled, & teams hitched up expecting. to move, every hour, called into line at 12 at night, moved a mile & stayed until morning, smart skirmishing all the afternoon, this town is one of the prettiest towns I have seen in the south before the war it contained over 3,000 inhabitants it has a level, rich, & fertile country about it, extending on our line of march, between Cave, & Red rivers to the mouth, of Cave R, plenty of excellent timber of various varieties, white clover is the gen. pasture is very flourishing, 22nd started at 10 Am, made slow time, were hindered by trains ahead, at 2 Pm the enemy overtook us while at a halt, our brigade immediately formed & went back 3/4 of a mile to meet them, we were in a large field of several hundred acres of corn, the rebels were in the skirt of woods, & in and under cover of houses at the West side of the field, they had been following up & skirmishing with our cavalry all day we were marched up within musket range where 2 pieces of artillery were posted, which opened