DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | George C. Burmeister diary, 1864

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1864-01-10

Sunday 10.  Had my luggage taken to the depot this morning, got transportation, and waited for the train, on its arrival whom should I meet but my former school fellow Jackson Free with whom I had many a fine game of ball and tussle, well how glad he was to see me. I learned that he was carrying on a very extensive business at Corinth, Miss. having a stock of goods to the amount of twenty thousand dollars. He began business there without any capital of his own, fifteen months ago, and now he is rich. He is a very enterprising young man, more so than I supposed him to be, as he was a student at Western College, Iowa, he did not display a great deal of talent. His brother T.S. Free, who was also a student of that college at the same time displayed more talent, he was an excellent debater and a good speaker. He was sergeant major of the 10th Iowa Infantry, until about the 1st of May 1863, when he was made adjutant of the 11th Louisiana Colored regiment he distinguished himself at the fight of Milliken's Bend La. was promoted to Major of that regiment, and it is reported that he is now Colonel of that regiment. He is a younger man than I am. I arrived at Middleton at 10 A.M. I did not find the men very anxious to see me, the officers too seemed to be hurt about my coming, they supposed they could manage their own business.

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Sunday 10. Had my luggage taken to the depot this morning, got transportation, and waited for the train, on its arrival whom should I meet but my former school fellow Jackson Free with whom I had many a fine game of ball and tussle, well how glad he was to see me. I learned that he was carrying on a very extensive business at Corinth, Miss. having a stock of goods to the amount of twenty thousand dollars. He began business there without any capital of his own, fifteen months ago, and now he is rich. He is a very enterprising young man, more so than I supposed him to be, as he was a student at Western College, Iowa, he did not display a great deal of talent. His brother T.S. Free, who was also a student of that college at the same time displayed more talent, he was an excellent debater and a good speaker. He was sergeant major of the 10th Iowa Infantry, until about the 1st of May 1863, when he was made adjutant of the 11th Louisiana Colored regiment he distinguished himself at the fight of Milliken's Bend La. was promoted to Major of that regiment, and it is reported that he is now Colonel of that regiment. He is a younger man than I am. I arrived at Middleton at 10 A.M. I did not find the men very anxious to see me, the officers too seemed to be hurt about my coming, they supposed they could manage their own business.