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

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1864-01-14

Thursday 14.  The other officer who stays at Headquarters is Lieutenant Charles S. Porter, he is my adjutant, I deem him one of the best officers of our regiment.  He belongs to Co. “B.”  When Captain John was promoted to Major, Lt. Porter being 1st Lt. in his company should have been promoted to captain, but owing to a little personal ill feeling between himself and colonel Hill he was superceded by Wm. B. Stewart 2d Lt. of co. B. who in my opinion is not competent to command a company of men, he did well enough as Lieutenant but as a captain he can not succeed for the want of military and business capacity.  Colonel Hill did a very wrong thing to allow his animal passion to get the better of his judgment and injure Lt. Porter in this way.  I know he has hurt himself very much.  Lieutenant Porter is intending to resign; thus one officer after another is leaving our regiment.  A number of other good officers talk of tendering their resignations on account of colonel S.G. Hill, who has violated many a pledge to officers, he lays down a rule today to govern his conduct for promotion, tomorrow he violates it because a man has a little ill feeling towards him; to say the least of such conduct it certainly shows a very weak vacillating mind.  I would much prefer any other of the ranking officers of our regiment as my commander to col. Hill.

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Thursday 14. The other officer who stays at Headquarters is Lieutenant Charles S. Porter, he is my adjutant, I deem him one of the best officers of our regiment. He belongs to Co. “B.” When Captain John was promoted to Major, Lt. Porter being 1st Lt. in his company should have been promoted to captain, but owing to a little personal ill feeling between himself and colonel Hill he was superceded by Wm. B. Stewart 2d Lt. of co. B. who in my opinion is not competent to command a company of men, he did well enough as Lieutenant but as a captain he can not succeed for the want of military and business capacity. Colonel Hill did a very wrong thing to allow his animal passion to get the better of his judgment and injure Lt. Porter in this way. I know he has hurt himself very much. Lieutenant Porter is intending to resign; thus one officer after another is leaving our regiment. A number of other good officers talk of tendering their resignations on account of colonel S.G. Hill, who has violated many a pledge to officers, he lays down a rule today to govern his conduct for promotion, tomorrow he violates it because a man has a little ill feeling towards him; to say the least of such conduct it certainly shows a very weak vacillating mind. I would much prefer any other of the ranking officers of our regiment as my commander to col. Hill.