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

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1864-01-23

Saturday 23.  Early this morning two women came into my room and told me the following story: Yesterday morning about 10 o’clock two soldiers representing themselves as belonging to my command entered the house of the widow Tull where they got some milk, then went to a neighbor’s house, where no person was at home.  There they took three coverlets one unfinished quilt, and one black silk dress, belonging to a woman by the name of Newland.  I felt very bad about this and promised to restore those articles to Mrs, Newland if they could be found here.  I ordered the companies to be brought to head quarters at once, had them formed into line.  Then ordered the officers to accompany me to search the quarters of the men for the stolen articles.  We searched very closely, and came very near giving up the search, when the articles were found in the quarters of two men belonging to company “K”, by the name of Samuel Johnson,  and Jacob Housman, I dismissed all the companies except “K’, and had the women go through the ranks to identify the thieves, if possible, she paused at Housman and said she thought he was one of them, but would not be positive.  I had those men confined in the guard house, and preferred charges of stealing and disobedience of orders, against them.  Summoned a court martial consisting of Capt. Dixson, Lts. Kenedy, and Kane, to try the prisoners immediately.  They were found guilty.

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Saturday 23. Early this morning two women came into my room and told me the following story: Yesterday morning about 10 o’clock two soldiers representing themselves as belonging to my command entered the house of the widow Tull where they got some milk, then went to a neighbor’s house, where no person was at home. There they took three coverlets one unfinished quilt, and one black silk dress, belonging to a woman by the name of Newland. I felt very bad about this and promised to restore those articles to Mrs, Newland if they could be found here. I ordered the companies to be brought to head quarters at once, had them formed into line. Then ordered the officers to accompany me to search the quarters of the men for the stolen articles. We searched very closely, and came very near giving up the search, when the articles were found in the quarters of two men belonging to company “K”, by the name of Samuel Johnson, and Jacob Housman, I dismissed all the companies except “K’, and had the women go through the ranks to identify the thieves, if possible, she paused at Housman and said she thought he was one of them, but would not be positive. I had those men confined in the guard house, and preferred charges of stealing and disobedience of orders, against them. Summoned a court martial consisting of Capt. Dixson, Lts. Kenedy, and Kane, to try the prisoners immediately. They were found guilty.