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

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1864-01-24

Sunday 24.  We are having the finest weather we ever had while in this state.  The genial rays of the sun are having an exhilarating effect on all creation.  This command had divine service today the first that has been held here for many weeks, the soldiers as a general thing care but very little about devotional exercises in camp.  I cannot fully account for this but it is nevertheless a fact.  The sentence of the court passed on those men yesterday is that they lose one month’s pay and be paraded before the battalion on dress parad with barrels on the word “Thief”, shall be inscribed.  I approved the sentence, but after taking a second thought I came to the conclusion it would be better to omit the word “Thief” since it might tarnish their characters forever, and this punishment is intended to improve them not to make them worse.  We had the men paraded this afternoon before the battalion, they were marched under guard along the line while the band played the rouge’s march.  After which I mad a short address to them and to the battalion, told them the consequences of disobedience of orders and told them that if any soldier would be guilty of any more violations of law I would punish him severely.  Explained to them the duties and responsibilities of soldiers of the United States.  The majority of the officers support me in inforcing discipline, Lt. Parker feels angry because his company has those men who were punished, I told him the co. is not to blame.

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Sunday 24. We are having the finest weather we ever had while in this state. The genial rays of the sun are having an exhilarating effect on all creation. This command had divine service today the first that has been held here for many weeks, the soldiers as a general thing care but very little about devotional exercises in camp. I cannot fully account for this but it is nevertheless a fact. The sentence of the court passed on those men yesterday is that they lose one month’s pay and be paraded before the battalion on dress parad with barrels on the word “Thief”, shall be inscribed. I approved the sentence, but after taking a second thought I came to the conclusion it would be better to omit the word “Thief” since it might tarnish their characters forever, and this punishment is intended to improve them not to make them worse. We had the men paraded this afternoon before the battalion, they were marched under guard along the line while the band played the rouge’s march. After which I mad a short address to them and to the battalion, told them the consequences of disobedience of orders and told them that if any soldier would be guilty of any more violations of law I would punish him severely. Explained to them the duties and responsibilities of soldiers of the United States. The majority of the officers support me in inforcing discipline, Lt. Parker feels angry because his company has those men who were punished, I told him the co. is not to blame.