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

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1864-01-27

We were compelled to push the train along for some distance, but finally abandoned this mode of travelling, and divided the train into two equal numbers of cars, the locomotive took one division to Grand Junction, our division remained a few miles from Middleton, till after sunrise, the men kept up good fires and thus we managed to keep warm. I slept but very little. Had very little to say to any one. Some of our officers came to me and told me that they would support me to the very last, for they considered me as having fully discharged my duties, as having obeyed the orders I received, to the letter, that if they had been in my place they would have acted in a similar manner. It has, they said, been customary to wait for a second order, after the first to be ready was received, stating when you should move your command. It made me feel better to know that my fellow officers sustain me. We arrived at Memphis at 2 P.M. I went to "Leherer's Hotel", took a good wash and strolled about town, our regiment marched through the city to the steamer "Emma Boyd", I procured a state room and after seeing all my baggage on board, went uptown with Lt. L. Koern, we spent a pleasant evening together. Everybody is speculating about the destination of our expedition, very few know whither we are to go. I am glad our commanders have learned the most important lesson of war, "to keep their own secrets."

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We were compelled to push the train along for some distance, but finally abandoned this mode of travelling, and divided the train into two equal numbers of cars, the locomotive took one division to Grand Junction, our division remained a few miles from Middleton, till after sunrise, the men kept up good fires and thus we managed to keep warm. I slept but very little. Had very little to say to any one. Some of our officers came to me and told me that they would support me to the very last, for they considered me as having fully discharged my duties, as having obeyed the orders I received, to the letter, that if they had been in my place they would have acted in a similar manner. It has, they said, been customary to wait for a second order, after the first to be ready was received, stating when you should move your command. It made me feel better to know that my fellow officers sustain me. We arrived at Memphis at 2 P.M. I went to "Leherer's Hotel", took a good wash and strolled about town, our regiment marched through the city to the steamer "Emma Boyd", I procured a state room and after seeing all my baggage on board, went uptown with Lt. L. Koern, we spent a pleasant evening together. Everybody is speculating about the destination of our expedition, very few know whither we are to go. I am glad our commanders have learned the most important lesson of war, "to keep their own secrets."