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

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1864-03-15 -- 1864-03-16

Tuesday 15.  This is a clear morning.  While I am writing our men are preparing for the march; I will cease writing now and fill up the record of this day’s doings at its close.  We marched to our boats and embarked.  I took a good look at the rebel works, they present a very interesting view, and are certainly planned by, and executed under the guidance of a military genius.  We left the fort towards evening, a brigade of our troops remained to garrison the place till our return.  We tied up at 8 ½ o’clock P.M.  I am officer of the day today.  The river is extremely narrow, and has numerous bends in it, so that it is very different for us as large boats as ours to navigate it.  We are going to Alexandria.
Wednesday 16  I had my hands full today in keeping order on the boat, it is difficult to make the men remain in their proper places and unless they do so it is almost impossible to manage our boat, the river is narrow and very crooked.  Our boys as a general thing are good men but a few of them seem to have no feeling whatever for their fellow man nor any living being, while passing down the river they would shoot at goats dogs and other beasts, and one even was so brutal as to shoot at a boy who was on horseback peaceably riding along the shore, he fell off his horse as if he was hit, but I hope he is not.  I endeavored to stop this as much as I could, but it was almost impossible to ascertain who fired.  We reached Alexandria this afternoon about three o’clock, the rebels had left.  Some of their boats were in sight when our gunboats arrived, no engagement took place.

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Tuesday 15. This is a clear morning. While I am writing our men are preparing for the march; I will cease writing now and fill up the record of this day’s doings at its close. We marched to our boats and embarked. I took a good look at the rebel works, they present a very interesting view, and are certainly planned by, and executed under the guidance of a military genius. We left the fort towards evening, a brigade of our troops remained to garrison the place till our return. We tied up at 8 ½ o’clock P.M. I am officer of the day today. The river is extremely narrow, and has numerous bends in it, so that it is very different for us as large boats as ours to navigate it. We are going to Alexandria. Wednesday 16 I had my hands full today in keeping order on the boat, it is difficult to make the men remain in their proper places and unless they do so it is almost impossible to manage our boat, the river is narrow and very crooked. Our boys as a general thing are good men but a few of them seem to have no feeling whatever for their fellow man nor any living being, while passing down the river they would shoot at goats dogs and other beasts, and one even was so brutal as to shoot at a boy who was on horseback peaceably riding along the shore, he fell off his horse as if he was hit, but I hope he is not. I endeavored to stop this as much as I could, but it was almost impossible to ascertain who fired. We reached Alexandria this afternoon about three o’clock, the rebels had left. Some of their boats were in sight when our gunboats arrived, no engagement took place.