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George C. Burmeister diary, 1864
1864-05-14 -- 1864-05-15
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Saturday 14. At three A.M. reveille was sounded in the camps. We prepared our breakfast and soon after fell in with our regt. and moved towards the river, the army marched along the river road for about two miles, when the rebels engaged us. Heavy firing is now going on a short distance from us. We passed the rebels who were on the opposite shore by letting them have several volleys of musketry, and each gunboat as it passed saluted them with its shells and shrapnel. Marched till about 8 P.M. then bivouacked near the boats on the side of the road. The road we march on is well protected from the river side by a high dam, so if the rebels fire from the opposite side of the river at us, we have good works to protect us. Am quite tired to night. Sunday 15. Banks' train occupied nearly all last night in passing us. It is perhaps seven miles long. What a tremendous incumbrance in a campaign. The 16th corps is in the rear by some mistake, this morning. We were nearly in front yesterday. The report is that the river is blockaded below us. We waited till almost noon before we started and then progressed very slowly for two hours. The 16th corps train was there pased by Banks train, which latter was corralled for dinner. Marched quite rapidly through heat and dust by the side of the wagons, five men to each wagon. It was no small undertaking to keep pace with the wagons which would sometimes go very slow, then suddenly start into a run. Rested at sunset several hours about two miles from Fort De Russy, near which were bivouacked at midnight. Here we learned that Gen. Grant and Lee's army fought a great battle near
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Saturday 14. At three A.M. reveille was sounded in the camps. We prepared our breakfast and soon after fell in with our regt. and moved towards the river, the army marched along the river road for about two miles, when the rebels engaged us. Heavy firing is now going on a short distance from us. We passed the rebels who were on the opposite shore by letting them have several volleys of musketry, and each gunboat as it passed saluted them with its shells and shrapnel. Marched till about 8 P.M. then bivouacked near the boats on the side of the road. The road we march on is well protected from the river side by a high dam, so if the rebels fire from the opposite side of the river at us, we have good works to protect us. Am quite tired to night. Sunday 15. Banks' train occupied nearly all last night in passing us. It is perhaps seven miles long. What a tremendous incumbrance in a campaign. The 16th corps is in the rear by some mistake, this morning. We were nearly in front yesterday. The report is that the river is blockaded below us. We waited till almost noon before we started and then progressed very slowly for two hours. The 16th corps train was there pased by Banks train, which latter was corralled for dinner. Marched quite rapidly through heat and dust by the side of the wagons, five men to each wagon. It was no small undertaking to keep pace with the wagons which would sometimes go very slow, then suddenly start into a run. Rested at sunset several hours about two miles from Fort De Russy, near which were bivouacked at midnight. Here we learned that Gen. Grant and Lee's army fought a great battle near
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