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

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1864-05-16

the Potomac, and that Lee's army was repulsed with the probability being that Gen. Grant is in possesion of Richmond by this time.

Monday 16. A little before sunrise three A.M. we were roused from our beds and ordered to march immediately.  The stars shone beautifully and the morning was glorious, yet you cannot expect a soldier to admire nature, when his stomach announces to him that it desires breakfast.  After marching about a mile and a half we halted to permit the 19th corps to pass us, in the meantime we took a cup of coffee. The 19th corps had scarcely passed us, when heavy cannonading announced that the enemy intended to dispute near Markabelle, a little town that looked so cheerful when we passed through it with all its inhabitants at home then, but now it appeared very desolate, its citizens having fled.  We formed on the right of the 19th corps.  The enemy had taken his position in the timber, bordering on a prairie which is perhaps ten miles in circumference.  Each regt. sent out a company of skirmishers.  Co. B of ours was sent out.  The rebels came up very boldly, deployed their skirmishers and sent a number of shells near us.  Some of their rifle balls also passed very near us.  One of co. F. of our regt. corporal Fitz was wounded in the knee while advancing in line.  It will probably cost him his leg.  Our skirmishers advanced boldly and we soon followed to support them, thinking when we reached the timber we would receive a terrible volley from

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the Potomac, and that Lee's army was repulsed with the probability being that Gen. Grant is in possesion of Richmond by this time. Monday 16. A little before sunrise three A.M. we were roused from our beds and ordered to march immediately. The stars shone beautifully and the morning was glorious, yet you cannot expect a soldier to admire nature, when his stomach announces to him that it desires breakfast. After marching about a mile and a half we halted to permit the 19th corps to pass us, in the meantime we took a cup of coffee. The 19th corps had scarcely passed us, when heavy cannonading announced that the enemy intended to dispute near Markabelle, a little town that looked so cheerful when we passed through it with all its inhabitants at home then, but now it appeared very desolate, its citizens having fled. We formed on the right of the 19th corps. The enemy had taken his position in the timber, bordering on a prairie which is perhaps ten miles in circumference. Each regt. sent out a company of skirmishers. Co. B of ours was sent out. The rebels came up very boldly, deployed their skirmishers and sent a number of shells near us. Some of their rifle balls also passed very near us. One of co. F. of our regt. corporal Fitz was wounded in the knee while advancing in line. It will probably cost him his leg. Our skirmishers advanced boldly and we soon followed to support them, thinking when we reached the timber we would receive a terrible volley from