DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | George C. Burmeister diary, 1861

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1861-05-12 -- 1861-05-13

Sun. 12.     I took a walk to the river where I performed a good washing of my body, we are placed in dirty barracks, scarcely sufficiently ventilated, or supplied with sufficient hay to sleep upon, therefore we get pretty dirty, and I reluctantly acknowledge that our company is the most untidy in the entire regiment.  This morning I witnessed another brutal affair between, two men, named Ross and Reifeustahl, the first knocked the other down about a trifle, and falling he (I e the last) cut himself dangerously in the back part of the head on a board.  I attended S.L. and church, at the Protestant Episcopal where we had an admirable sermon.  I wrote several letters.  The boys carry on most obscenely, shocking every moral & religious principle, our barracks present the appearance of being the abode of a band of robbers.  I attended the Presbytarian church, he preached about the cause of the war and attributed the whole to the system of slavery.
Mon. 13.    The weather was very disagreeable in the forepart of the day.  We were examined, by a U.S. officers, in or to ascertain whether we were physically capable or not, to stand the hardships of the ensuing campaign.  William Walt was rejected on account of his age(?).  We had a splendid bonfire, and a small, but beautiful balloon ascension the event.

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Sun. 12. I took a walk to the river where I performed a good washing of my body, we are placed in dirty barracks, scarcely sufficiently ventilated, or supplied with sufficient hay to sleep upon, therefore we get pretty dirty, and I reluctantly acknowledge that our company is the most untidy in the entire regiment. This morning I witnessed another brutal affair between, two men, named Ross and Reifeustahl, the first knocked the other down about a trifle, and falling he (I e the last) cut himself dangerously in the back part of the head on a board. I attended S.L. and church, at the Protestant Episcopal where we had an admirable sermon. I wrote several letters. The boys carry on most obscenely, shocking every moral & religious principle, our barracks present the appearance of being the abode of a band of robbers. I attended the Presbytarian church, he preached about the cause of the war and attributed the whole to the system of slavery. Mon. 13. The weather was very disagreeable in the forepart of the day. We were examined, by a U.S. officers, in or to ascertain whether we were physically capable or not, to stand the hardships of the ensuing campaign. William Walt was rejected on account of his age(?). We had a splendid bonfire, and a small, but beautiful balloon ascension the event.