DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | George C. Burmeister diary, 1863

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1863-12-25

by the excessive use of ardent spirits.  We had an interesting time in studying the human brain.  It is a grand structure, which in my opinion completely disproves the theories of phrenologists.  We also found that Lt. Kenedy of the Irish company had brought the whiskey into his quarters, issued it to his men, and most of the officers of the regiment there, they are reported to have been, nearly all of them, drunk.  Lt Kenedy boasted to Captain Blanck that, “he had got the whiskey had made the men and the officers drunk, he expected to go to the military prison but he did not care a damn.  The left wing must have had a high old time.  The men here do not appear as neat and under as good discipline as I would live to see them.  This afternoon Captain Dixon, brought in three rebel prisoners whom he and a small escort had captured near Bolivar, they are rather a good looking set of men.  One of them is a lieutenant, he does not have any prepossessing looks, he looks like a mean man.  Middleton is rather a poor place, we do not see any person here who looks in the least cheerful, the whole place appears draped in mourning.

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by the excessive use of ardent spirits. We had an interesting time in studying the human brain. It is a grand structure, which in my opinion completely disproves the theories of phrenologists. We also found that Lt. Kenedy of the Irish company had brought the whiskey into his quarters, issued it to his men, and most of the officers of the regiment there, they are reported to have been, nearly all of them, drunk. Lt Kenedy boasted to Captain Blanck that, “he had got the whiskey had made the men and the officers drunk, he expected to go to the military prison but he did not care a damn. The left wing must have had a high old time. The men here do not appear as neat and under as good discipline as I would live to see them. This afternoon Captain Dixon, brought in three rebel prisoners whom he and a small escort had captured near Bolivar, they are rather a good looking set of men. One of them is a lieutenant, he does not have any prepossessing looks, he looks like a mean man. Middleton is rather a poor place, we do not see any person here who looks in the least cheerful, the whole place appears draped in mourning.