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

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1864-01-13

Wednesday 13 I board at Carson's pay four dollars a week, the boarding consists of coffee biscuits, cornbread and pork for breakfast, “ditto”, with the addition of turnips and a glass of milk for dinner, and the things enumerated for breakfast in a reversed order for supper.  What a contrast between a northern and a southern table, why at the north I could get a magnificent boarding place for that price, at home I often murmured because I did not have this other favorite dish for dinner, and supposed people were nearly starving if they did not have a variety of vegetables on their table, here I have learned that people can subsist on very little.  I therefore do not think we will ever be able to crush the rebellion by starvation.  We must do it by force of arms.  I must now say something of the men with whom I occupy Headquarters, my bedfellow is captain H.A. Mc Kelvey of our regiment, commander of co. K, and the provost marshal of the post.  He is a very social companion, a man who has the confidence and esteem of every man in the regiment whose opinion is worth anything.  He has discharged his duties faithfully as an officer, and I am sorry that he intends to resign soon on account of his family, he has marched with the regiment when he was quite unwell but he was determined to go on.

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Wednesday 13 I board at Carson's pay four dollars a week, the boarding consists of coffee biscuits, cornbread and pork for breakfast, “ditto”, with the addition of turnips and a glass of milk for dinner, and the things enumerated for breakfast in a reversed order for supper. What a contrast between a northern and a southern table, why at the north I could get a magnificent boarding place for that price, at home I often murmured because I did not have this other favorite dish for dinner, and supposed people were nearly starving if they did not have a variety of vegetables on their table, here I have learned that people can subsist on very little. I therefore do not think we will ever be able to crush the rebellion by starvation. We must do it by force of arms. I must now say something of the men with whom I occupy Headquarters, my bedfellow is captain H.A. Mc Kelvey of our regiment, commander of co. K, and the provost marshal of the post. He is a very social companion, a man who has the confidence and esteem of every man in the regiment whose opinion is worth anything. He has discharged his duties faithfully as an officer, and I am sorry that he intends to resign soon on account of his family, he has marched with the regiment when he was quite unwell but he was determined to go on.