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

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1864-02-07

Sunday 7  Yesterday I was Brigade Officer of the Day.  I had considerable riding about to do, but nothing of a special interest occurred.  After I was relieved Major John commanding the regiment, sent word to me that he was unwell and if I desired to take the regiment and teams out to get lumber I could do so.  When the permission was given by general Tuttle to do so, I had the men and teams got ready, and took them out on the main Jackson road, we went to Mr. Cook’s plantation, about five miles from here, where we found a sufficient number of good board buildings to load all our wagons, we tore the buildings down, took the best boards, and returned quite late at night to camp, the wagons were well loaded with good boards with which we intend to build barracks for each company, so that men can be sheltered from the rain at least.  We met but few people, those we met pretended to be union people.  They all said our troops that marched through their country recently committed a great deal of destruction, which is verified by the appearance of the roadsides, where the former dwellings of the absent rebel planter stood is now a black spot and piles of brick, their beautiful gardens are defaced, and their fences burned down.  What a terrible thing war is, death and destruction travels with an invading army and leave many a stain on the face of fair nature.

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Sunday 7 Yesterday I was Brigade Officer of the Day. I had considerable riding about to do, but nothing of a special interest occurred. After I was relieved Major John commanding the regiment, sent word to me that he was unwell and if I desired to take the regiment and teams out to get lumber I could do so. When the permission was given by general Tuttle to do so, I had the men and teams got ready, and took them out on the main Jackson road, we went to Mr. Cook’s plantation, about five miles from here, where we found a sufficient number of good board buildings to load all our wagons, we tore the buildings down, took the best boards, and returned quite late at night to camp, the wagons were well loaded with good boards with which we intend to build barracks for each company, so that men can be sheltered from the rain at least. We met but few people, those we met pretended to be union people. They all said our troops that marched through their country recently committed a great deal of destruction, which is verified by the appearance of the roadsides, where the former dwellings of the absent rebel planter stood is now a black spot and piles of brick, their beautiful gardens are defaced, and their fences burned down. What a terrible thing war is, death and destruction travels with an invading army and leave many a stain on the face of fair nature.