19th Century Steinbeck Family Papers

April 19 73

from 7 to 800 troops there, but they struck a surprize not so very easy accomplished. Mr. Solano & Mr. Buffington are abroad upon parole. Mr. Miller & Sandenmyer have never been in prison. The gunboat in the harbor mounte 9 guns & is a splendid boat. A good many reports are pretty much as Mr. Ponce reported but a great many are of that material called “gas”. Most of our men heard more o r less from their homes & families but as usually not one word for me. Mr. Bravo said that Mr. Price from Jacksonville with his wife

April 23 77

the very best of spirits. Our Liute. Rigdly who is also our Quarter master has gone up the river to get something. & on his return we are now hoping for. When we shall get now to Jacksonville is very uncertain as we shall have to stay with the good until they are again transported which will now take all the longer as all the teams are send home & they have to be brought back again.

Some say that Fort Pulaki is taken that in less than 20 minutes the Federals made a break in her large enough for a wagon to go through. But others contradict it. So it is in camp, nothing certain & one less

78 April 24

hear nothing reliable. Along the St. Johns allmost all the houses are deserted here & there you see some body but very rarely.

We happily got breakfast after all, as the Captain divided some rice which he had brought among the men. We also procured some bacon, sweet potatoes, & oranges[?] from some neighbour. & after that the steamer started for the Ocalawoha river whose entrance is near Walakia. We went up about two miles where we found the steamer Hattie & one small[crossed out] steam barge which she had met there & also another barge & they were already evading them

April 24 79

as both the other steamers are unable to go up as the river is so very crooked. One stayed at that place all night. Cooking dinner in the swamp.

April 24. This morning we started on the small steamer at sunrise without breakfast & neither had any supper the previous night exept some coffee. This is certainly the most crooked river I ever saw & it is hard work to get the boat up as it allmost one continual S & also much obstructed by old lumber. The water is very deep & quite transparent & quantities of fish are seen swiming about & some of the men are amusing themselves with speering them as the boat does not go fast & some[?]

86

time & expected to leave immidietly for Taleehasee but when the train came there was no accomadation for us & so we had to camp hear today. I found there one german family named Slydell[?] who treated me very kindly. Mr S. made coffee for us we had bread & butter which I have not tasted for a long time & invited me also to a nice supper.

Wednesday 30. This morning we started from Waldo about 9 oclock with the cars for Baldwin. Mrs Slydell[?] had some very nice bisquits made me which I took on the road. About 12 oclock arived at Baldwin.

May 1. Yesterday evening about

May 2 - 3 87

to have been surrendered to the Federals. The blocade[?] gunboats passed the forts without being able to prevent them. But nothing certain is known about it.

Saturday May 3. This morning another man & myself went to the other camps about 3 miles from where we are to see some other germans who are there. When we got there a soldier had just died. He had been sick with the fever but felt better this morning the Doktor gave him a dose of quinine[?] & in about half an hour he was dead. There seems to be something mysterious about it for several who

90

May 3 - 4

have taken it all have died. Both of us where carpenters & so we offered our services to make the coffin which was accepted & so we made it at a neighbouring sawmill. When it was finished we found out that the deceased was also a german named Jakob Haensler[?].

In the evening we had some speeches plenty to excite the patriotism of anyone who was inclined to be so.

Col. Houghton[?] spoke first, Capt. Steele second Capt. Strain & Col. Dilsworth concluded. There were some ladies present & when the speeches were concluded Col. Dilsworth said that he understood there were some good singers present & the ladies wished to hear a song. Some of our boys

May 4-5 91

came forward & sang, several pieces, when it after that was called “A Song from the Ladies, to which they also responded & sang a very pretty piece.

Sunday, May 4. Those who served in the Lente service at St. Augustine got paid of day. Dress parade & inspection of arms.

Monday 5. Today we had parade in the afternoon & a flag was presented to the 3rd Regement by the ladies of Florida. A lady presented the calvary[?] but our Comp. being up the left flank could not understand a word of what she said. Several responses were made but also of this we could not understand. After that we had to sign our names on the muster roll to be paid of to morrow.

93

May 7 - 8

place. For Col. Dilsworth for Liut Col. Church. Major Mashburn. In our Comp. Capt. Philips, first Liut. Chas. Rigeley, 2d Ervin Drysdale, 3d Fatio Dunham. 1t Sergant, John Rose, 3d John Philips Jun. 4th Philip Leonady, 5th Joseph Leonady. Corporal 1st H. Dunham, 2d. Sam Cook, 3 Frank Andrew, 4th Frank Weems. News about the recognition of the Confederacy by France & Spain, the breaking up of the Federal Congress in a row & the border coming in with us with a rush. Gen. Beauregard sent to Secretary of War that he did not want anymore Troops &c&. All very good news. If. True. Sergent Hernandez & Private Jos. Spencer were discharged als Liut. Andrew [?] & went back. I gave James [Crolee?] $25 dollars

99

May 16

the order was given to have 4 days ration cooked & prepare to be off at 5 o clock in the morning to go to Corinth. But the order was contermanded, the reason I do not know.

Friday 16. About 7 oclock we started with the cars & traversed a large portion of Alabama, the appearance of is romantic not at all level but all hills & valleys. About 3 oclock p.m. we had travelled about 100 miles & stopped at a place called Pollard, Ala. We are now again nearly in Florida, but a long way from home. We made our camp in the Pine woods, but it is very hot. On our journey is was very hot we had to go on [platform?] cars. & when the cars were going it was airy enough but when they stopped it was