September 7.

Got up and saw more than 2,000 men lying in fields and by the road-side, that fell the night before. Sam Thayer, myself and six others hired a man to carry us to Leesboro, one of our number Lawrence White, being sick and could not march. We passed our regiment on the way. We stayed at Leesboro all day, and finding our regiment did not come, we went back and found they had encamped about a mile from that town in a piece of woods near the road. We stayed with them after that.

September 8.

Had orders to be driven forward at the point of the bayonet13. Started to march but only for about a mile and joined our [Ferrero’s] brigade, we camped and stayed until September 9.

September 9.

We again started on our march to join Burnside. We had a hard march to-day of over 20 miles. The regiments in our brigade were the 21st. Mass., 35th Mass., 51st. New York, 51st. Penn., and 4th. R.I., and one or two N.H. regiments. Our brigadier general was formerly Colonel of 51st. N.Y. regiment.

At night we encamped at a small town called Union14, I believe — not much of a town like those in Massachusetts. A few poor shanties composed the town. We there heard that the rebels were only a little in advance, retreating. It rained all night and our blankets did us poor service. Massena and I hugged close together.

September 10.

I threw away my woolen blanket this morning as many others did, it being soaked full of water from the rain. We started in good season this morning on our route. The sun came out very hot and they gave us long heats. We reached Brookville about the middle of the afternoon, and our brigade camped together in one field. We had a good canal to wash in and it did us good. We got something to eat in the town for our rations were short. Fixed a house of rails and covered it with our rubber blankets — Sgt. Howland, Massena and myself.