Sunday the 16 
     this morning we had to turn back towards our old camp - some of the boys hated it so bad - they were disappointed to think that they had to go back - we started about seven o'clock and got back to camp about 3 o'clock PM - I was very tired and sore - having to carry my knapsack and it being full made me a good load - we came back to our old quarters at the old commissary - everything was taken away from there - our cots were both taken away so that we had to sleep on the floor - this more was countermanded by General Rosencrans - he had charge of our division - so he did not want us to go to the mountain yet. 

Monday the 17 
     this is a cool morning - it has been snowing light almost all night but it goes off as fast as it falls - I feel sore and stiff this morning 

Tuesday the 18 
     this is a beautiful day it looks like spring now and it make me feel like being a home and at work - we have no war news at this time - things seem dull at this time 

Wednesday the 19 
     this is a beautiful morning but it is clouding up and is going to snow or rain 

Thursday the 20 
     this is a nice day for the time of year - we have some flurries of snow 

Friday the 21 
     this is a right cool morning - we had snow last night but it is going off this morning - there has been considerable excitement in camp - about some scouts that went out the other day - some of them came back last night and reported that they was surrounded by one hundred and fifty Rebels and that 2 of their men were shot dead and that the First Sergeant and seven men were probably taken prisoners 

Saturday the 22 
     this is a snowy day and right cold - this evening the scouts all came up but one and they think he was taken prisoner for he was wounded - he is all the men that is hurt amoung them - they tell a hard story and it looks very suspicious that they were scared worse than hurt 

Sunday the 23 
     this is a cool day - the gound is covered with snow but it has mostly gone off the bottom land - but the hills 
are covered with snow - we have no war news - things are dull now - we expect a forward move soon 

Monday the 24 
     dull as usual - this is a snowy day again but it goes off as fast as it falls 

Tuesday the 25 
     this is a cool day and it is snowing and raining by turns 

Wednesday the 26 
     this is a cloudy day but not so very cold - no war news yet 

Thursday the 27 
     this is a foggy morning but it has cleared off and is a nice day - we have heard that New Orleans is taken by our troops - there has been a large scout of 500 hundred men sent out to guard the wagons that have gone for hay - Cor Thomson went along 

Friday the 28 
     this is a beautiful day - the wind blows cool from the snow covered mountains - we can see the snow all around the hills and its knee deep on the Cheat Mountains 

Saturday the 29 
     the scouts dame back last night - or part of them did - the Cor has not come yet - he has about 200 men with him - this is a bad day it is raining and snowing some 

Sunday the 30 
     this is a calm day but not cool - there was a death in the hospital this morning - he belonged to Company K - Douglas was his name 

Monday the 31 
     this is a clear day but the wind is cold from the mountains - there was a Regimental inspection today - I did not go up 

April the 1st Tuesday (April, 1862) 
     this is a cloudy day 

Wednesday the 2 
     this is the windiest day that I have seen since I have been in the service 

Thursday the 3 
     this is a calm day and beautiful as if we never had any wind 

Friday the 4 
     this is a glorious day - we have good war news still - this evening we have orders to be ready in one hours notice with five days rations so I suppose we will start in the morning 

Saturday the 5 
     we had a fine rain last night and this is a beautiful day - the paymaster paid us for 2 months last night - all the boys started this morning that was at camp - there is about 300 of them on a scout and we have to wait till they come and we will not get started till tomorrow morning - I have stayed here so long that I am attached to the place and would like to stay here very well but I suppose that we will leave here forever - there will be a Artillery company stay here for a while - I do not know how long 

Sunday the 6 
     we did not get off today but I guess that we will start in the morning - this is a beautiful day except the wind is 
a little cool 

Monday the 7 
     this is a cloudy day and commenced to rain so we have a hard day to march - we got to the summit of the Cheat where we stayed the other time - this has been a hard day for it has been raining all day and very cold at that 

Tuesday the 8 
     this morning we started out in the rain again and it snowed all day yesterday in the mountains and was freezing all day - when we got within one mile of the summit the snow was 3 inches deep and so cold that we could hardly stand it - the sleet was a inch thick on the least size of twigs - we got to camp Cheat about 2 o'clock PM and stayed till the day after 

Wednesday the 9 
     this was a hard day - the weather was very cold - we stayed in camp all day 

Thursday the 10 
     this morning we started to camp Alagana (?SP) the sun shown out all day and we had a slopping march - we 
to camp after night - this is a large camp and tolerably well fortified 

Friday the 11 
     this is a beautiful day and we are going to stay here today 

Saturday the 12 
     this is a very cold and windy day - we are baking bread for tomorrow - we have orders to march right away so we are packing up - we went to GUB (?SP) bottom tonight 

Sunday the 13 
     we are going to stay here today - about noon we had a false alarm - there was reported to be one thousand Rebels close so we got out in battle order but was ordered back - there was a scrimmage at Minterey the day before - the Rebels advanced on the town but was repulsed by some shells from our guns with a supposed loss of about 30 of their men 

Monday the 14 
     today we marched to Monterey - I forgot to say that it has been raining ever since Sunday morning 

Tuesday the 15 
     this morning it is still raining on us - there was a scout sent out this morning - there was 30 men sent out ofour company and one company of the Second Va Regiment - they drew 5 days rations to go on - they were going to Franklin a village some 15 or 20 miles from here - Monterey is a nice little village of about 50 houses - well this is a bad time on the soldiers for everything is wet - I am writing under a wagon and my paper is getting wet - I slept under the wagon last night very comfortable and warm 

Wednesday the 16 
     this is a cloudy day and foggy - we are resting today - we had intelligence this evening that Richmond was in our hands which is very likely for we have been expecting it for days 

Thursday the 17 
     this morning we have orders to march to McDowell - a village 10 miles East of us on the Stanton (Staunton) 
road - well we started at nine o'clock AM and arrived at three o'clock PM - we had not any trouble in going through - 
the Secesch are within 8 miles of us - some of our men drove them ahead - this is a nice little village and has large 
houses in it - it is in Highland County - we put out large pickets and the rest of us turned in to sleep - some in houses 
and some in tents and some on the ground - for my part I slept in a wagon - but not very well 

Friday morning the 18 of April 
     at 3 o'clock AM we were called up to fall back for it was said that the Rebels were flanking us on the Southeast - so we packed up our things and fell back to the hill where we are waiting further orders - we are all resting ourselves - some are sleeping and some are eating and some are guard playing - the General has come up and is holding a council of war and it is likely that we will advance onto their camp - we will have some hot work to do before night perhaps - well we were ordered back to camp McDowell this evening without any fight - we are quartered in a large warehouse. 

Saturday the 19th 
     this morning we have sent out a large picket and reconnoitering parties - this is a nice day - nothing of interest has occurred today 

Sunday the 20 
     this is Easter Sunday - it commenced to rain last night and is rain all day and all night tonight - nothing of interest has occurred today - there is a report this evening that the Rebels have left Shenandoah Mountain 

Monday the 21 
     this morning we have sent out a large scouting party to find out whether the report is true or not - I suppose that we will soon go on East - the Rebels have left the Shenandoah Mountain - the scouts came back last night and report the Rebels gone - well it still rains all day today 

Tuesday the 22 
     it is clear this morning but it is clouding up again - we sent out a Company of Cavalry to Staunton this morning and as soon as they come back will will go East or go back to the Cheat Mountains - well it has commenced to rain again and it is a cold rain - I am not so very well today and I have the blues for certain from different causes - one is the rainy weather and another is we have short fare - we have nothing but coffee and hard bread and sometimes fresh beef to put to cook itself - so everything considered it is enough to give a fellow the blues - we have no fire only out of doors and the smoke has almost put out my eyes - yesterday we had to stand in the mde and rain till I was perfectly chilled and wet to the skin. - I went a fishing today but did not catch any fish 

Wednesday the 23 
     today is clearing up of the weather - the wind blows very cool and chilly - there is no news today - I went a fishing again today - I caught 12 small chubs today. 

Thursday the 24 
     this morning it is snowing and looks like it would snow all day - well I have to go on picket this morning - our post is up Bull Pasture river three miles - our quarters is in a old blacksmith shop near a dwelling house - well it has snowed hard all day and thawed all the time - the snow would have been a foot deep if it had not went off - it commenced to rain at dark and rained as hard as it could till midnight - our shop roof leaks so we had hard work to keep dry - I did not sleep much so I am sleepy now - the snow is going off very fast today and will soon be gone 

Friday evening the 25 
     the ground is drenched with water - we have news that the Rebels are fortifying at Buffalo Gap and are going 
to stand us a fight