Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Howard's Corps - Newton's Division - Wagner's Brigade
Atlanta Campaign
The Union army spends these days getting across the Chattahoochee River, and positioning north and east of the city.
On the Confederate side, the leadership has lost trust in General Johnston as commander of the army. His constant retreats make them believe he will not fight, even for Atlanta; and despite that he already has plans to engage in a battle north of the city, he is relieved of command. General John Bell Hood, known as a fighting general, is promoted in his place. The scene is now set for the battle of Atlanta.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Baer Diary Entries - text in white, comments in blue. Entries for July 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIARY ENTRY - Thursday, July 14th, 1864
Great excitement in camp exchange - but greater excitement outside, from reports that had spread, leading the Confederate officials to believe that we were going to make an attempt to overpower the guards and escape. What led to that belief I am unable to say, not having heard intimated that such a thing would be attempted - however, I had deemed such a thing possible but the slaughter that would ensue in case of such an attempt would over balance the gain - it would be next to impossible to gain our lives, consequently the ends would not justify the means.
Put in a good part of the day reading, the balance attending to necessary duties. Weather very warm in the fore part of the day but cooler in the afternoon as it had the appearance of rain. Mess enjoying pretty good health considering the treatment.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIARY ENTRY - Friday, July 15th, 1864
I know not what to do or what to say. Memory becomes blunt by continual inactivity - but why should such be the case here where there are so many scenes that can never be erased from memory - and yet it is so. Men allow themselves to become perfectly passive, taking no note of the scenes of misery that surround them. Such men fail to perform the noble part required of them at the hand of the Creator. Selfishness takes precedence and self is all that is thought of above anything else.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIARY ENTRY - Saturday, July 16th, 1864
Well, business called me away before I got through writing yesterday - I intended to make some remarks about the intellectual faculties. As far as literature is concerned, it is almost impossible to get hold of a book, and as almost everything is copied nowadays, the intellectual faculties are not called into action in the direction, except in a very few instances in which men of energetic and active minds employ a portion under their observation.
There are others who train their minds in another direction - being noted for shrewdness and not enjoying confinement they are continually planning escape, but their plans are generally found out. Some miserable traitors who think more of the will of the Confederacy than they do of their liberty, their comrades or their country will inform on them, and they are checkmated before they can be carried into execution.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIARY ENTRY -Sunday, July 17th, 1864
We had an example of the latter remark yesterday, but as the informant was not known, I declined making any remarks until further developments - this morning the developments have been made - the informant was discovered and the regulators took him in hand. He was taken to the barber shop and got a shave gratis - but it happened to be his head that was shaved instead of his face - after which a paper bearing the stigma of traitor in large characters was pinned to his back and he was promenaded through camp. This performance being over, he had the same stigma picked on his forehead with indelible ink, leaving him in a nice condition to return to family and friend. This reminds me of a punishment of a coward in the 57th Indiana on the 19th of June. The day before he had shown signs of cowardice, and that morning he was marched through the brigade with a board fastened to his back on which was printed the word coward.
----------------------
The Regulators have continued on in keeping order in the camp, and carried out the punishment above for a soldier that apparently had disclosed the location of a tunnel.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More Information:
- Link: War Operations, see Volume XXXVIII, Chapter L, Part V, Correspondence, pp. 136-169.
- The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. p. 171.
- The Civil War, A Narrative, Vol 1II, Red River to Appomattox, Shelby Foote, pp. 407-424.
- Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Retreat With Honor, pp. 310-313.
- Decision In The West, The Atlanta Campaign of 1864, Albert Castel, pp, 355-365.
- Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, pp. 600-608.
- Memoirs of General William T. Sherman, pp. 536-544.
- Events: 1864
NEXT POST: JULY 21ST
No comments:
Post a Comment