MS 640 - Samuel McClain Papers Transcripts (Diary, May 1864)

[Diary bought May 26, 1864, Camp Parole, Annapolis, Md.]

Samuel McClain Diary - May 1864

1 Sunday. Making preparations for to go to the Army as National Gards. After noon went at Gilead [Grand Rapids].

2 Monday. I bid goodbye to my wife and babyes and started for Westfield [Weston]. Left on four o'clock train for Parysburg [Perrysburg]. Arived at Parysburg at 6 p.m. Quartered in the Court House. Good quarters, good times.

3 Tuesday. Company drill all day.

4 Wednesday. Drill in fore noon. Election of company officers. I had my fotygraph taken today.

5 Thursday. Company drill today. We saw the rapidans in town.

6 Friday. Company drill. As usual got dog to eat at the Berdshouse [Baird House Hotel] today, etc.

7 Saturday. Lay in our quarters all day to day thinking of the dear ones at home.

8 Sunday. [No entry]

9 Monday. Started for Columbus on train all night.

10 Tuesday. Awoke this morning neer Columbus. Marched in to Tod barax. Got diner. I sent a map home. Afternoon marched to Camp Chase, a hard march. Quartered in tents.

11 Wednesday. We were mustered in to the U.S. servis as National Gards and prepaird to march. Drawed our clothing.

12 Thursday. Packed our duds. Marched to Columbus. Drawed our arms and marched to the cars. Got aboard and started for Baltimore.

13 Friday. At 4 p.m. the train started for Baltimore. Went thru Newark and Stupansville [Steubenville], got to Pittsburg at dark. The citisons furnished us a good supper, after which we took the train.

14 Saturday. Awakened this morning near Harrisburg. We stoped at the above place and got our dinner, tolerable good fair. We took the train again and went on our way rejoicing.

15 Sunday. This morning found us nearing our destination. Arrived at Baltimore, got our dinner & marched to Fort McHenry. Quartered in the fourt for the night.

16 Monday. Received orders to march at 5 o'clock this morning. We marched to Baltimore. Took the train for Camp Parole, Annapolis, Md., at which place we arrived at 4 p.m. and marched to our quarters. All mad.

17 Tuesday. The day was spent in fixing up our quarters and writing letters home and counting up the time that we had bin in the servis, etc.

18 Wednesday. All right this morning. A portion of our company on gard to night. The 94 N.Y. Regt. atacted our quarters but we repulsed them.

19 Thursday. We won the victory, the 94 N.Y. Regt. retreated this morning, leaving us in possession of the camp. The causualitys on both sides are small. Some ware very much fritened in Co.I.

20 Friday. Nothing doing today, only camp duty. A portion of our company are on gard every day.

21 Saturday. All right. Nothing to do but gard duty today.

22 Sunday. Nothing unusul transpired, only a dog run acrost the camp with a tin plate tied to his tail. You bet he run.

23 Monday. The same duty today. A squad of paroled prisners left camp today for the front. I wrote a letter to my wife today.

24 Tuesday. We organized a drum corps today and we went out to practis this afternoon.

25 Wednesday. We received one company of reinforcements today. We can hold the place now against any force that Jef can send on.

26 Thursday. I got up this morning and scrubed our shebang. It is raining today. I took a dose of pills. No litter yet. I helped W.S. Holder to the hospittle today.

27 Friday. Raining yet. I am not very well this morning. Ten o'clock went out and practised on the drum. Received a letter from home tonight.

28 Saturday. General inspection today. Reading letters today & wrote a letter to my wife and mailed it today. I received today a letter from my wife & daughter.

29 Sunday. Cool morning out to revalee this morning. Read a chapter in the Bible, went at church, and wrote a letter to Laura, letter no. 8.

30 Monday. Pleasant morning. I had a dream last night about my boy. Went to the bay to bathe. Fin & me killed a viper. O.K. Cain gave me a laurl Bible from Lookout Mountain, Tenn.

31 Tuesday. Received a letter from home today baring date May the 21. Colonel Hunt is in camp. I made a cedar Bible. Today the drum corps out at seven o'clock. Fin & me went out in to the country today. I lernt the 7 roal.

Names of the Drum Corps

• Drum Mager Name
• Johny Morson
• Pery M. Wayans Fifer
• Findly Barton "
• David Homes "
• J. Kimberlin B. Drummer
• A.J. Belour S. Drummer
• Auscor Bennett "
• Wm. Rogers "
• Saml McClain "
• George Barns "
• Cornelius Cating "
• Marthiers "