Diary of Elias D. Moore
Co. A. 114th O.V.I.
August 1862
Aug 13th/62
Aug 14th/62
Austrian Lorenz Musket like the ones issued to the 114th OVI
Lorenz tool dug at Vicksburg.
Lost by the 114th?
Aug 22d /63
Went into Camp 22nd Aug.
September 1862
Sept 8th/62
Mustered into service Sept 8th and got $40. bounty and advanced pay.
Sept 18th/62
Received our marching orders. Marched from Camp Circleville to Chillicothe then took the cars at 8:00 PM for Camp Marrietta. Arrived at camp 11 o'clock 20th ____.
October 1862
Oct 10th/62
Mother ____ Marietta, came to camp _____ this morning, found me on guard. ____found out ____ ____ untill she went home, came back Monday morning. ____ ____ 20th Sept ____ ____ .
Oct 11th/62
Drew our over and dress ____ canteens and knapsacks.
Oct 26th/62
Snow on the ground this morning. Rained and snowed all day.
November 1862
Nov 4th/62
Got furlough to go home. Started from Camp about four o'clock in the morning. Arrived home about two the same day.
Nov 7th/62
Went to Oakland (Ohio) ____ ____(person's name) in poor health
Nov 9th/62
Started for home, arrived there at five in the evening.
Nov 13th/62
At democratic barbecue in Circleville.
Nov 14th/62
Arrived in camp again.
Sunday 16th/62
On guard. Police duty, I stand at Col. Putnams quarters.
Nov 20th/62
Went to Marietta, weigh 135 lbs.
Nov 24th
Received orders to report immediatley at Memphis.
Thanksgiving day /62
Stayed in camp Marietta. The ladies of _____ sent Co. A some pie and apples.
Nov 26th /62
Bot a watch at Marietta 15.00
Nov 29th /62
Reville at five o'clock. On board the steamer Izeta at noon, raining and snowing.
Nov 30th /62
Reached Cincinati about nine PM, changed steamers and layed over.
December 1862
Dec 1st /62
Reached Louisville about 2 next morning.
Dec 2 /62
Started from Louis(ville)
Sunday Dec 7th /62
Spent the day in writing mostly.
Dec 11th /62
From 7th to 11th, drilling as usual. On guard 10th, afternoon of 11th Brigade drill under De Conrey. Marched through Memphis to the fortifications it is ten miles around them. I've marched about twelve miles in four hours.
Dec 14th /62
From 11th to 14th, drilling as usual. Brigade parade over and reviewed by Gen Morgan. Sunday writing. Order to leave, expect to go to Vixburg. Two brigades came in Saturday. Storm Sunday night.
Dec 18th /62
Over at the hospital this morning, a bad cold and chills, sore in my breast. Received a letter from Sis. Ben is dead. An artillery man hurt while loading the piece had to have his arm amputated.
Dec 19th /62
Battallion drill in afternoon. In the evening went after some fresh pork over to the rebs barn yard. Cooking rations all night.
Dec 20th /62
Reville at four. 5 minutes before 8 marched out on the parade ground. Ordered back in half an hour. At 12 started for the boat. On board the Henry Von Phul. At two o'clock P.M. went into town before we started and got supper. Started down the river soon after dark.
Editor's note: Although not a formal part of the 1862/63 diaries, this entry was written on a loose leaf paper, folded, and inserted into the 1863 diary.
On the 20th of Dec we left Memphis for the much-dreaded point, Vicksburgh. The troops embarked and were conveyed down the tranquil Mississippi in seventy five steamers. Mostly large Orleans packets. After we got fairly under way, there arose from the steamer in front three patriotic cheers and as the evening breeze wafted it back, the contagion spread untill seventy five thousand gay, happy voices made the calm evening air echo from shore to shore. But a short time has elapsed and hundreds of those patriotic hearts have ceased to _____ _____ _____.
The next evening we reached Hellena (Helena Arkansas) where we were joined by Gen. Steele's division. From there we sailed on leisurly without anything transpiring to excite us untill the evening of the 22d when we were aroused from the lethargy we were gradually falling into by guerillas firing onto our boat. But fortunately the shots passed over without damages. We ran but a short distance and ___ted to wait for day light.
Next morning, soon as the sun was up we were on shore ready for action.
Dec 21st /62
Before I awoke we reached Hellena, stayed there all day. Left some time in the night-PM., ran 14 miles below Priers (Friars) Point, (Mississippi)
Dec 22d /63
We were fired on at Friers Point last night. This morning we burnt the town. About six P.M. we were fired on from the shore. The shots passed over without damage. We layed over untill morning.
Dec 23rd /62
This morning we were ordered to get ready to go ashore and find out who fired on us last night. Co. A went out as skirmishers. We brought in about 21 head of cattle, several bales of cotton and a lot of horses and mules. Burnt a cotton gin and a couple of houses. The rebles left as soon as they heard we were coming. About noon we were ordered back to the boat in double quick. Reached the boat tired and hungry.
Dec 24th /62
We layed over last night. Started again early this morning. Caught up with the rest of the fleet. Landed and Col. ___ sent out fifty men to forage. I was among them. We went 3/4 of a mile out in the country. Got some feed for our mules and I got a hankerchief of sweet potatos. Cooked some before coming on board. There was lots of molasses but had nothing to carry it in.
Christmas, 1862
We awoke this morning by being called to go on guard. Had to go on guard mount without my breakfast, afterwards came down and drank some cold coffee and eat a cracker. Was called about 10 to go on guard. Went out on the bank and there was too many. I was sent back on the boat to wait orders. At noon I eat my Christmas dinner off a cracker. Fat meat and coffee made of water caught out of the boiler and was not boilt. We had some pressed sweet potatos and molasses. In the evening Tom Putnam came over, I did not have to stand guard at all.
Dec 26th /62
In the morning we started up the Yazoo River. Went some distance. Landed about two o'clock, went on shore and began to hear the booming of the cannon and the hiss of the shells. We were not called into action that day. But ____ ____ ____ in the evening ____.
Sunday Dec 28th /62
Were called up early, eat our breakfast without meat. Firing commenced at 15 minutes after five. We were called into the line at seven. Marched on slowly untill eleven when we were ordered into the field. We marched up in colum. The shells and cannon balls came so thick so we were ordered to fall down. While laying there, three men of Co. F were killed and three wounded. We were then ordered to rise up and march by the flank. We fell down there again and were soon ordered out to our right. Co. A was ordered back across a byo (bayou). We stayed there all night with out tents.
Dec 29th /62
We were ordered up to get our rations of crackers and meat. We did not get to ____ any coffee or meat. We were ordered to ____ knapsacks and marched toward the enemy. Fireing commenced at half past seven this morning. Half past eleven we were introduced to the fireing and fired about twenty rounds apiece. Were ordered back in half an hour and fresh troops were sent in. We took two turns and were ordered back to where we stayed the night befor.
Dec 30th /62
Last night it rained. We had no tents and they were shelling us all night. I layed under a log untill the water got so deep I had to move. I then went to a tree and sit up by it the rest of the night. Lieut. Marfield was killed yesterday. Two men were kill(ed) right by me by a shell in the forenoon.
Dec 31st /62
There was no guns to be fired on either side yesterday. We were building breast work all day. We made breast work today by _____ last night. There was no guns to be fired today. We sent over a flag of truce to get our dead. Some say we brought over 200 and others 95. The rebles say they burned 205 of our men. Most of them were killed whiled making an unsuccessful charge on the enemies batteries. This evening we were up up until late in the night and then had to pile down on the ground without tents. We were not allowed to have any fire.
Editor's note: On May 8th, 1863 Elias received a diary from his mother as a gift. The frontispiece reads "from yore mother, Aprile 18th, 1863. Susan Hedge". Although Elias had kept his own diary quite faithfully from December of 1862 onward, he apparently felt obligated to use the gift from his mother and re-entered much information in the new diary in a condensed form due to the diminutive size of the space allocated per each day.
The advantage to the new diary, although containing far less information, is Elias began listing the location of his writing i.e. Chickasaw Bayou, Vicksburg, etc. Henceforth, writings from January 1st, 1863 on, will list his location at the time of the writing and be a compilation of the two diaries when it adds to the overall clarity of the diary entry.
