Albert Husted Diary, March 1, 1863-April 30, 1863
Mon. Mar. 2
Very fine day - mud drying rapidly. Write letters to R. G. Warner and Capt. K. Tonight S -------- invitation to Lieut. Graves. Rather a lively time and some liquor drank. Change Gen. clothes.
Tue. Mar. 3
A fitful day. Corp. Thompson fined $5.00 and reduced to ranks by order of Col. Rice for squatting within the limits of camp. Make out Dis. List Sergt. Warner. Write to Mother and Warner.
Wed. Mar. 4
Cold and blustering. Write letters and study Tactics. Get Warner's box and open it - some things spoiled, others in good order. Private Harris detailed in Div. Hospital - extra duty.
Thurs. Mar. 5
Fine but cold. Receive box of provisions from Brother Luther. Orders are issued for two drills each day, Also that the 25th, 26th, and 27th Articles of Rev. Reg be read at Co. Inspection for the next ten days.
Fri. Mar. 6
Windy. Co. Drill at 1 -- Battalion in Drill at 3½. Another invoice of boxes received. Write to M. M. Barnes and Calvin.
Sat! Mar. 7
Variable. No drills or inspection. Letter from Father.
Sun. Bar. 8
Cloudy. Inspection at 9½. Service at 2½. Write letter to Father. This has seemed quite like a Sabbath.
Mon. Mar. 9
Very fine and spring like. Meeting of officers at 9 A.M. to consider address prepared by Col. R to the people of the state of N. G. Address adopted. ------- at Dress. Parade. We form a square at Battalion Drill and make a "bull."
Tue. Mar. 10
Cold and rainy. Stay in tent nearly all day - reading. Tonight we receive orders from Ricker tomorrow. I am to stay in Camp.
Wed. Mar. 11
Clear and cool. Reg't leaves for Picket at 8 A.M. At 12 M. four more officers are needed. I make one of them. We reach the lines about sundown.
Thurs. Mar. 12
Clear and cold, windy squally. Self and Col. off duty abt. 8 A.M. Plenty of oak and we make ourselves comfortable. Everything quiet though there are rumors of an attack Keep up fires all night.
Fri. Mar. 13
Clear but colder. Our duty part of the day. Make ample preparations for fuel and sleep warm. Ground frozen hard.
Sat. Mar. 14
Clear and cold. Reach camp at 12 M. Send Commission. Final Statement and Discharge to Lieut. Warner. Take a wash and change.
Sun. Mar. 15
Cloudy and unpleasant - slight fall of hail and snow. Spend day mostly reading. Tonight Mr. Douglas of Albany takes tea and spends all the evening with me.
Mon. Mar. 16
Ground white this morning - thaws during day. No drills. Write letters to Capt. Kimball and G. J. Warner. Send to Olmsted --------- for his return to the Regt. before Apr. 1st. or be considered a deserter.
Tue. Mar. 17
Fine and warm. St. Patrick's Day quite a time among the Irish. Two horses come in collision. Killed themselves and badly injured one of the riders. Receive notice of the discharge of Mr. B --------- at Albany - Disability.
Wed. Mar. 18
Flying clouds - warm. Receive notice of death discharge of Mahlon B ------ [Burtless] at Albany - Disability. Co. receiving 79 R --------- Suits. Send Dis List of Travis to York, Pa. Write to A Waterman.
Thurs. Mar. 19
Cloudy. Regt. makes preparation for the Inspection. This afternoon Battalion Drill at Double Quick. Tonight recitation of 1st. Lieut. to Maj. Knox.
Fri. Mar. 20
Cold snow storm. 2 or 3 inches of snow. Lieut. Warner reached the Regt. at 2 P.M. He looks well but is not very strong. Write letters to Luther and Edwin.
Sat. Mar. 21.
Stormy - rain. Try to get mustered but did not succeed. Fix up bunk ------.
Sun. Mar. 22
Clears up very pleasant. Regular church service at 2 P.M. This has seemed a very Sabbath like day. Order for a Review by Gen'l. Griffin on Wednesday. Write M. W. Kennedy tonight.
Mon. Mar. 23
Cloudy and mild. Large details for various purposes. Again make out the discharge papers of J. E. Sturdevant.
Tue. Mar. 24
Cloudy - no inspection, Nearly all the men busy "policing". Write letter in reference to Discharge of D. McDuffer. Tonight receive box from Brother Calvin - but 15 days coming things in very nice order.
Wed Mar. 25
Rainy night - clears up fine and very warm. Two drills. Receive notice of the Discharge of R. D. L. Richardson at N. S. Gen. Hosp. Baltimore, Md. on Surgeon's Certificate of Disability - Discharged March 21.
Thurs. Mar. 26
Moderate - snows a little in the morning. Our Division reviewed by Gen. Meade. The 44th. comes out in Zouave suits and white gloves - outshines them all.
Fri. Mar. 27
Very fine day. Two Drills. Letter from Capt. Kimball.
Sat Mar. 28
Very rainy. Officer of the Guard. Spend the day as comfortably as I can. Grand Rounds a little after midnight.
Sun. Mar. 29
Cold and windy. Receive notice of the "Disability" of Olmsted. Another letter from Capt. Kimball which explains some puzzles in the last.
Mon Mar. 30
Very fine day. Work on my Muster Rolls - get them ready. Make out Monthly Return. Receive Box from an unknown person - ham, butter, applesauce, potatoes.
Tue. Mar. 31
Snow storm - clears about noon. Make out Ordnance Report send to Wash. Notice of the Discharge of E. J. Emmons for Disability, March 17. Recitation tonight. Mustered out as 2nd. Lt. and mustered in as 1st. Lt. by Col. Ames, March 28.
Wed. Apr 1
Gale from the north - cold. Reg't Inspection by Capt. Nash. J. E. Sturdevant discharged for Disability - order of Gen. Meade.
Thurs. Apr 2
Warm. No drills - getting ready for another inspection. Attend Society in the evening. Exercises fair.
Fri. Apr. 3
Fine - roads dry. Inspection by Col. Webb - Corps Inspector, too. Some blunders made but general result good. The "additional furloughs" are obtained.
Sat. Apr. 4
H. Thompson made Corp. Very windy - a fog of dust. Col. Rice orders that ----- [George H.] Dickson be ap't Corp at first opportunity for his manner of ------- and his soldierly conduct as "Orderly. Snow storm tonight.
Sun. Apr. 5
4 inches snow this morning. Chilly, windy day. No service.
Mon. Apr. 6
Cloudy and cool. Attend Review by the President - Cavalry. Return at 5 P.M. Head ache tonight.
Tue. Apr. 7
Cool and windy. President Lincoln and various generals make a dash at us about noon. They pass round to the various regiments and are received with tremendous cheering.
Wed. Apr. 8
Clear and cold. Reg't leaves for Picket at 8 A.M. I remain behind. A Grand Review of Infantry by President Lincoln. Much 'turning out" of the Guard.
Thurs. Apr. 9
Clear and milder. Not much doing. Some ball playing. Visit Cousin L -------- Burhans - find him quite well.
Fri. Apr. 10
Cloudy. Dust flies some. Make out Muster roll. Letter from Mother.
Sat. Apr. 11
Clear and hot. Reg't returns from Picket at 12 M. at 5 P.M. Reg't mustered by Col. Rice to show how many are needed to fill it up.
Sun. Apr. 12
Reg't inspected at 10 A.M. Corps Review at 11. Attend church at 3. Cousin L. Burhans spends the afternoon and sups with me. Write to Mother.
Mon. Apr. 13
Clear and cooler. Private Harris returns to duty in Co. Send in requisition for all articles needed. Some thousands of Cavalry moves out this morning. Something will be tried soon.
Tue. Apr. 14
Hazy - cool. Receive orders this morning to be in readiness to move tomorrow. Spend the day getting ready. Make out Quarterly Return of O. C. and G. Equipage [Returns of Ordinance, Camp, and Garrison Equipage]. Men of Co. E fill 21 boxes with surplus clothing etc.
Wed. Apr. 15
Rainy night - very rainy day - no move or further orders. Complete and send to ----- Return of O. C. and G. Equipage together with letter of "Advice", Invoices and Vouchers. Draw and distribute lanterns and haversacks for men.
Thurs. Apr. 16
Cloudy. Capt. Kimball discharged for Disability. L. Burnham returns from Furlough. Col. R. will not promise me the Captaincy yet. I cannot trust him. The unknown box came from Ed Barnes letter from him.
Fri. Apr. 17
Fair. Two Drills. The Movement seems to stand still. Letter from Calvin and Amelia. Write to brother Geo.
Sat. Apr. 18
Very fine - warm. No drills - the move seems to be further off than yesterday.
Sun. Apr. 19
Clear and warm. "All quiet on the Potomac." Sommers, Sexton and ---- sent to the Division Hospital. The sick are being sent off. McGovern sent as Guard and Harris as nurse to Division Hosp.
Mon. Apr. 20
Rainy. Nothing doing.
Tue. Apr. 21
Cool and Cloudy. Officer of the Guard.
Wed. Apr. 22
Fine day --warm. Two drills. Turn in D'Albri tents. Col. R. wants to see me. Thinks the difficulties in the way of making me Capt. are too great to be overcome just at present. Well ---can't help it.
Thurs. Apr. 23
Rainy and cold. This morning prevail on the Col. to place Capt. Royce in command of Co. E, instead of Kimberly. The arrangement sounds satisfactory all around. Paymaster comes tonight.
Fri. Apr. 24
Heavy rain. Men receive 4 months wages this morning. Officers receive for the same time tonight. Send $333.80 to E. G. Barnes.
Sat. Apr. 25
Very windy - clear. Capt. Royce placed in ----- [arrest] for protesting that an order of Col. Rice's was "illegal." Send answer to question in regard to Ordnance to Gen'l. Ripley.
Sun. Apr. 26
Less windy - clear. Co. Inspection at 9½. Attend service at 3 in the tent H. S. Christian Commission. Write to Mother and Edwin. Ex. Lt. Col. Conner reaches Camp on visit.
Mon. Apr. 27
At 6½ A.M. receive orders to march at 11 - get away before 12 M. march to Hartwood Church - day warm - roads good. Have the sick headache and ride delays. All the Co. get through, ------ 8 days' rations - except of meat.
Tue. Apr. 28
Rain at intervals. Move about 12 M. up the Rappahannock R. March continues and very severe - many fall out. Not half the Reg't come in.
Wed. Apr. 29
Cloudy - start at 7. Cross the Rappahannock on pontoons. The 44th. then takes the -----
Thurs. Apr. 30
Rainy some - clears in afternoon. Start at 8, roads quite heavy. Rebs have got out of our way. 5th. 11th. and 12th. Corps advance to Chancellorsville. 44th. near "Old Tavern". Prisoners are coming in, 200 today. Things work well. Some obstructions in front. In the woods tonight flat on my belly.