Albert Husted Diary, January 1, 1864-February 29, 1864
Sat. Jan. 2
Very cold and windy. Severe work for the men.
Sun. Jan. 3
Colder yet. All have hard work to keep from freezing. Off picket A.M. Send in application for ten days' Leave tonight.
Mon. Jan. 4
More moderate. P.M. quite a snow. Orders to be ready to move with three days' rations.
Tue. Jan. 5
Cold -------
Wed. Jan. 6
Continues cold, snow melts but little
Thurs. Jan. 7
Same as yesterday.
Fri. Jan. 8
Cold and more snow last night. Rappahannock frozen over in places.
Sat. Jan. 9
Coldest night of the season. Thermometer at zero. My Leave comes down this morning, I am all ready for a start tomorrow.
Sun. Jan. 10
A cold, bright morning. Take cars at 10 for Washington, reach city 2 1/2 P.M. Get a hotel dinner, which included a piece of pie. 8:20 take cars for N.Y. cross Susquehanna 10 ½, river full of ice. How it seems to get out into civilization again.
Mon. Jan. 11
Train behind time, reach N.Y. 9 AM. 1 ½ PM get to Po. Get a sleigh and reach home 4 P.M. All quite glad to see me, as I naturally expected.
Tue. Jan. 12
Splendid day. After breakfast George takes me up to Luther's. L. hitches up his sorrels and with wife and boy we take dinner at Calvin's. Find him with bad cold, a good visit.
Wed. Jan. 13
Go to Po. and take cars for Albany. PM attend Wednesday Exercises at Normal. Tonight take tea with Kimball, call on Huntley, Misses H. B. and 0, also at church where I meet many old friends.
Thurs. Jan. 14
Shop pretty hard and buy several things. Visit barracks and get a New Over Coat. Tonight call at Mr. Rogers'.
Fri. Jan. 15
Call at the Capital. Things look rather encouraging but not quite certain. 4 PM take cars for Po. Brother Ed meets me at Depot. We call at Hench Peters' and Ed. Barnes'.
Sat. Jan. 16
Fine day. A Grand Reunion at Luther's. The whole family present. Leave 9 PM.
Sun. Jan. 17
A.M. attend church. Many seem glad, at least curious to see me. A good sermon, the first I have heard for many Sabbaths. All the boys take dinner at Father's.
Mon. Jan. 18
Home, rainy. Getting ready to return to the Army. Pack quite a box with Goodies and clothes. Brother Ed left for his school this morning.
Tue. Jan. 19
Off at 9 AM, through the rain. The "Parting" quite easy. Reach --------. Get my sword fixed (new scabbard) and take 7:30 train for Washington.
Wed. Jan. 20
Reach Wash. 9 AM. My baggage does not get to the depot in time for the train to the front, so I stay and visit, Congress etc. Put up at Metropolitan.
Thurs. Jan. 21
Take the cars for the Army 10 AM. 2 1/2 get to my tent. Find the "Situation" unchanged.
Fri. Jan. 22
Fine day, warm. Just in the midst of my unpacking I am detailed as Brigade Field Officer of the Day. Get a horse and visit the Camps and Picket Lines.
Sat. Jan. 23
Warm and very pleasant. Work nearly all day writing up my books and getting things to rights generally. Reg't is notified that it has been detailed as Train Guard with headquarters at Alexandria.
Sun. Jan. 24
Warm, mud drying up rapidly. 12 M receive notice to start at 4 PM for Alexandria. We pack up in pretty good spirits, very little swearing. 15 cars are allowed us. Everything being loaded we start at 9 and reach Alex 1 1/2 AM. Lunch and coffee at "Soldier's Rest."
Mon. Jan. 25
Warm, also as summer. Hang around as "Officer of the Day." Col. Conner learns that we are to Camp. Tonight our first Train Guard goes out.
Tue. Jan. 26
Warm and pleasant. Get very tired of doing nothing. Tonight attend the War Panorama.
Wed. Jan. 27
Hot and clear. Am appointed Act. Adj. --------- ride out PM and visit our new camping ground.
Thurs. Jan. 28
Hotter yet. 9 AM Reg't moves out to its camping ground in the east slope of Shuter's Hill. The man draw "A" tents. Three men for each, the officers 1 Wall tent each. Get off some work tonight.
Fri. Jan. 29
Hot, the shade is pleasant. Wrote a number of orders. Circulars etc. Tonight with Botchford attend Opera performance pretty good.
Sat. Jan. 30
Colder, slight rain. Go down town and buy two stoves, cost $19.10. Have floor and stove put in Adj's tent. Men get their stoves. All are pretty comfortable tonight.
Sun. Jan. 31
Drizzly. Head ache all day. PM becomes so severe that I resign work and go to bed. Passes off about dark.
Mon. Feb. 1
Drizzly. Lt. Botchford leaves on 15 days, also Lt. Col. Conner.
Tue. Feb. 2
Got off considerable work today. 5 PM officiate for first time as Adj on Dress Parade and make no "Bulls" I believe.
Wed. Feb. 3
Colder and very Windy. Not much doing.
Thurs. Feb. 4
Clear and cold. A detail goes out 4 or 5 miles to cut poles to raise the men's tents.
Fri. Feb. 5
Very fine day. Reg't get in 20 loads wood for raising men's tents. Tonight downtown and take bath. McGovern returns to duty.
Sat. Feb. 6
Warm and pleasant. Camp very busy fixing up tents, raising them up about 2 feet from the ground. Our lumber, smooth, reaches camp.
Sun. Feb. 7
11 AM attend "Christ's Church" sit in Washington's pew, partake of the sacrament for the first time in nearly 1 1/2 years. At close of service a lady takes me by the hand and called my name. I discover an old pupil Miss Kerr, now Mrs. Sherar [Shurer?]. Take dinner with her. Tonight at same church, good sermon.
Mon. Feb. 8
Relieved as Adj. Reports of a movement in A. P.
Tue. Feb. 9
Draw my lumber - 188 feet, buy some more. Lt. Dempsey and I two men get floor in our tent, make bunk, and get things somewhat "to rights." Fine day.
Wed. Feb. 10
Cold. 8 1/2 AM go out 4 or 5 miles with detail of 70 man to cut -------- [brush] and poles for the purpose of decorating each Co. Street with an arch. Find horseback riding rather cool.
Thurs. Feb. 11
More mild. Cut again, draw in 25 loads of poles and brush for the "Arches." Tonight down town and buy some things.
Fri. Feb. 12
Very pleasant. Off to the woods again bring in 10 loads of brush and 4 of poles. On my way back visit forts Worth, Williams and Ellsworth.
Sat. Feb. 13
Very fine day, mild. The arches get well started, ours complete except the trimmings. Tonight get off my Return of O. C. and G. Eq for Jan. 1864. Many rumors as to our being relieved are afloat.
Sun. Feb. 14
Attend church twice. Methodist, full attendance, and fair sermons. Very windy quite cold.
Feb. 15
Cold and windy. 7 PM go out on train for the front. Spend the night not very comfortably. Engine breaks down, coming back and do not reach camp till 2 PM.
Tue. Feb. 16
Cold and windy. Stick pretty close to my tent after I reach it.
Wed. Feb. 17
Colder yet and windy. This morning two of our officers have their tents burned. Quite a fire downtown. Col. Conner returns.
Thurs. Feb. 18
Cold but rather more moderate. Lt. Botchford returns from leave.
Fri. Feb. 19
Pleasant but cold. 7 PM go out on train, do not sleep much because of the cold.
Sat. Feb. 20
Reach camp 10 AM. More moderate. Reg't paid to Dec. 31 by Maj. Sabin. Reg't Inspection by Capt. Nash, who also condemns property worn out. Tonight B. and I go down town, get a shave and some oysters.
Sun. Feb. 21
Pleasant and warn. AM. attend "Washington's. Church." Evening same. I like the sermons very well but the service seems too much form and too little heart.
Mon. Feb. 22
Fine day. Letter from Calvin. Tonight Lt. B. and I visit some of our friends down town. Spend the evenings pleasantly.
Tue. Feb. 23
Very pleasant. Officer of the Day.
Wed. Feb. 24
Warm and windy. Have door with window, three panes, put in tent. 7 PM go out in command of Train Guard, 3 trains. Reach Brandy soon after midnight.
Thurs. Feb. 25
2 AM the Guard get into a train to go at 4. Sleep, wake at 6 and find ourselves still at the station. Reach Camp 3 PM. Raining a little tonight.
Fri. Feb. 26
Heavy wind and cold. Get out our Muster Roll. 7 PM start for Brandy. Capt. B. R. Wood placed in command of Co. E. Lieut. Dempsey assigned to Co. "I."
Sat. Feb. 27
More pleasant. 9 ½ AM reach camp trip rather pleasant. Tonight at work on Muster Rolls.
Sun. A. 28
Very pleasant. Rumors of another move across the Rapidan. I am Officer of the Day and have to stay in Camp all day.
Mon. Feb. 29
Cloudy. Complete Muster Rolls. Reg't mustered for Jan. and Feb.