The Iowa Civil War Site
Iowa During the Civil War

Excerpts from my Great Grandfather Valentine L. Spawr's Civil War Diary

Company C, 14th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment

Valentine L. Spawr
Born 1835, Died 1882.

The diary is entitled "A Record of Passing Events Kept By Me and Recorded Each Day as They Transpired." In transcribing the diary, I will replicate all spellings exactly as printed in the diary.

Sunday, August 30th. This day has been pleasant. Very cool in the morning and quite warm in the middle of the day. I have spent the day so far laying around camp although I don't know but I may take a stroll this evening late. I went over to see the chaplain and got a book out of our library entitled, "The Effects of Kindness," a very fit subject for camp reading. I went over to the hospital and found the sick mostly on the mend. We have three men in there now, one of which is very sick and he asked me to take his pocket book and keep it for him until he gets well or starts home on sick furlough which he expects to do next week if he is able to travel. I don't think he will ever get strong again. The chaplain tells me he will preach for us this evening at four o'clock.

Seven o'clock p.m. We had a good sermon at four o'clock and dress parade at six and there was a man in company H fainted in ranks, fell and was helped off parade grounds; I have not heard from him since. This evening is quite cool, the sun just set and looked as red as a ball of fire and it set in a bright golden horizen which is very frequently seen in this country on summer evenings.

The trial of Lieutenant Stoughton will resume again at eight o'clock a.m. tomorrow. Last night I had to get up in the night and put on my clothes to help keep me warm and had two thick woolen blankets over me and tonight is going to be the same. I have got a coat and blouse on to go to bed. There was another squad of negroes came in today and were examined and sent to the negro regiment.

Monday, August 31st. Today being the last day of the month we will have general or grand review, which will be composed of all troops at this post, which are: our regiment or the 14th Iowa, the 32d Iowa, 31st Wisconsin, 4th Missouri cavalry, a negro regiment and part of the 16th U.S. regiment all on review at once a very nice sight. Sundown. We mustered for pay this evening. It is fair and beautiful this evening. I think that it will not be so cold tonight as usual. I would say that tomorrow is pay day, but we don't expect our money for some days.

Tuesday, September 1st. All quiet today at this place. It has been quite warm although very pleasant today. I took a general stroll today, was walking pretty much all day, got in at four o'clock p.m., had good dress parade which is just over and I have returned to my tent. It is not about sundown, the gun will fire in a few minutes.

The trial of Lieutenant Stoughton is over but the decision or verdict is not rendered to the parties or public. There was a regiment passed down on board a pass-port this evening said to be the 3d Arkansas Infantry Volunteers. This is the day that the government proposed to pay, but the money is not here yet. This evening is one of those that are scarcely ever found except in the sunny South, a little smoky, looks like Indian summer and is pleasant and cool. Guard duty is not to heavy now as it was some time since.

Wednesday, September 2d. It has been quite warm today uncomfortably so, feels as though summer had returned in its vigor after our little spell of cold weather and I think, judging from present appearances, that we are going to have some warm weather again which will be very unwelcome to the army at this place.

Thursday, September 3d. Quite warm today, although very comfortable. I have just been changing tents and have got my furniture fixed up after some working. I have got split boards to lay on now in place of poles, that I have before spoken of, which I think will go some better.

There were about fifty persons ladies and gentlemen come today to visit Fort Hallock. They came on an excursion from Northern Illinois. They stopped inside the fort for some time and sang several very appropriate ballads which were very nice for which they received uproarious cheers from the soldiers of this place. They went from the fort down town again. I don't know when they think of returning home as I was busy and did not converse with any of them.

There was a sergeant belonging to the 31st Wisconsin Volunteers consigned to the tomb this evening, the funeral escort passed our regiment when on dress parade a few minutes ago to the tune of the dead march. There are three negroes to be hung tomorrow at this place for the slaughter of a family of whites at Island No. 10 some months ago and I suppose that the spirit of John Brown will be there ready to take them immediately after death and muster them into the army of the Lord as he goes marching along, and I wish them a happy voyage over the river of Jordan after we take from them their lives and the wreath of glory they expected to wear around their necks and substitute for it a wreath of hemp, for that is all we can do as they have but one life. If they had more I would say take more from them.

Friday, September 4th. This morning opened up very pleasant but I think that it will be quite warm today. At nine o'clock a.m. I started for the execution of the three negroes I spoke of yesterday. I arrived there and they were just erecting the gallows. They got it ready and sent for the criminals which arrived in about an hour and by this time the crowd was dense. I took my position about thirty rods from the gallows and finally thought that I would close up to it and done so by crowding my way through and got to a wagon and asked leave to stand on the wheel and they made room for me and Lieut. Miles in the wagon and then we had a good view at a short distance from the scene. Finally we heard the drum beating the dead march and looked with anxious eyes until the procession came to the top of the hill so we could see in what way they brought the criminals. They were in a common lumber wagon sitting on their coffins with their hands tied, two guards in the wagon with them and a file of soldiers in front and a file in rear of the wagon. The negroes looked very penitent and when they went on the scaffold accompanied by two negro preachers they looked still more sorry than ever. The preachers sung and prayed and the provost marshal proceeded to do his work, fastening the rope upon their necks and the white sack over their heads, then he went down and moved the ladder. Now he is nerved up for he has taken out his knife to cut the cord that supports the scaffold. He cuts it, they take their last fall, you hear a dull sound caused by the tension of the rope and one of them scarcely struggles at all, the other two struggle violently for a few minutes then all is over and I got down and started to camp, leaving them hanging, at which place I arrived at two o'clock and lay down to rest for a couple of hours.

We had a good dress parade at the usual time half past five o'clock. There was one man detailed out of our company this evening to attend a funeral escort. I don't know who deceased was, but I presume he died at the post or general hospital.

Saturday, September 5th. Tolerable, pleasant today, though quite warm in the middle of the day, but cool and pleasant this evening. I received a letter this morning which contained a picture of my wife and youngest child which I answered, sending a picture of myself in return, also a little book to my daughter Clara. I went to the hospital this evening to see the sick as I do frequently. I found them all on the mend except one, Christain Davidson, a member of our company. I think he will not live many days."

Transcribed and submitted by greatgrandson