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 2d. Seven o'clock a.m. This is Sabbath again, the regular day for inspection and all hands are at work cleaning up brass guns, clothes, buttons and shoes and I suppose we will have preaching this afternoon.

I guess that the Hickman battle of yesterday was more imagination than real for I could hear no firing that sounded like an engagement nor can hear nothing from it, consequently I don't think there was anything of it. Five o'clock p.m., there was a lot of men detailed today to be ready at a moment's warning with two days' rations to go off some place not known of course by themselves or anyone else, nor won't be known until they get to their destination. It is no part of a soldier's business where he is going, so he is ready when called for and finds out where he is going after he gets there. I took a walk outside the fort probobly half a mile, got under the shade of a tree and took a rest and returned by way of the 32d regiment and got in about 4:00 o'clock.

Monday, August 3d. Seven o'clock a.m. It is quite pleasant this morning, somewhat cloudy and looks as though we would get rain. The detailed men have left camp, part of them left yesterday in the fore part of the evening and the remainder started at ten o'clock last night. I understand that they went to guard the loyal citizens at the state election which is today and they fear the guerillas which are scattered over this country to a considerable extent.

Of all swearing and fussing it is in camp this morning, men that came off guard this morning have got to on picket guard at eight o'clock this morning and stand thirty hours more. It don't seem that men can stand it. It is rather a lucky occurrence for me that I am exempt from duty and I don't know but that I will have to go and help them for I don't think they can stand the duty. There are two or three of them that are running down and apparently without cause or disease but will blow away beyond a doubt. The doctor says they are as able for duty as they will ever be. Our company was not able to fill their call for guards for there was not enough able for duty to fill the detail. The fort looks as though deserted today for the guards have just started out to their posts.

Sundown the evening gun has just fired and I will close up my day's writing. I wrote a letter and sent it home today containing a picture of myself. Our regiment has got so low that we can't raise enough men for dress parade. Health is not very good at this place at present although there is not much fatality now.

Tuesday, August 4th. Pleasant and cool this morning. I paid twenty-five cents for a half month's cooking this morning. Six o'clock p.m. It has been very warm today. We still omit dress parade. There was a soldier drowned in the river at this place, he belonged to the 4th Missouri cavalry and was under the influence of drink and got off and went down to rise no more. The mail boat just passed the fort, in an hour we will get our mail brought up by our chaplain.

Wednesday, August 5th. Today has been very warm. Last night about ten o'clock the steamer Ruth, a very fine large boat, took fire about six miles above this place and was consumed in a short time and a great deal of baggage and property lost with upwards of 400 head of government cattle which were enroute for some point below, I have forgotten the name of the place. They were all lost I understand. No human lives lost that I have heard of. Today about ten o'clock a.m. the rubbish from the wreck was in a gorge at this place and skiffs were thick in the river propelled by men who were picking up things from the fated boat. There was a great deal of baggage and things obtaining floating that had probably been thrown overboard, and they say that there was an army paymaster with two million dollars which was all lost.

Thursday, August 6th. It is now five o'clock p.m. and has been a very warm day. There was a detail of men went from this place this morning, according to the best information that I can get about three hundred in number, under command of Lieut-Col. Newbold of our regiment. The report came in about noon that they got out to Union City and there engaged the enemy and sent back for reinforcements which were sent as follows: First Kansas battery and all troops belonging to the regular army probably about one hundred in number. There is a heavy cloud raising very fast which is about over us, I think there is a pretty heavy wind with it.

The word just came to me as I was writing that there were two of our men killed at Union City and more wounded when the word left there. I don'' believe anything about it yet. Large drops of rain begin to fall rather slow yet, but I think we will get a good shower.

About an hour ago we were notified to fit up for inspection, that the troops of this place would be inspected by Major-General Hurlbut, who was passing this place, but the rain begins now to fall in torrents and it is late in the afternoon and I think that we will have to omit inspection for we are going to have a very heavy rain. There comes the general for we hear a government dispatch boat whistle, and boom, boom, boom, goes the cannon for thirteen shots in quick succession as a salute for the worthy General Hurlbut.

Friday, August 7th. It is now evening and it has been pretty warm. There has been nothing of consequence today except a little occurrence which was a heart rending sight for me. It was a man and a young man too belonging to an Indiana regiment was tried and convicted of mutiny before a court martial and sentenced to be ignominiously discharged from the service and imprisoned three years at hard labor at Alton, Ill., prison, also to be drummed out of camp and through the camp, the facings to be cut off his clothes in public by an uncommissioned officer and step to the tune "Rogue's March" at the point of the bayonets of a strong guard that escorted him; also two large and rather handsome cards placed one on his back and one on his breast with the word "Mutiny" nicely printed on it so all could read it. All the troops in this vicinity were assembled and arranged according to the order at a charge bayonet.

Another funeral in the Wisconsin regiment today.

Saturday, August 8th. It is now evening again and has been very warm today, although there has been some considerable wind astir. I went to town this morning to get some tape to have some chivalets put on according to a special order or request made by the Colonel commanding.

While I was at town there were four dead men came floating down the river. Some men got skiffs and went out and were getting them when I left. They were some of the crew of the Ruth that burned the other night. They caught three yesterday and three early this morning which makes ten got out at this place. It was ascertained that there were about fifty persons lost altogether by that fatal accident.

Our battalion was called out this morning and had a short drill in the manual of arms instead of dress parade. The evening is very fine and pleasant as the sun gets low for there is a pleasant breeze stirring."

Transcribed and submitted by greatgrandson