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 9th. Things have been quiet today, no inspection as usual on Sunday, preaching at four o'clock p.m. by Chaplain Kiner of our regiment, and a good practical sermon it was, warning the soldier to beware and shun the snares that are continually set for them by both men and women.

I volunteered to go and post guard at the railroad tonight and we will soon start. There are twenty-one men in the squad to guard the depot and I went to sleep and would have slept all night had it not been for the mosquitos, for I was not needed nor called all night. It will be remembered that I am exempt from duty and it was a volunteer act going on guard.

Monday, August 10th. Five o'clock p.m. The day passed so far with no excitement at all. The soldiers' duty at this place is very heavy in our regiment. Our regiment is on duty every other day, both privates and uncommissioned officers, which is wearing very fast on the men and the reader may rest assured that there is quarreling and grumbling enough too. I wrote and sent two letters to my wife today, one of which contained a picture of the author of these lines. I rather presume that we will have dress parade this evening and it is near time now. Tonight will be a dull night for me for we get no mail on Monday and I will have nothing to look for, but probably it will save one being disappointed as I have been for some evenings past. * * * The day is past and gone, the evening shades appear, dress parade is over and I am again in my tent pencil and book in hand. The 32d regiment is on dress parade at this moment for I hear their band playing.

Tuesday, August 11th. Nine o'clock a.m. It is very warm already and will be nearly unendurable by two o'clock. One man, a member of our company, Liford Winchel, starts home this morning on sick furlough for thirty days.

Five o'clock p.m. I went this morning and got F. S. Smith, a teamster detailed from our company (and who is an especial friend of mine since he has been a member of our company) and got permission to go out in the country with four men (as I pretended to get some brush to make sheds) but the business was to get apples. We came to the orchard and there the guard (for there is a picket post in the orchard) told me that they had orders to let no man get apples more than he wanted to eat. I told him that I wanted to out on the other road to go back to camp. He said : "You have a permit, I suppose, to bring your squad out." I told him I had and he let us pass without showing my permit, which I did not have. I had a permit from our regiment officers but had to have a written permit from the provost marshal to pass the picket line, but once outside I did not care, for none of them has any right to stop a soldier from coming in, and we drove around the other side of the orchard which is very large it must a half-mile square and arithmetic cannot begin to calculate the amount of fruit that there is in that orchard and beautiful fruit too we then filled our wagon box half-full of apples, cut a few brush and threw on top and started home and crossed the picket line at another place. For fear some one will accuse me of jayhawking a thing that I detest I will say that the man what owns this plantation and orchard went south and joined the rebel army and his property was confiscated and there is no one living at or near the place.

We then came by a large rebel magazine that the rebels had in the bluff and when this fortification fell into the hands of our men were, and to this day are, afraid to open the door for fear there is a private torpedo or match that will by the opening of the door, ignite the powder in the magazine, and they think that it communicates with torpedoes buried all over the fort and town which undoubtedly are buried here, but where they communicate I could not tell. Today they raised their mammoth flag pole, got it up without accident, got the flag run up to the top and it looks very nice. Its height I don't know, but I think it is as high a one as I ever saw any place.

Wednesday, August 12th. Twelve o'clock M. All quiet today. I have slept most of the forenoon and after waking feel rather lonesome and dull. It is cloudy and cooler than usual today. I have looked for a letter until I am discouraged and have no heart to look any more.

There was a lake steamer passed up by this place today. Boats are running very thick at this place at the present time. Six o'clock p.m. We just came off dress parade, had a good time. I bore out the glorious old stars and stripes while the band played "Dixie" in their best time. "Thursday, August 13th. Seven o'clock a.m. It is very warm indeed today. There is nothing of any consequence going on at this time, things are very dull for some days past. I think that we are going to have some very warm weather from appearance of things. The day passed off quiet but very warm. I went down to town to see if I could see anything new but there was nothing going on. I came back very much fatigued and we had a very good parade in a short time after I got to camp. This evening is very fair and pleasant.

Friday, August 14th. Seven o'clock a.m. Quite pleasant this morning, has some appearance of clouding up; if it does not it will be another warm day.

Our 2d Lieutenant is under arrest and confined to his quarters and has been for some days. He probably will be court-martialed for this is the second time he has been under arrest for the same offense absenting himself from camp without permission and drinking and behaving unbecoming. There will be one of our provosts arrested this morning for being absent or going to town without leave and staying away from dress parade. Our 1st Lieutenant tells me he thinks he will be court-martialed for he has committed like offense frequently since he has been in our company. Ten o'clock a.m. The man that we thought would be court-martialed was sentenced by the Colonel to go on knapsack drill, but don't know how long he is to drill, but he is out drilling with knapsack and blanket on and the sun shining as hot as it is possible, I can hardly live in the shade it is so hot.

Seven o'clock p.m. We just came off dress parade and there was a cloud raising very fast when parade broke and it has just commenced raining, and I think we will have a wet night. I am sick tonight with a pain in my bowels and stomach but hope to be better tomorrow.

Nine o'clock p.m. The mail boat just came in and brought a letter for me from my wife which I was glad to get, for I had never hear from the money I sent nor heard from my family for some time. I will now go to bed.

Saturday, August 15th. Seven o'clock a.m. They are mounting guard at the present time and it is a continual roar of drums and fifes, I will stop writing now and go and answer the letter I received last night. It is going to be very warm today. I feel some better this morning but not well by any means. Two o'clock p.m. It has been one of the warmest days I think I ever witnessed until about an hour ago there was a cloud got up high enough to cover the sun and it was but a short time until it went to raining. I thought when it came up that we would have a heavy rain and wind, but it rains very moderate yet and the wind does not blow, but it has got nice and cool. I wrote my letter today and sent it out.

Seven o'clock p.m. We had a good but mild shower which cleared away in time for dress parade on which occasion we were visited by our new commander, Brigadier-General Smith, who takes command of this division instead of Brigadier-General Asboth, who is ordered to take another command at Pensacola, Florida."

Transcribed and submitted by greatgrandson