Note: This is one week’s worth of diary entries of Octave Bruso, who participated in the Siege of Petersburg as a member of the 50th New York Engineers.1
Sunday June 26, 1864
Very hot. Mailed a letter to my wife. Wrote to Washton (Washington) for Tobacco. Went to camp in the forenoon. All quiet along the line.
Monday June 27, 1864
Very warm day. A shower toward evening. Returned to camp at 4 P.M.- It got quiet (sic: quite) cool at night
Tuesday June 28, 1864
Cloudy + Cool. Wrote to my wife. Recieved a letter from my wife. and one from W (Washington) with stamps. Was ordered to the front again at 4 P.M.
Wednesday June 29, 1864
Pleasent day. On the line of Battle. Grand Review of the 6th Corps by Gen’l Wright. Got marching orders at 3 P.M. and left for Reams Station on the Weldon RR
General Horatio G. Wright
Commander of “Bloody Sixth Corps”
Thursday June 30, 1864
Pleasent day. Marched all night (last night). Arrived at Reams Station at 2 A.M. with any opposition (Editor: without any opposition?) and tore up the RR badly. Started back at 4 P.M. to return to our old place. Sheridan with his command passed us near the Weldon RR.
Friday July 1, 1864
Very Warm. Recieved a letter from my Sister Malvina. Camped all day 3 miles from our old line. Wrote to my sister Malvina
Saturday July 2, 1864
Warm Day. Marched back to our old line of works. Recieved a letter and one paper from my Wife. Wrote to my wife. Got order to leave at 3 A.M. tomorrow morning.
Source:
- “1864 Diary of Private Octave Bruso, 50th NY Engineers, Company E” edited by Tom Bauerle, Buffalo, NY, 2010. ↩
- Library of Congress American Memory, Digital ID: cwpb-05685 ↩
