Expeditions Deep into Virginia
June, 1863
1 A pleasant day. Quite warm.
2 A little rainy.
3 A little cloudy and rainy. Nothing unusual. Quite unwell.
4 Warm and pleasant.
5 Weather pleasant. A Brigade drill this afternoon.
6 A fine day. No drill.
7 A nice cool and lovely day. A heavy thunder shower last night. The first rain of any account for three weeks. Went to 11th Pa. Cav. to church.
8 A pleasant day. Matters as usual.
9 Still quite warm and pleasant.
10 Pleasant as usual.
11 Warm and windy. Had orders to get ready 3 days rations; to be in light marching order. But the order was countermanded.
12 Quite pleasant. A slight shower. At ten o'clock started for South Quay, 3ms. On the Blackwater. We were the rear guard. Stopped all night at Holland's Corner. The advance went on and cannonaded the forts on the other side, but got no response. They are in southern Virginia, west of Suffolk.
13 This afternoon went to Carrsville, 6 ms. About 10,000 troops were with us.
14 Cloudy and pleasant. Went to Franklin ( 6 ms.) Made a demonstration, but got no reply. Then went to Sanders corner. 7 miles.
15 Went to Blackwater bridge, 6 ms. Made a demonstration; no reply. Back to Sanders Corner and then to Carrsville, 4 miles. Got there at 3 o'clock.
16 This morning went to Franklin again. Took possession of the defence on our side of the river. A few rifle shots exchanged. We lost a captain, and two men wounded. Staid here all night. Captain James H. Hart of Company E was killed.
17 This morn, our reg't and the 118 N. Y. got orders for Suffolk. The Brigade was under marching orders. Got there at 8 o'clock.
18 At ten o'clock took cars for Norfolk; then steamboat for Yorktown.
19 Got here at Yorktown some time in the night. Landed this morning. Had rain today.
20 A little cloudy. Had a general inspection.
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25 Been in the same camp since we came to Yorktown. Have been expecting to move every day. Had a few showers.
26 A little rainy today. Got up at Reville, 2 ½ A. M. Started for White House on a steamer. All the troops at Yorktown also went the same way. This is the start of Dix's Peninsular Campaign. General John Dix was in charge of operations in this region of Virginia. They moved north of the York River deep into Virginia. The military objective was to threaten Richmond and be a diversion. The Confederate Army was moving into Pennsylvania and it was hoped that this operation would force the Confederates to redirect troops to this area.
27 Cloudy. Col. Spear of 11th Cav. returned from near Richmond. Captured ___ Gen. Wm. Lee, 1 surgeon, 1 Lt. Col., 5 other commissioned officers, 75 men, 80 loaded wagons, about 300 mules. The 11th Pennsylvania Cavalry had a very successful raid into the heart of Virginia. They captured 27 year-old General William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, son of General Robert E. Lee. He was captured at his wife's family home while recuperating from wounds received at the battle at Brandy Station.
28 A little rainy. I believe that there is nothing new.
29 It still continues to be a little rainy. Matters quiet as usual. We now belong to Brig. Gen. Getty's Division. Col. Wardrop ____ Brig. Gen. of the brigade. General George Washington Getty was the commander of the expedition.
30 A little rainy by spells all day. Mustered in for another two months pay. About dark we crossed the Pamunkey on our way to Hanover Junction. Only went two miles that night.
July, 1863
1 Pleasant only very warm. A good many men of other reg'ts fell out. Gen. Getty's Division went. About 10,000 strong. Camped at King William's Court House.
2 Reville at two o'clock, but did not get started till 7 o'clock. Camped at Brandywine about 15 miles.
3 A very warm day. Started at 4 o'clock. Took about 3 hours rest at noon. When we found an ice house, I got some. A fine rolling country. Well cultivated. Many very large fields of wheat were passed. Camped at 11 o'clock on Taylors plantation. He has many thousands of acres. Early this morn started for Hanover Junction, about 15 miles, arriving at the R. Road at about dark. Soon the rebs opened upon us with shell from a fort about 1000 yds. off. One of our companies and 3 of the 118th N. Y. skirmished close to the fort. Took 11 prisoners.
4 Quite warm. Expected to open the engagement this morn but got orders to return to White house immediately, so at 2 o'clock started for Taylors and staid all night.
5 Quite pleasant till noon when it rained very heavily till night. We marched through it, 9 miles in 2 hrs & 40 min. Camped tonight at King William's Court House. The Union won great victories at Gettysburg on July 3 and Vicksburg on July 4 but there is no mention of this in the diary. Goodwin was on the march and probably did not have time to make any extra comments.
6 Entry combined with July 8.
7 Entry combined with July 8.
8 Very pleasant today. Got to the White house at noon. Quite tired, having marched 110 miles. At 8 o'clock took up our line of march for Yorktown. It rained very hard most all day. Made the roads awful bad. We made about 15 miles. White House was a Federal supply depot on the Pamunkey River.
9 Started about daylight this morning and got within 2 ½ ms. of Williamsburg. No rain. Quite warm. Wm.burg has only one long street about 1 mile long. Got to camp at 8 o'clock; same as night before. This was the colonial capital of Virginia. Today, Colonial Williamsburg is a major tourist attraction.
10 Very warm today. Started at six o'clock. Got to Yorktown at 4 o'clock. We have now marched 160 miles in 10 successive days.
11 Quite a pleasant day. Rather warm. Went and got a lot of nice blackberries. They are very thick around here.
12 Quite pleasant only we had a shower.
13 Pleasant but we had a shower.
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19 Since last Tuesday the weather has been quite warm, but have had a shower every day. Reviewed today by Gen. Foster. This was either General John Foster or General Robert Foster. Both had Virginia commands at this time.
20 Quite pleasant today. Rain at night. Moved inside the fort. They are at Yorktown.
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27 Quite pleasant. A cool breeze. Pleasant weather since last Monday. Had several showers during the past week. Nothing unusual has occurred.
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