Four Daily Diaries Written By This Indiana Soldier

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Union Soldier's Civil War Diaries for the Years 1862-1865 as part of the Army of the Ohio, later the Cumberland. Four diaries, varying sizes, written by Garret Larew (misspelled in the data base as Laren), 86th Indiana Infantry Regiment, Company K. Mustered in Aug. 20, 1862 later transferred to the Engineers Corps on Aug. 7, 1864, served to the end of the war, final entry dated July 3, 1865. Diaries bound in leather wraps, except to final diaries with is without boards/wraps. All written in pencil and pen. Details on Stones, River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and Nashville/Franklin (part of Engineer Corps). Diaries have a gap from end the of November 1862 to January 7th, 1863, skipping Larew's account of Stone's River and being chosen as a member of the Pioneer Brigade. Below we provide a few excerpts ... From the 1st Diary: Sept 12; we are all under lou wallace, and there is 75 or 100 thousnad ... Oct 3; I saw two horses yesterday killed in a skirmish ... one ma shot through the calf ... I dreamt last night that I took a prisoner .. Oct. 6; we heard Bragg was five miles ahead and nigers said he was traveling faster we are ... the boys steal turkeys .. the Colonel tries to stop em .. has arrested a dozen and says the next time he will shoot them .. Oct 9; we are in line of battle ready to march on the enemy at Perryville. The troops attacked them yesterday and fought all day. .. I want ot do my duty the best I can and if I die I shall die in remembrance of my wife and child .. Oct 10; I was over to the secesh camp and saw sixteen dead rebels shot in different parts of the body .. one was shot four times .. it was a heavy battle .. the loss from six hundred to sixteen hundred rebs ... Oct 17th; I saw a sergeant that shot his hand accidentally and have to have it cut off... Nov 23rd; we are within seven miles of Nashville. Of the almost 1000 men who made up the 86th Infantry in August, only 368 remained by December 31st. This diary is loose at the spine. From the 2nd Diary: Nearly everyday has a pencil comment. Jan 2; the rebels attacked our advance ... Jan 5th; marched through Murfreesborough which is filled with wounded .. May 9th; stirring reports today about Hooker's great success at Pittsburg ... May 18; I saw a dead rebel that wa so poorly buried that his head stuck out of the hole. .. May 31; I went over to the regiment and the boys that was taken prisoner in the battle ... Sept 12th; today I volunteered in the first veterans Kentucky calary ... Sept. 20th; we hauled some rebel pontoons out of the river and upset them .. there has been heavy fighting on the front today ..Oct 26th; for the first two days, general Grant has taken command of this army and has his head quarters in town ... Nov 26th; There has been heavy fighting today. I could see the artillery firing from missionary ridge. Our men drove the rebels off ..took eighteen thousand prisoners ... From the 3rd Diary (January 1, 1864-August 31, 1864): Nearly daily comments. Mar 10th; The lieut has spite for me .. since I got promoted 1st lieutenant ... Apr 15th; had to get our guns and go back to town and guard the second Michigan cavalry. They tore down part of the fence around the depot and was arrested for it .. we took them to quarry to break rock .. June 15th; we hitched up this morning and stood expecting an attack from Wheller's gang but failed to see him ... June 18th; have heard heavy artillery firing ever since yesterday morning ... June 19th; we have miserable roads .. stalled seven or eight times .. we gave up our teams and started back to Chattanooga ...From the 4th Diary (September 1864-July 1865), lacks covers: Again, nearly daily comments. Dec 28th; we lashed fifteen boats together and have been floating all day for Decatur ... Dec. 31; one of boys accidently shot one of Co A's men by shooting at some sheep .. shot the man right through the head .. landed at Decatur ... Jan 2nd; the side wheeler Wanhatchie towed us ... we commenced laying the bridge .. Jan 7th; The 10th Ind Cavalry and 2nd Tenn Cavalry crossed over . They said they burnt five hundred of Hoods wagons .. Feb 25th; .. a train went through the bridge today and killed two men and the engine and four cars went into a pile .. Apr. 4th .. the news that Richmond and Petersburg fell into our hands and that General Grant was pushing the rebs at all points ... Apr. 8th; .. General Sheridan has captured a lot more prisoners and sven Generals ... Apr. 14th; ... the report in camp that peace is declared .. a salute of two hundred guns fired .. Apr. 15th; .. it was rumoured in camp this evening that Abe Lincoln has been shot and another that he was poisoned. .. Apr. 17th; ... received orders to suspend work for the day as president Lincoln is dead ... confirmed the president is dead and a rumour thet General Johnson rebel had surrendered to General Sherman ... May 15th; Received news of Jeff Davis' capture ...Accompayning these period diaries is a 280 page hard bound book, "Garret Larew, Civil War Soldier, with an Account of His Ancestors and His Decendants" written by great grandson, Karl G. Larew (History Professor), 1975. This book provides insights into each of the diaries by providing background to the vicinity and war effort surrounding Larew's writings.

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