FRIDAY September 1 -- Went with Wils for tomatoes this forenoon. Staid in camp all afternoon.
SATURDAY 2 -- Went over to a house and traded some coffee for meal this forenoon. Got some plums this afternoon.
SUNDAY 3 -- Staid in camp all day. One of the boys had a fit in the company today.
MONDAY 4 -- Laid in camp all day. Read Caudles (?) lecture.
TUESDAY 5 -- Went for tomatoes and meal this forenoon. Staid in camp all afternoon.
WEDNESDAY 6 -- A dull rainy day. On fatigue this forenoon getting wood. Went to the landing for persimmons this afternoon and got a good wetting.
THURSDAY 7 -- Done my washing this forenoon. Had Co. Inspection this afternoon.
FRIDAY September 8, 1865 -- Staid in camp all day. A shower this afternoon. Another row in the mess at dinner.
SATURDAY 9 -- Staid in camp all day. All the work I done was mend my clothes.
SUNDAY 10 -- Wrote one letter home. G. Pieronell came up from the landing to visit us today.
MONDAY 11 -- Went for tomatoes this forenoon. Lawyer (?) died last evening and was buried today. Done my washing.
TUESDAY 12 -- Went to Grand Ecore this morning. Got my hair cut and gathered some persimmons.
WEDNESDAY 13 -- Laid in camp all day. Rained this afternoon. Reading a short work on Ancient History.
THURSDAY 14 -- Rained all forenoon. Received 3 letters by today's mail. All well at home.
FRIDAY 15 -- Staid around camp all day. Read, loafed. I went in to debt another dollar to the Sutler.
SATURDAY 16 -- On fatigue this morning. Mended up my clothes this afternoon. C. Austin came over from town awhile today.
SUNDAY 17 -- Wrote 2 letters today. Charley Austin was here all afternoon visiting.
MONDAY 18 -- Had a smart shower this morning. Went for tomatoes this afternoon. Received a letter from home tonight.
TUESDAY 19 --Staid in camp all day doing little or nothing.
WEDNESDAY 20 -- Was unwell most all forenoon. But feel alright tonight. No news, no nothing going on in camp.
THURSDAY 21 -- Went to the landing this morning. All quiet.
FRIDAY 22 -- In camp all day. Nothing unusual. Tedious as ever.
SATURDAY 23 --Went for tomatoes this morning. One of the 11th boys stopped here on his way to the 8th. Various rumors in camp.
SUNDAY 24 -- Dull and lousy (?) all day with a little rain. Had a mock fight with Cpt. ___ tonight.
MONDAY 25 --In camp all day. Dull and tiresome as usual. Cos. A and E moved over from Natchitoches today. With Dornblazer's Hd Qrts. Wrote one letter.
TUESDAY 26 -- Chase came over this morning to see us. He is looking well. Staid in camp all day. Had 3 games pitching horse shoes.
WEDNESDAY 27 -- Done my washing this morning. Rained a little this afternoon.
THURSDAY September 28, 1865 -- Went for tomatoes this forenoon. Some of the 8th boys came down the river today on their way home. None from the 11th.
FRIDAY 29 --Went to Grand Ecore this morning. Mended up my clothes this afternoon. Pleasant weather.
SATURDAY 30 -- Dull and lowry (?) all forenoon with a little rain. On fatigue this afternoon.
SUNDAY October 1, 1865 -- Very cool this morning. Pretty near frost. In camp all day. Pleasant weather. Wrote a note home.
MONDAY 2 -- Went for tomatoes this forenoon. In camp the rest of the day. Wylie came up to camp today awhile.
TUESDAY 3 -- In camp this forenoon. Went and got some beans and Punkins this afternoon.
WEDNESDAY 4 -- Done my washing this morning. Went for tomatoes this afternoon. Another boat load from the 8th went down today.
THURSDAY 5 -- Staid in camp all day. Helped some on the muster out rolls.
FRIDAY 6 -- Went to Natchitoches this morning. Camp all the rest of the day.
SATURDAY 7 -- This day completed our term of service in the Army. Our muster out papers were finished this afternoon.
SUNDAY 8 -- Left camp this morning for home. Got about the F. G. Just before landing the boys got pretty tight.
MONDAY 9 -- Got to Alexandria this forenoon. Have to wait here for transportation. Chase is quite sick. Got him in a house at Pineville.
TUESDAY 10 --Went aboard the Buelah this forenoon. Got started about noon. And are making good time down the river. Chase is some better.
WEDNESDAY 11 Got in to the (?) about dark. Laid up last night all night. The boys skirmished with the alligators all day.
THURSDAY 12 -- Got to Baton Rouge about midnight last night. Found our rolls were wrong. Left for N. O. [New Orleans] at 1 A.M. there to correct them. Are within 60 miles of the city on Ste. Margarita (?)
FRIDAY 13 -- Got to N. O. at midnight last night. Took up our quarters at a coffee house at the rate of $1.00 per day.
SATURDAY 14 -- Run around town all day sight seeing.
SUNDAY 15 -- Spent the day loafing and reading.
MONDAY 16 -- Spent as yesterday.
TUESDAY 17 -- Got our Co. rolls done to day. Saw the Asylum children out marching this afternoon.
End of diary. The exact date that Thomas B. Fisher and his brother Wilson returned to Amboy, Illinois, or the means of transportation is not known. It is likely that they traveled by steamer to Cairo, Illinois, and then to Camp Butler to spend their last night in the Army. A train would have taken them to Amboy where their family anxiously awaited their return. Thomas spent his adult life on a farm in Amboy, died 7 February 1923, and is buried there. Wilson became a minister, moved to Wisconsin to raise his family, and is buried there.
Copyright 1993 Thomas H. Fisher, Tallahassee, Florida 32312
Return to the Scrapbook Index *** Return to Illinois in the Civil War