Beschreibung:

pocket diary with flexible red leather covers, flap closure, marbled page edges. Front pages have list of company D members, with himself listed as one of 5 Sergts. According to Civil War Database, Mulligan enlisted as a private and was promoted to Sergt. in early 1863 (est.). He then adds notes about the status of the men in his lists: wounded (or killed) Bat H.H. Dec. 6 1864, possibly Honey Hill, where the unit suffered heavy losses. Then he lists the original members of the unit and the fate of many of them, followed by mottoes of the states, Latin and French phrases, and other general information. Several blank pages have been left, presumably for additional information, then a penciled diary with the beginning date of 10 Sept. 1862. Most entries are short and some days are skipped entirely, especially early. [We suspect these were copied from another diary or scraps of paper on which he kept sporadic notes. It seems very clean compared to many Civil War diaries that have passed through our hands.] It becomes more consistent in late April-early May of 1863 (maybe he took his diary more seriously along with his new responsibilities). Although most entries are short, a few run considerably longer. Many are statements of movement or activities such as Dug Rifle pits or Cutting down trees on the Banks of the Potomac River, with few of the typical complaints that enlisted men tend to express in these diaries. Toward the middle and end of 1864, however, he does have the usual descriptions of Confederate deserters. A few interesting notes: (8 Jan. 1864) went to the Academy seen Booth as Othello and on the 15th he saw Booth as MacBeth. In early February of 1864 Mulligan switched to ink. The nature of the entries also changed. (29 Feb. 1864) Got mustered in for two months Pay. (5 March) I am now up in our Lookout. from here I can see Charleston and Fort Sumpter very plain. the Rebels are now relieveing their Posts. I can see them. I have charge of 12 men & 2 Corps at this Post. (15 April) about 100 men under Capt. Gurney went over to Battery Island. a Torpedo exploded and wounded 4 men of the 127th Regt. the Gunboats went up the Stones River and Shelled the Rebels. (13-14 May) the expedition returned the reconnoissance proving successful. but failed to Capture the Johnnies. went on Picket Duty Fort Putnam. Chatfield Seymour & 2 Monitors opened fire on Fort Sumter. they hit it about 100 times. Bombardment still going on. all the Rebels Forts & Battery opened on our Forts & Monitors. (15th) all quiet no firing (16th) Bombardment commenced again. Mulligan was mustered in for another 2 months on 30 June 1864. He notes the preparations for the assault on Fort Johnson for the next couple days. The attack of 3 July warrants 4 pages. He describes the delay in the boats getting out because of the tide, the alerted sentries at the fort and the fact that by the time the boats arrived it was daylight and the boats were easy targets. [T]here appeared to me to be about 20 guns firing, Grape Cannister, Shrapnel, Shell and all other deadly missiles just as quick as they could load and fire.... The boats fell back, and Major Little (127th) asked for volunteers to go ashore. [T]he boys of Co. D. 127 responded to his appeal and were in the act of rowing to the shore when the order to retreat was given by the Majors of the 52nd Penna. Major Little cried like a child when he knew that the project was a failure....Col. Hoyt and 6 Officers, 132 men (of the 52nd PA Vols.) were taken Prisoners. The expedition would have been successful had the tide been favorable and a more suitable place or embarking the troops at.... And one of his few complaints: I am sorry to say that some of our Officers did not display much evidence of bravery, but took matters very alarmingly for their own Safty. On 4 July, Anniversary of our Glorious Independence. Salutes were fired from Forts Wagner, Shaw, Putnam, Chatfield & Green. The Rebels did not fire one shot all day. Genl.