Beschreibung:

Civil War journal of Private Joseph P. Hayes of the 19th Illinois Infantry. June 17, 1861-January 24, 1862. 96pp. 7 x 8.5 in. Original half sheep and embossed cloth boards (spine perished, boards detached, wear to extremities). A diary from the private's first moments in the army with details of camp life along the Mississippi River in the early Western theater. Joseph P. Hayes, from Hampton, IL, enlisted on June 10, 1861, and was mustered in a week later on the 17th into Co. H of the 19th Illinois Infantry as a private. The regiment was organized at Camp Long in Chicago, which is where Hayes' journal begins on the day of his mustering in. Hayes was a diligent diarist, making entries, even if brief, every day. While in Chicago, the soldiers enjoyed the city in the summer. On July 4th, the citizens of Chicago organized them a picnic, and Hayes notes it "made the boys feel quite elated." However, there "was not enough provisions brought for much more than one Co...so we spent a very dull and disagreeable fourth." They departed Chicago on Friday, July 12 and arrived in Quincy, IL by rail, before moving on to Palmyra, MO where they were given their first tasks of guarding a rail bridge and picket duty. On July 27 they crowded on to the steamer Louisiana which took them to the St. Louis Arsenal, arriving on July 29th, with several other regiments joining them including the 2nd Iowa Regiment and the 2nd Regiment of Missouri Home Guards. Four companies traveled aboard the Empress on July 31st and arrived at Cape Girardeau on August 2nd, crossing over to Birds Point, Hayes noting that "there is a great many troops here." They moved on to Camp Fremont at Norfolk, followed by Sulphur Springs, and Pilot Knob where they engaged in target practice. On August 27, the regiment began to march through Missouri, first through Fredericktown, Bundys Farm, and on to Jackson. On September 4th, Hayes writes that "the Col. of the 2nd Iowa brought the report of the sudden death of Jeff Davis," though he wisely speculates, "I doubt the truth of the report." On the move again, they boarded the Arizona on Sept. 8th set up on the Kentucky side of the Mississippi, naming it Fort Holt, "in honor of the Hon. Jos. Holt of Ky." About this time, Hayes became ill and was left behind when the rest of regiment was taken to protect batteries and was eventually taken to the hospital in Cairo. Hayes includes the transcripts of his diary entries he made while he was sick from Sept 14-Oct 5, 1861 at the end of this journal, beginning on p.86. He was taken from Fort Holt, to several places before arriving at the General Hospital in St. Louis on Sept. 19. He reports on his health and the movement of his regiment, commenting on October 6, "Every thing is very quiet and lonesome here and I am very anxious to get away from here." He was reunited with his unit and spent much of October at Camp Anderson, KY, leaving for Elizabethtown on Oct. 25th, he muses: "It is a beautiful place. The country is a little broken," and notes the appearance of "The Bearded Woman that was on exhibition through the state lives here and is in camp every day peddling." He spent Nov. 6th and 7th in Louisville going to the theater and staying at the National Hotel before returning to Elizabethtown. He joined a Glee Club on Nov. 11th which seems to be a source of pleasure for him mentioning it several more times throughout his journal. He left for Big Springs, KY two days later and noted that "there is a great many secesh here." They took some prisoners before returning to Elizabethtown. Traveling again in mid December, first to Camp Nevin, KY on Dec. 16th then on to Bacon Creek, KY on Dec. 19th. There he went with "several others to see the wet cave. It is about 1 1/2 miles from camp near Bacon Creek. We went in at the Mouth and explored the first Chambers on the first floor and it is one of the greatest Natural Curiosities I have ever seen. We then went up a ladder made of a limb of a tree the smal