Travels in the War from Georgia
We left Doctor town on our March we Come to Savannah
left Savannah on the 19th of May for Macon Ga
left Macon on the Train for Columbus Ga
there we Stayed untell Next Day then took the Car [1]
for Mountgumry Alabamana ther we took the Boat Down
the Alabamana River to Selma Alabama the Same Day
Took the Train for Demopalas arrived there about 12.. OClok
the Same Night there Took the Boat Down the
Tombigba River to McDowels Landing there took the train
Again at Dowels About 3 oclock in the Eavning for
Meredian Mississippi Left there About 9..oclock the
Next Day for Jackson Miss,, we Arrived Within 4,, Miles
of Jackson About 4 oclock in the Eavning and there
We found the Railroad and Bridges Reduced to Ashes
By the Yankeyes and there we Campd for,,3,,Days
and on the 4 Day we Marched about 3 Miles to a new
Camp Around Where we Staid ,,3,,Days and on the
4 Day we Marched from there to the Bankes of
Purl River About one mile and a half below Jackson
Wich we Made a Purmement Camp and Amused
Selfs By Making of fingerrings and Giting Purls from
Mussels Shells wich we would git from the Bottom of
the River our Regt was there Attached to Stovalls
Brigade Breconridge Division and while we Staid at the
Plase the Jinrals would Amuse them Selfs By having
Inspections and Revews thay Continued in that Sort of
amusement untell the first Day of July we then took up
our line of March for Big Black River we arrived at
[page 2]
a Station on the Railroad that was Cald Clinton
on the Morning we Started we got to the City Cald
Clinton About 12 oclock there we Received the Kindest
Treatment we had met with Since we left the lines of
our Mother State Behind that is our Emperies State of
Georgia and the Beauty of this Kind Treatment is that
it was Renderd to us from the hands of the pore families of
Mississippi and the Families that anny of her Sister States
Mite be Proud to Clame as Sisters after Passing threw
Clinton about 2 Miles there we Stoped for the k[n]ight [2]
the Next Morning we left our Beds wich we maid
of leaves and Bushes about 2 hours before Day we left our
Station for Bolton Station about 11.. oclock the Same
Day we then Stacked our armes and Spent 3 and 4
Days of July then on the 5 Day wich was Sunday
About 4 oclock we took up our Marching [order?] for
Big Black River but Stoped at Champion Hill or
Bakers Creeke 4 Miles from Big Black River and there
we Staid all night Lay in an open old feald tyard and
wore out on the March the Next Morning About 4 oclock
we tuck up the Line of March on a retreat from Bakers
Creak when we left the Creak we Came on Backword to Jackson
we Started the line of attack on a retreat we Started
we Came to that little city Cald Clintin ther we got there
About 12 oclock on the 6 Day of July we got to Clinton an
thier we Stacked armes and Campt untell the 7 Day we tuck
up the line of March about 12 oclock of that Some Day
we left Clinton and then we Started for Jackson [on?], A March
[page 3]
and we got to Jackson About Dark we got to our old
Camp on Purl River wher us left and we Staid there too nights
and one Day and that fetched the Day of the month to the 8
Day of July 1863 and then we went into a line of Battle
and on the Same Day of the Line of Battle was formed the
Scrumiching fiting Commenst in the Evening of the 8 and
it Continued 8 Days and on the 12 Day of July our Company
Got in the Battle and it Continued About 2 hours and the
Came out Sucefley in the fite and on the 15 Day About
Sundown we Started on our retreat again and we left the
intrenchments and we Marched threw Jackson About Dark
and we Continued our March all night long and we got to
Brandon Station About Son rise and there we taken
Breakfast and then we Came 2 Miles and then we Stacked
our armes and rested till Next Morning About Son rise
we Started on the Line of the March again and it was on the
14 Day of July 1863 and we Marched to a plase About 9
Miles to little old Mill and there we remaind there 2 Days
and 3 nights on a rest and then we taken up a line of
March and Came to Morton Station and we remaind
there 5 Days and then Established A New Camp four
Miles from Morton Station Camp Called Hericane Morton
Station and that Braut the Day of the Month up to
the 9 Day of August 1863 and the Enimy was persuing
us tell we got to Brandon Station the Calvry was
Ceaping the Enimy Back from overtakin us But our
Retreat was in good Auder in our Retreat to Morton
and we have taken purmenant Camps this is riten By
Private Mathew Johnson Confedrate Soldier, this, 9, of Aug 1863