Vincent DeLong's Diary of 1864

Wednesday, December 21, 1864

I got a letter from Bidy
Sally ann, and James answered
the firs named amediately
they comenced papering the
ward to day

I shal be glad
when we get settled down again

Thursday, December 22, 1864

I got a note from Orderly
Gillet to day his is in
Ward B I amediatly go and
see him he has a bad
wound but it is doing well
it is threw the right sholder
from hiking (?) accident

Friday, December 23, 1864

the ward is in a hubub as
it has bin ever sin a week
ago to day I finis a quite
a lengthy story about Gig
Potter then made an Evergreen
reath to hang up in the
ward

Saturday, December 24, 1864

finishe bordering the
wall sticking up flags
hanging up reaths
papering the dors and
puting on the finishing
touch cleaning up and
riging up is the order of
the day

Sunday, December 25, 1864

the morning is clear and bright
and our Ward for the first time
in 8 days looks as if we wer
again at home dine comes and it
is a goo one for this plase we had sweet
potatoes buter cheese cakes mins pies
stufed fowl rost muten oyster soup
crackers raysons appels and
filberts Etc good enough for a soldier

Monday, December 26, 1864

it rains a bit the isy snow
is disepearing and the gorund
is slipry with mud in the
afternoon I get a pass and go down
town and find E Monroes saloon
go down on the avinew and buy
some paper and Envelopes George
Monroe came up with me to see
Ed Gillet

Tuesday, December 27, 1864

rather cloudy and lonesome

rain in the afternoon

Wednesday, December 28, 1864

looked ansiously for some
answer to some of my
letters but none came
I wrote a letter to my
sister Nancy

It was a good one
but perhaps they will wonder at it

Thursday, December 29, 1864

I got a letter from Biddie
als Sally ann and Jane
I answered Biddie and
Sisters. The song is not
all heare

what does it mean
I shal hav and Explana
-tion on it perhaps
it is to true what is omited

Saturday, December 31, 1864

this morning when I arose
I found the ground white
with snow it has bin
snowing all day but the
ground thaws it consid
-erbal I got a letter from
Biddie to day the ward is
fixed up nise for New years

(The diary ends without Vincent saying what he omitted a couple of days earlier. The end pages have a bit more information from Vincent. I'll add that information wrap up the diary in the next few days. Once the diary is complete I'll reverse the order so that the entries will be in chronological order.)