1861 Septmber 19

[from the diary of Francis G. Hale of the 34th Ohio Zouaves]

we all woke up this morn
ing a little better but
a little stiff and sore
but we will soone
get over that there
was 35 secech broght
in here this morning
as prisners the boys
here are very clever
fellows or seeme so any
way there are a lot of
fellows here called
the snake hunters
thy goit som I tell
you the second boat
has not comeu yet
they say that it is
ground down here
I saw three fellows
here that I was a
quainted with in
camp Clay they say
that they like it first
rate but they do not
like to lay in camp
Co I had there captaine
takeing prisners and
30 sme odd more
men with him they
first Kentucky
do not know what
to do they went out
on a scirmish after
some cattle and got
them in eight miles
of camp whe a lot of
cavelry lit on them
and killed 3 and took
about forty prisners
the boy told me the
fit like the D___l
but they had to go
they was scatered so
they would not do
nothing hardly but
they killed more secech
'then the secech killed
and took of them
we have to go up the
river a bout 30 mile
more yet to day or
to morrow
They sent their prisners
down to Charlston they
are agoing to send them
two Collumbus Ohio
there was a fellow
got drunk and shot
at another soldier
but die not hit him
D Stratton and I clim
to the top of one of the
big hills it took us a out
an hour on the top there
is a large stone and
sat on it and rested
it was as high as we
could get uless we
club a tree we saw
a squirrel & captured
a land tortle and found
a coal mine we went
in the coal mine
a good piece it was
desurted and forsaken

MSS 13405