1861 October 31

[from the diary of Francis G. Hale, Co. F, 34th Ohio Zouaves]
I woke up this morning
and felt tolerable well but
was awful sore we are
in a new house that has not been finished
yet we slept very well we
had hay to sleepe on and
it felt like a fea ther
bed to us or to me at least
the boys are in good health
this morning and are
flying round like every
thing getting breakfast &c
I was put on a picket to day
a bout a mile from
camp we can hear
the drumes from
camp every now an
then we are put clost
to a house by a straw
stack we got some apples
as we come a long to
eat there is eight of
us here we went to the house to
get our dinner we had a good
dinner as I have eat
since I left home
the man of the houase
comes out and talks to
us he looks like old Billy
Chinneth he has a hair
lip he is a first rate fellow
there is two girls at the house
we will have to stay here
till to morrow morning
there is three more of our
picketed up the road
farther toward camp
one of them shot his
self just now he had his
foot on the hammer
of the gun and went to
turn aroun his gun slipt
of of a pile of a boards he was
standing on the gun dischar
ged the ball entered his
fored a bout an inch above
his right eye and went
out at the top of his
head taring an awfull
hole I have to stay in
his place now here he
looks awfull his brain
is all runing out and
the blood is runing out
fast he is not dead
yet but will die soon
he is not quite incen
cible yet he took his
letters out of his pocket
and handed them out
to lieutenant Nesbit
he gave them to the chap
lain he has no brother
or relations to weepe
for him here there is not
a tear shead for him
he was not mutch loved
by the boys but was a
tolerable good boy for all
that how shure is the
old saying that in the midst
of life we are in death
they cam out with a two
horse waggeon and took him
to camp there is no doctor
here to attend to him he
will have to suffer untill
he is sent for 18 miles and comes

MSS 13405