1861 December 20

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

I had to stand guard
1 houre last night I
went from the house
I got my dinner to
the house where the rest
of the boys to take them
some coffee & sugar
for they had none
I slept in a bead
the first one I have
slept in since I
left home pretty near
5 months it went
first rate we started
out this morning
to correll some hourses
we have got lots of
them we are on mud
creeke we seperated this
morning part went up the
creeke part went
up those that went
up heard that there
was a lot of cavelry
coming down this
way so they come
back and some that
was on horse back came
back and told us
we are now waiting
for the enemy at the
end ofr a lane we
weighted untill toward
evening but they did
not com so we
went a rabit hunt
ing but did not
catch any but
we saw a lot of them
they run faster than Ohio

MSS 13405