1861 December 29

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

We left Barboursville
last night a bout 7 oclock
we went down the
road toward mud and
then went crost the
country untill we
came on the guyan
road at Dusen bureys
Mill on the guyan
river we crost the river
and then took the road
for a creeke called Beach[?]
fork we stopt at a house
Spencer Bontecew he is
called Dock we stayed
all night got our break
fast and started on the
next house we took a fellow
prisner he starte
to run but we halted
him and he stopt
and came back the boys
was just going to shoot
as he halted. his wife
cried very hard when
we left her she had a
small child in her armes
his name is Collens
when we asked for him
his wife said he was not
there but we seene him
at the door and then
we saw him going
up the hill double
quick he looke to be
a bout 27 years old
tolerable well dressed

the roads was
frozen and very ruff
and very bad traveling
we traveled on to the
next house then we wen
to a house up hollow
they had left the house
and put the fire out
we went from there to
the next house and then
be fore we got there
we stopt and looking
at the house we saw
a man runing we
holwed hault but he
run on we fired as
he got over the fence
there was two men on
horse back we fired a
bout fifteen rounds
at them but we did not
kill any one of them the
men farley flew on horse
back we are now where one
of our men got wounded
a bout three weekes ago
we are in a dangerous
part of the country
and forty nine men
and our captain
there Was five of the boy
went to the next house
where we saw some
men go in but they
did not get them they
was children

we left Beachfork
and went up Racoon
fork we stopt at a house
and got our dinner
we had to cook it
our selves we had
a big cettle and filled
it a bout half full of
pork fresh bones for they
had just butchered at
the place we are about
5 miles from guyan falls
there is but two women
at the house we left
there and and went back
a pice and then we
went over the moutain
a crost to a man hous
by the name of davis
he is a secesh and is
out some place as we
was crossing a mountain
we saw fresh horstrack
where a man had come
up and turn back he
made his horse run like
every thing from the look
of the track he run
his horse down hills
that a man could
not hardly get down
we asked at one
house what his name
was but the woman said
she did not know
for he was going so
fast she did not know
whether he had a hat
on or not he was
on a sorrel horse and
had dark clothes on
he went up hills
that we could not
hardly go up we
got to Davises a little
after dark went to
bed with out supper

the other part of the company met us here.

MSS 13405