1861 January 30

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

I slept last night on
a feater bed the sechon
one I have slept in since
I have been in virginia
killed a hop for break
fast as we was eating
our breakfast there was
a man fired at us from
a big hill but he did
not his us the ball fell
short and hit the house
we did not see him he
run after he shot
fter we eat our break
fast eleven of us went
up where he had ben
we saw his tracks up
ther by a big tree his
name is Bill Pitcher as
near as we can learn
we went from Davises to
Beach fork and followed
down it untill we stopt
at another house three
of our boys went for to
get the horses they was
over a hill htere was
two men building a house
they took for the woods
and the boys fired at
and hit on they think
he fell and put his hand
up to his back and
crawled a piece we
then went on to the
mill where they say
the two boys was
killed the Zouaves
there was a woman
a runing the mill
the boys tryed to make
her tell where they was
beried but she would not
tell the boys threatened
to shoot and drawed
there gunes on her
but she would not tell
there was three wimen
at the house but they
swore they did not see
them nor did not
know any thing of
them the boys started
out to hunt for them
they did not find the boys
but they found lots of
blankdts and a jacket
and fine shawl they was
hid under some rock on a hill
side they brought
them to the house and
had them to sleepe on
I was out on a hill
side and I found a
bed sheet full fo tobacko
it was hid under a shock
of fodder in the corn
field we stopt to stay
all night they boys just
went in on ever thing
chickens and mollases and
every thing that
they could get they
burnt the fence up
and all the wood
they would have burnt
the mill and the house
if the captain had not
cept them from it.
a bout nine o clock
there was a fellow let
his gun go of and shot
one of our boys through
the leg the leg is broke
I helpt to set the leg
or fix it the ball enter
ed just a bove the
nee and went clear through
the fellow that got shot
is a coporel is name
is Clack from cincinatti
he was a first rate boy
as good as there was
in the company
the Cpatain haten it
awfull bad we had to
give up our expedition
on that a count.

MSS 13405