1862 March 29-April 3 Hampton Roads, Va.

[from the memoir/diary of Captain Jonathan B. Hager, Co. F of the 14th Regulars

Mar 29 Morning dawned
and immediately after reveille, I broke for
a house in the distance inhabited by some
white trash to hunt up a breakfast, I was
late; there were a dozen before me,and as but
four could sit down at a time, and as the old
woman was the only cook, and the old man
the only mate, and two blooming daughters
of 16 & 18 years with faces unwashed & hair
unkempt, the only assistants, it was a couple
of hours before my time at the bacon and
cornbread came. A goodly quantity of this
washed down wit a pint of something like
rye coffee, but not quite so good & all costing
but fifty cents, repaid the fast of the previous day.
I returned to Camp turned into an Ambulance
a& was soon fast asleep Our baggage arriving
soon after our tents were pitched & we were home
again. We remained in this camp for a week
The weather was pleasant & we took many a
stroll along the gravelly beach of Hampton
Rhoads. Here we had our first Brigade drill by Gen. Sykes

MSS 9044