1862 July 29 Harrison's Landing. Va.

     

[from the war journal of George   Hazen Dana of the 32nd Massachusetts as compiled by him at a later date from diaries and letters]          
            
                                           
                                                Harrison’s Landing
                                                       July 29th 1862
I have been full of importance and business, the past
week, as, my Captain and First Lieut. having been laid
on the shelf, I have been in command of the company.
Now, however, the Captain’s resignation having been re-
fused, he has suddenly recovered and taken charge
again.          ‘Tis more than probable that the next
you hear from me will be after a battle, as orders
read, last night looked as though some arrangement
of the kind were close at hand.          Officers “to in-
stuct their men to discard all clothing but what
was absolutely necessary, to take but small rations
in their haversacks, as we were to continue near
our base of supplies – no more clothing or knap-
sacks to be issued, etc.”          This order, coupled with
a visit from Genls. Halleck and Burnside, makes                                                                                   
          an immediate forward movement (keeping the James
River, “our base of supplies,” on our flank), more than
probable.
McClellan had a grand review of the whole army three
days since.               Capt. - , (I could plainly see) wanted
to take charge of our company – so did I, and I told
him that it would not do for him to get well so
quickly, after such severe illness, merely for the sake
of going out on parade.          So I had charge.
Our regiment did march splendidly as it passed Mac,
and was the recipient of a compliment to that effect

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 5130