1862 September 14 near South Mountain

[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio]

Sunday, Sept. 14, 1862

This morning were
up before daylight
left our knapsacks &
instruments - marched
out to the mountain west
went up by a by road throu
gh the woods.  Met the enemy
The fighting was terrible
the rebels fighting with
terrible resolution
was in the terrible storm
some in care of the wounded
Carried them back. helped the
Col Hayes a little
Had a hard time carrying
them back.
Many of them are around
us now dying & groaning
Smith [Lent?] wounded also
Hood & Skiles
Hear terrible fighting S West
Have taken Mark Slonakers
effects he is about to die
Cloudy & Clear Cool

in back of diary Templeton has written:
Recd of Mark Slonaker
this night Sept 14th / 62
in view of his approach-
ing death from a wound
Recd this day in the
early part of the
engagement
1 open faced watch
1 memoranda
1 pencil case
Tell my Father & Mother
that I died hopeing to
meet them in a world
to come that the [?] [?]
Tell my dear mother I
died with his name
on my lips

the following lines in smeared pencil are almost illegible

We [?]
tell my mother not to grieve
Pocket gook con $6.75
Died at 9 PM
Paid One dollar for box
to bury him in

Took from the
Body of Wm Creps
1 pocket-Book with
$2.17 inclosed  he yet
live Sept 15th / 62
His grave is
[diagram gives location of Creps' grave]

Mark Sloneckers is
buried in Abraham
Shiltneys field to the
right of Dan [Reeder?]
house going toward Blue Ridge
his body is in a
box on the East side
of the grave he was
buried by George Snerr
near [?]   May-
riland


MSS 10317