1862 October 3 Camp Cadwallader, Beverley, N.J.

[from the diary of the Rev. Francis E. Butler, chaplain of the 25th New Jersey]



Fri 3.  Foggy in Morg. – Cleared off warm & even hot.
   Mr. Crane & Mr. Halstead came on visit   rode
twice to see   men bathe & wash clothes – Joe rode
my horse some - & after dinner Mr. H’s boys went
home at   Mr. C. & H at Eveg.  At Morng drill Mr. H.
Co. K  asked me to present a sword to Lt. Col. [Enoch]
Ayres in the[ir] behalf.  I did so - & he replied.
At eveg parade the Col. introduced me to Comp.
officers – attended p[ra]y[er] meetg in Barracks –
At 10 – just as I sat down to write in Col. tent – Officer of
Guard appeared with three men & three women taken outside
of lines – after roll call - & reported others off.  The Col ordered
out a Co. with loaded muskets – to scare neighborhood
& strengthen camp guard – I went with Lt. Col. Ayres on
long tramp thro. corn fields & potatoe patches by
 
   moonlight – when we returned to camp the Regt.
was roused fr. bed & roll called to discover
absentees.  It is now going on – Got boots wet
thro with dew.  Some of the men attempted to
get in – were challenged by guards - & ran – the
guards fire some half dozen shots – but no one
hit – I heard the balls whiz – past me as I stood
near Col Tent - & arrests were made all night.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935