1862 January 3 Stones River / Murfreesboro

[From the diary of Captain William F. Hunter, Co. B., 97th Ohio]


     Jan. 3d, ’63.
Still raining, & contin-
ued all day & night, at
times, in torrents. Not
enough food to satisfy
the gnawing of our keen
appetites. Went on picket
this morning with my co.
Quiet most of the day except
picket firing. This eve-
ning our brigade relieved
for to-night & brought back
to the “second line”, in a
wood on the bank of
the river, where the mud
was terrible, & the rain
pelted us pitilessly.
About midnight we were
aroused from our wet
and comfortless beds, &
ordered to fall in im-
mediately; which we
did, & were marched
left in front back over
the river, which was
much swollen by the
heavy rain, - it, in places,
in crossing, being above
our knees. We marched
back about a mile to
the rear of our former
position, on the Murfrees-
boro pike. This position
being given to our di-
vision to allow it rest.
Our forces have all
recrossed the river, on
account, I presume, of
the sudden rise in the
water.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 10547-bm