1863 February 8 Falmouth, Va.

[from the "War Journal" of Captain George Hazen Dana, of the 32nd Massachusetts as he lateer compiled it from his wartime letters and diaries]


                                                           Camp near Falmouth Va.
                                                                  Feb’y 8th 1863.  10 P.M.
.   .   .   --------- you must allow me to retire, for
I am off tomorrow for five days on ‘fatigue
duty’ – men to carry arms and equipments,
however – the division general only knows where,
and I am put in command of the regiment too,
quite an honor, I assure you, for so young a
Captain.        What in the world put it into
Maj. S____’s head to send me off with all
the regiment in charge, - except the sick men,
who remain in camp – is more than I can
understand.        It has caused considerable fault-
finding, I hear, among the older Captains, but that
doesn’t hurt me any.        So I shall probably
have no opportunity to write again, for five days.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]


MSS 5130