29 - 31 Aug 1863

Aug 29 - A.m. early to town on an errand.  Studied then in Company A.  P.m. wrote on sermon.  Have furnished tracts and papers to regiment going out on guard.  Then errand to 32nd Wis[consin].  Then hospital, then battery.  Tired at night.

A view of a Civil War field hospital


Aug 30 - Cool a.m.  Bible class at 9.  Rode to a Methodist Church with Col.  Pleased and benefited sermon on witnesses.  Brief appointment at 32nd Wisconsin not fulfilled.  The Col. had made other arrangements not knowing of mine.  Heard chaplain Peake in eve.  Preached on John 3:3.

Aug 31 - A cold night last night.  Moderating today.  Pleasant chaplain's meeting a.m.  Regiment paid off.  Two soldiers paid me up borrowed money - honorable.  A real good letter from wife and a courant*.  We hear of Fort Sumter being demolished and I hope to hear of capture of Charleston.  Good prayer meeting in eve.

* The Hartford Courant is the oldest newspaper in North America in continuous publication.  It began as a weekly in 1764.  Daily publication began in 1837, but the weekly edition continued until 1896.  George Washington used the Courant to lease part of his Mount Vernon estate, and Thomas Jefferson sued the paper for libel, but lost.  During the Revolution the paper had the largest circulation of any paper in the colonies.  The Courant, inspired by a visit by President Lincoln to Hartford CT became leading supporters of the new Republican party.  When Lincoln won his second term the headlines proudly exclaimed "VICTORY, VICTORY, WE'VE GOT 'EM".  During the Civil War the Courant was a primary way of spreading war news among the troops.