Thursday, March 31, 1864

Cloudy and very cold
day I was detailed
to get wood had A good
Squad out 15 loads
and got back to camp at
2 Oclock PM Co drill 10 AM
Battalion drill at 3 PM

Wednesday [March] 30 [1864]

Awoke up this morn and
it was still raining very
hard rained until 10 AM
cloudy the rest of the day
river very high carried
the east end of the Bridge
down river so that the
trains ^'did not run'

Tuesday [March] 29 [1864]

Cloudy and cold
began to rain about
four PM rained
very hard no news
all quiet on the
Rappahannock
Geo. W Hichborn
Medford Maine

Monday, March 28, 1864

Another lovely day co drill
10 AM 2 PM wrote three
letters to day one from to Father
one from to Meda and one to
Nella received one from
Father Parade at the usual
hour

Sunday [March] 27 [1864]

Another Lovely day was relieved
this morn got to camp 10 AM
Orders for inspection at
4 PM inspected by Maj
[Ellis] Spears the 15 New York
heavy Artillery went to
the front to day.

Saturday [March] 26 [1864]

[word lined out and illegible] Cold and cloudy to day went into camp at noon shall be relieved to morrow all quiet to night Maj Gen Sykes isappointed superseded by Warren

General George Sykes (1822-1880) known as "Tardy George" was deemed too slow on the offense by General George G. Meade and was later relieved as commander of the V Corps.

General Gouverneur Kemble Warren (1830-1882) had been in charge of the II Corps in the absence of Winfield S. Hancock who had been severely wounded at Gettysburg. In March of 1864 Warren was given command of the V Corps, "much to the satisfaction of the Maine men," according to Pullen in "The 20th Maine."

Friday, March 25, 1864

Cold and cloudy this
morn began to rain
at four A M rained very
hard until 12 Oclock
then cleared away cold
and the wind blew very
hard all quiet to night

Thursday [March] 24 [1864]

Another Lovely day and
I went on Picket my
Relief was the first five
men in A Relief
received A Letter from
Meda all quiet to night

Wednesday [March] 23 [1864]

Clear and very plesant
about one foot of snow the
wind blew some in the forenoon
but the snow melted very fast all
day was detailed for Picket
to morrow orders to shoot at
Practice shooting at target

Tuesday, March 22, 1864

Cloudy and the wind blew
in the forenoon began to
snow about 2 Oclock snows
very hard to night very
cold did not get the mail
to night no news all
quiet on the Banks of Brandy

Monday [March] 21 [1864]

Clear and warm William
Weymouth was here to day
Charles is A prisnor at
Richmond was taken in Kilpatricks raid [illegible] A
big washing [?] to day

Sunday [March] 20 [1864]

Another clear and very
pleasant day wind blew this
afternoon had to fall in
at 9 Oclock AM and
stack arms all quiet to
night on the Rappahannock
no Parade got a letter from home

Saturday, March 19, 1864

Another Lovely day no drill
the Regt had to fall in and
have their Potografs taken
today received A letter to night
from Sarah and wrote an
answer to it nothing new
no Parade all quiet to night

Friday [March] 18 [1864]

Another lovely day
Co Drill this AM cancel
Drill this PM quite
exciting times this
evening Fell in three
lines and manhunt
yet 9 Oclock PM

Thursday [March] 17 [1864]

Clear and windy went
over to Corps Head Qr
as Guard this morn
Relieved the 83rd. Penn
dull times to day not
nothing to do till to night
my Relief is the 1st four men

Wednesday, March 16, 1864

Clear and windy Squad
drill at 10 AM there is
A Ball over to Division
Head Quarters to night
Grand time I expect was
detailed for Corps Head
Quarters to morrow No Parade

In his Recollections Ellis Spears mentions this ball to which some of the officers of the Regiment received invitations. He attended with his wife Susan and Captain Samuel Keene with his wife Sarah.

Tuesday [March] 15 [1864]

Windy and cold inspection
was inspected by Capt Nash
Gen inspecting officer
3rd. Brigad / 4th Division
5 A Corps write two letters
one to Dan Chase one
to Lizzie Codill 2 PM

Monday [March] 14 [1864]

Clear and very warm went
to Corps HQ Orders
for Gen Inspections to
morrow wrote three
letters this eve one to
Addie Eliza Ell no Parade
to night received two
letters Eliza Ell

Sunday, March 13, 1864

Clear and windy Co
inspection at 10 Oclock
by Capt W. G. Morrill
Parade At the usual
hour

Saturday [March] 12 [1864]

Another lovely day was
relieved At nine this morn
from Guard Orders for
inspection worked on
my Rifle about all day
no Letters to night
Parade at the usual hour

Friday [March]11 [1864]

Went on Guard this morn my
Relief was the 2 four men
in A relief began to rain about
11 Oclock rained all the rest
of the day no News no letters
guess that the folks have all
gone to sleep to Home

Thursday, March 10, 1864

Cloudy this morn looks
like rain began to rain
about ten. rained all day
was detailed to go on
Camp Guard to morrow
nothing new to day no
Letters Co drill 9 1/2 AM

Wednesday [March] 9 [1864]

Another lovely day came
of guard this morn at nine
Oclock Freeman on Railroad
I am on Corps HQ Guard
been to work on my Rifle to
day Parade at the usual
Hour No Drill to day

Pvt, later Cpl Samuel Freeman of 20th Maine, Co. B, possibly the Samuel Freeman (1830- ) a graduate of Bowdoin College and later a druggist in Chelsea, Mass.

Tuesday [March] 8 [1864]

Rained all the forenoon
cleared away about noon
and the sun came out I
went on guard this morn
my Relief was the 32nd. four
men in A relief nothing new
no Letters to night

Monday, March 7, 1864

Clear and windy Co drill in
the forenoon Battalion in the
afternoon had to drill to
Pleas the Laides ?] of the 20th
Maine Great Perfomances
now Maj Spear is in command
Parade at the usual hour

The Civil War Recollections of General Ellis Spear notes that in early January "came a remarkable innovation, unknown to us before in the history of the war. Ladies were permitted to come to a regimental camp." He goes on to note that two or three officers's wives visited camp.

Sunday [March] 6 [1864]

Cloudy and windy
inspection at four Oclock
by Major Ellis Spear
Parade at four no news
to day write A Letter to
Mother to day all quiet
on the Rappahannock [unreadable]

Saturday [March] 5 [1864]

Cloudy and rain not
Releived yet no Rastions
either we started for camp
at 12 Oclock went out to the
Junction took the 2 Oclock
Train went to Rapp. Station
they was just getting ready to
send A relief out

Friday, March 4, 1864

Cloudy and rain windy
no Rastions to day nothing
to do to day Got my dinner
and Supper up to our
Friends they are real
Secss and are not afraid to
[word lined out] talk and own it

Thursday [March ] 3 [1864]

Another lovely day went out
again this morn not much
to do went up to A Secess
House and bought my dinner
Payed 50 cts I got A
letter from Home to night
no Gurrellers yet

Wednesday [March] 2 [1864]

Clear and cold went with five
men from my Regt went out
about half A mile established
the Picket line stayed
till night then went back
to the Reserve nothing new
to day

Tuesday, March 1, 1864

Cloudy in the morn
began to snow about 8 Oclock
snowed all day we are still
heare the workmen did not
come out to day was on
Guard to night my relief
was the fourth no news