[from the diary of Wesley Hammond of the Dixie Greys, Co. E. of the 42nd Virginia]

Monday

Skirmish drill _ Company

and Battallion drills – Read

2 Chapters in bible and from

the 3rd to 25th page in Mil-

ton’s Paradise Lost. Plenty to

eat to day, (that is of meat and

corn bread) The day’s work

will close in a few minutes by

calling the roll and prayer.

While writing these lines I am

seated in my tent door – Casting my

eyes occasionally to the Starry

Heavens above me as I often

did in other days – the days of

childhood – which caused my

thoughts often to wander up to

the Great Creator of all things,

and often caused me to exclaim

in the language of the Psalmist –

“When I consider thy heavens,

the work of thy fingers, the moon

and the stars which thou hast

ordained; what is man that

thou art mindful of him, ^ ‘and’ or

the Son of man that thou vis

-itest him”? Also am think

ing of Home and absent

Friends – as I frequently do

when alone.

MSS 5526