10 A.
M., when it came--"to strike tents" and march out. Marched through town
which was once an active place from appearances. Followed the Nashville
road for one mile then turned east through a low swampy bottom, and of
course progressed very slowly through mud holes and over corduroys,
having to halt frequently to allow trains to close up. Made coffee.
Camped at 4 P. M. Pitched our tents at will in a thicket of oak and pine
on a side hill. Rails plenty out of which we made large fires and
gathered large piles of leaves for "downy beds." The evening was calm
and still, the thick growth above giving our camp a picturesque
appearance like a mammoth hall. It was Christmas eve, and many were the
loving wishes that "we were home". Game of cards whiled away the hours
pleasantly to many. I was suffering with a severe toothache. The very
thing to relieve it--lay down early and contrasted past scenes with
present, trying to pry into the future, until weary nature lulled pain
and homesickness, and I slept to dream of home.

[Sidenote: 1863 Christmas Marching]

Bellefonte, Ala., Friday, Dec. 25. Christmas Night. Awoke, not to the
chiming voices of happy children as they cried "Wish you Merry
Christmas", but to the notes of the bugle calling us to be ready to
move. Struck tents at 8 A. M. Roads much better than those we have
passed. Marched fast most of the time, having to go much out of the way
to avoid swamps or bluffs. Marched quietly along, absorbed in thinking
of home, and what they are doing this Christmas Day. Came into camp late
at night near the county seat of Jackson County. The buildings burned
and gone to ruin. I was very tired and footsore. No crackers for supper,
so we made up the Christmas supper on parched corn and coffee. Tooth
ached badly, had but little sleep. During the night rained very heavy.

Larkinsville, Ala., Saturday, Dec. 26. Four small crackers (1/3 day's
rations) were issued to us this morning for breakfast, reserving the
others for the day's march. Struck tents in a drenching rain, and
continued all day. We marched along through the mud and rain, part of
the roads exceedingly bad, being a low marshy ground covered with water
for miles, timbered with large beech trees and green holly. Scottsboro
is a very pretty little station five miles from Larkinsville,
headquarters of the 15th Corps. Warning given not to enter houses as
smallpox was prevalent, one house had five patients, another a corpse.