Etowah Bridge, Monday, Sept. 12. Very quiet and pleasant day. On detail
to load forage. Harness oiled in the afternoon. Most of the mail taken
to the front. Politics the theme of the day. Considerable discussion.
The friends of the U. S. are like angel visits "few and far between" but
wonderfully in earnest.

Etowah Bridge, Tuesday, Sept. 13. Sultry day. Health very good. On
guard, third relief. Mail arrived late in the evening bringing me five
letters with the good news that my dear brothers were exempt from the
draft, which made me feel perfectly happy and the hours passed
pleasantly on post.

Etowah Bridge, Wednesday, Sept. 14. Spent the day very pleasantly
looking over the large pile of papers received in mail last night.
Bathed in the evening. The musical ones of our Company have put up a
small tent where every evening they congregate and produce a large
amount of noise, if not music. Fiddle, banjo, tambourine, triangle and
bones used with a will. They had a "gander dance" to-night on gun
platform till very late, seemed to enjoy it capitally.

Etowah Bridge, Thursday, Sept. 15. Health, spirits and weather very
good. A train of forty wagons with a heavy cavalry escort went to
Stilesboro, a guerrilla hole, two miles down the river. Returned loaded
with cotton. Rebs burning it as fast as possible. This will amply pay
for the mules they captured on the 13th inst. Went to town in the
evening with Griff.

Etowah Bridge, Friday, Sept. 16. Last night was very cold, freezing a
little this morning. Hot enough in midday. No news or excitement. No
prospects of marching very suddenly now. The "'61 boys" are rather
apprehensive that their papers will not come around in time to leave on
the 20th. Interesting congratulatory order from General Logan read to us
at retreat to the 15th Army Corps saying that they fear not the enemy,
but punish and defeat him.

[Sidenote: 1864 Politics in Camp]

Etowah Bridge, Saturday, Sept. 17. On guard, third relief. Mail received
8 A. M. Got a letter from Cousin John, wounded, lying in New York
Harbor. Doing well, full of pluck and patriotism. A sharp spice of
politics was thrown in to-day. "Macs" [supporters of McClellan for
president] growing fewer, several on the fence. Policed camp in the
evening.

Etowah Bridge, Sunday, Sept. 18. Rainy night, and continued cloudy
through the day. Contracted a bad cold while on post last night.
Received two letters from John and Hannah in