This diary, kept by a soldier in the 138th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, chronicles the regiment's movements throughout Maryland and northern Virginia between June 16, 1863, and January 1, 1864. The author listed three soldiers from Company A who died, deserted, or were discharged, and he also frequently mentioned Captain L. C. Andress of Company H, who died on November 12, 1863. He composed entries of varying lengths on an almost daily basis, consistently noting the regiment's movements during the pursuit of Lee from Pennsylvania to Virginia. The author also documented various aspects of camp life. Though the regiment saw little action, it did participate in guard duty near Washington, D. C. The soldier reflected upon the history of the war as he passed Manassas, where he saw "Graves every mile or so" (October 19). In early December, he received 10 days of leave. In the back of the journal, which concluded on January 1, 1864, the author recorded his "Expenses for Mess" and the amount of money sent home to his wife.
The 138th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, containing 10 companies, was one of the first regiments to organize after President Abraham Lincoln's call for volunteers. The regiment mustered at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on August 26, 1862, under Charles L.K. Sumwalt, and spent much of 1863 in Maryland and northern Virginia, pursuing Confederate General Robert E. Lee. They first saw action in the Battle of Wapping Heights on July 23, 1863, and served as part of the Army of the Potomac and, later, the Army of the Shenandoah. The regiment was mustered out on June 23, 1865.
