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68. (CIVIL WAR DIARIES OF DANIEL WETZEL OF THE 7TH PA. CAVALRY) A fine set of three oilskin covered diaries kept by Cavalryman Daniel Wetzel, beginning with his enlistment in October of 1861, and ending with his discharge from the service on September 29 of 1864. The Seventh Cavalry was a true fighting regiment, seeing active service against both Morgan and Forrest, participating in many engagements in the West, including the capture of Atlanta. Wetzel was a good and contentious diary keeper, making daily entries in ink in a clear hand. Wetzel seemed to be constantly involved in skirmishes, and the diaries are rich in excellent content, as the following samples illustrate: "...June 4, 1862...marched 10 miles over the Cumberland Mountain, then fell in with the enemy and made a charge on them, and run them 5 miles...June 7...Camped near Chattanooga last night Cannonading for one hour from both sides of the Tennessee River...July 27, got attacked on our pickets at 4 o'clock A.M. and lost 15 men and one Capt...Sept.16, 1862..moved our camp 2 miles to the other side Bowling Green and prepared for a march through Kentucky and after Bragg...Sept. 19...Went 5 miles on a lope and cached the enemy... Sept.20...skirmishing all day, lost 1 man...Oct.8, 1862...Left camp again at 8 A.M. and marched 8 miles, then fell out wit the rebels and raised a fight which kept on till 8 o clock p.m., then camped on the battlefield that the rebels left...Oct. 9, Drawed in line of battle...till 9 o clock A.M., then advanced after the enemy for 6 miles...Oct. 10...marched 5 miles on the other side of Perryville then caught up to the enemy's rear guard and had to fight with them all day & all night, rain all day and all night...Oct. 11...no rebels to be seen before we got to Harrisburg. There we Captured about 200 men , then marched 8 miles back...October 14..arrived in Stanford at 10 o clock A. M. and had a nice fight on this side of the town...October 15...Arrived in grape Orchard at 11 o'clock A.M, There the bullets commenced to fly on both sides. Chased the rebels 8 miles further till 6 o clock...Nov. 16, 1862...Left Camp near Hartsville at 7 O' Clock A.M. and marched 15 miles to a nice place they call Lebanon, made a charge on the town and got some prisoners , then marched 15 miles back to camp again...Nov. 29...went on a scout on the Franklin Pike, then found plenty Rebels, fought them for a while, got to camp at 3 A.M...Dec 11, 1862..Left Camp Rosecrans at Break of day, marched 9 miles then met the enemy and run them for 9 miles , then camped in the middle of the road for that night...Dec. 12...Left camp at Break a day and went 5 miles an trot, then got to Franklin, killed 7 men...Dec 26, 1862...Left Camp Rosecrans near Nashville at 8A.M. and marched 15 miles...met the enemy a t1 P.M., then the cannonading commenced on both sides and kept o till 6...a good many horses was killed but not many men. Dec. 29...marched 8 miles back on the Nashville Pike. There we met with a small squad of rebels that was after borrowing 25 of our teams. We drove [them] into the woods, and we followed them up for about 3 miles then turned back on the pike...Dec.30...Countermarched and went 12 miles the same road, and met the enemy by thousands...The first fight we had that day we had to leave the field...we was not strong enough, but after we fell back a short distance we formed a line and made a charge on them and drove them back into the woods again...Dec.31...went on the Battle Field again and laid in line of battle till 10 o' clock A.M. , then we could see the enemy advancing through the woods...before long the shells and bullets commenced to fly around our heads. WE had to fall back the best way we could and give a show to our infantry and artillery, then the fighting commenced and kept on all day...Jan. 30, 1863...got as far as Unionville, where we met the enemy, about 300 in number, and made a charge on them with drawn sabers and cut them for a mile as hard as we could. We took about 50 prisoners and from them were 30 wounded. We had two men wounded...April 5 and 6, 1863...met with the enemy. Hard skirmishing took place, and kept on for one hour. At break of day...drove the enemy 10 miles before us...June 27, 1863...met plenty Rebels and charged 3 times on them...took 3 pieces of artillery and a good many prisoners . July 2, 1863...Crossed Elk River, found plenty Rebels on the other side of the river. A fine day that day...May 15, 1864...Got within two miles of Rome [ Georgia] and found the enemy there in strong force, then marched 15 miles back again, and had a nice little fight for 10 miles going and coming back...May 24...met the enemy about 2 o clock P.M. about 3 miles beyond Vanworth and had a nice smart fight with them up until 6...when the enemy retired...May 25...marched towards Dallas...marched 5 miles and drove the enemy before us...May 26...all quiet along the lines until 1 P.M. then the ball was opened and kept open until 8p.m., when the enemy retired...May 27...sent half of every co. out of the regiment out for forage...when one brigade of rebels charged on them...Our whole division was ordered out on quick time to save our boys from all being captured...the fighting started at 9 A.M. and was kept up with artillery and musketry till. 8. P.M...May 28...at 10 P.M. the enemy made a charge on Wilder's Brigade & was repulsed with heavy loss., fighting all night...June 9...near Acworth at 1o'clock...we got to the enemy's entrenchments...we had a smart little fight for one hour, when we charged the enemy's works and drove them before us for 4 miles after 5 hours of fighting...June 11...we struck the enemy's pickets and we drove them into their entrenchments, where we had a sharp little fight with them...June 15...started on another move to the right, and drove the Rebels 5 miles before us...formed a line of battle and fixed breast works all along the line...June 20...we went out to see where the enemy was...found that the enemy was hunting for us...heavy fighting started...killed and wounded falling on both sides...we started for camp, and the rebs following us up to a creek where we had to cross and gave us volley after volley while we were crossing. After we crossed 6 pieces of artillery was opened on them and they skedaddled...July 4...Got to the rebel rifle pits...a right smart little fight started and lasted all day. The rebels crossed the Chattahoochee river that night...July 28, 1864...The rebels attacked us at 5 o'clock from all sides. We formed a line of Battle and barricaded our lines as quick as possible. When we were about ready for them they came on by swarms. They charged them and drove them wild through the country..." Much more, beginning with Wetzel's first day of enlistment and ending with his leaving the army. Diary groupings that cover an individual's entire wartime experience are becoming scarce, especially as well written as is the case with this group, which is in very good or better condition. $3,000-5,000
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