Diary Entry:
Snowy day. very unpleasant outdoors.
Stricker had a sore heel.
See scanned diary page.
February 16, 1863: Dress Parade in Evening
Diary Entry:
Pleasant day. Dress Parade in evening. received my Military Journal of Revolution. put in Strickers care when we left Baltimore. he wanted to keep it, but merely showed his meaness in the attempt.
See the scanned diary page.
More Information:
Cyrus was probably referring to the Military Journal of the American Revolution, a book based on the journal that James Thatcher, M.D. kept during the Revolutionary War. The book was published in 1862 and seemed to make an impact on Cyrus; he kept a table in the back of his diary (see below) comparing the Revolutionary Pay of Soldiers to the pay of those soldiers with the same grade in the Union and Confederate Armies during the Civil War.
Source: Delaware Public Archives Reference Roll (RG 9270.005) Diary of Cyrus H. Forwood
February 15, 1863: All Quiet as Usual
Diary Entry:
Rain until 2 P.M. all quiet as usual. Co. A, getting independent of Stricker. he don’t like it.
See the scanned diary page.
February 14, 1863: Nothing Unusual
Diary Entry:
Very fine day. nothing unusual today to mar the monotony of camp life.
See the scanned diary page.
February 13: Battalion Drill
Diary Entry:
Pleasant day. nothing important occurred. Battalion drill. 80 men in ranks.
See the scanned diary page.
February 12, 1863: Dull Cloudy Day
Diary Entry:
Dull cloudy day with a little rain. some of our men were on guard at the Brigade Commissary last night. stole a barrel of whiskey and got drunk.
See the scanned diary page.
February 11, 1863: Nothing Important
Diary Entry:
Rain, hail and snow, a very disagreeable day. Nothing important today.
See the scanned diary page.
February 10, 1863: Birthday!
Diary Entry:
Birthday.
Battalion drill, 75 men in ranks. fine day.
Drum Major and Charley S. draw pay for two n______ and keep only one.
See the scanned diary page.
More Information:
Cyrus was 25 years old when he mustered into the Second Delaware in 1861, so this would have been his 27th birthday.
February 9, 1863: Our Den
Diary Entry:
Inspection at 2 1/2 P.M. J.P. Fryer returned from U.S. Hospital. we have named our new tent “Our Den”. It is 11 by 6 1/2 feet and six high.
See the scanned diary page.
February 8, 1863: Finished Our Hut
Diary Entry:
We moved to new quarters to day and although Sunday, we had to work all day, to finish our new hut.
Very fine day.
See the scanned diary page.
-
Who was Cyrus Forwood?
On May 11th, 1861, Delawarean Cyrus Forwood volunteered for three months of service in the Union Army. Forwood served in the military for approximately three years. Most of his time was spent with Company A, 2nd Delaware Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
About Forwood's Blog
As part of the State of Delaware's Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration, the Delaware Public Archives is using this blog to repost notes and observations Forwood wrote in his diary during his time as a soldier--day-by-day, 150 years from when Forwood wrote the entries. The diary entries are taken from the original, which was loaned to the Historical Society of Delaware by W. T. Hinkson. As a reader, you can "follow" Forwood and learn more about the day-to-day life of a Delaware Soldier in the American Civil War.
Follow Cyrus on Twitter or Facebook. Trace Cyrus' progress through the war on a Google map.