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1864 Civil War diary by Sergeant Joseph B. Corey, who enlisted in the 34th Massachusetts Infantry, Co. H, at the age of 18 and was quickly promoted to Corporal and then Sergeant. Corey writes in the diary nearly every day, filling the 3'' x 7'' sheets and recording continual skirmishing as well as the Battles of New Market, Piedmont and Lynchburg, where the 34th lost nearly 250 in killed and wounded.
In chronological order, Corey writes on 10 January: ''...Cole's Cavelry was surprised this morning over in Louden while asleep by Mosely. Our Regt. went down there double-quick but the Rebs were driven off before we got over there with considerable loss...'' Shortly before the Battle of New Market, he writes, ''...I went out about two miles this forenoon and helped kill a pig and had it for dinner. The boys cleaned out all of the citizens in these parts...'' The day before New Market: ''...Ordered to fall in at about 11 this forenoon and follow the enemy beyond Mount Jackson. Came up with them at about 4 in the afternoon and had an artillery fight with them until dark...''
The next day on 15 May, Corey writes about the Battle of new Market: ''...5th day of rain...We deployed skirmishers at about 8 and the Rebs advanced on us in three lines. We retreated about a mile and found a line of battle. They came up to us and we fired about 15 minutes and then charged. We were driven back to Mount Jackson...'' On 16 May he writes, ''...Marched back to Cedar Creek...[Martin Van Buren] Grimes was wounded and left on the field...The wounded went back to Middle Town tonight...'' On 19 May he writes, ''...Had orders to pack up this morning and go back to Strasburg where the fortifications are. Col. Wells raised a flag on the hill and Gen Sigel was present and made a speech. He said that we was as good a regt as he ever saw. I was detailed for picket...'' On 26 May Corey writes, ''...Albert Blanchard was shot by George Hubbard this morning by accident. Buryed him under an apple tree...''
On 5 June Corey reports on the Battle of Piedmont, ''...Fell in at 5 and started through the woods in two columns. Found the rebs behind a breast work of rails. The first brigade fought them all of the forenoon and then the 2nd brigade flanked them and drove them. We encamped just beyond the battle field...'' The next day he writes, ''...We lost 13 or 14 men in our company in wounded and two killed. Lieut. [Albert] Walker was wounded in the breast...'' On 11-13 June he reports, ''...Gen. Brooks had a fight and drove the Rebs from town...[General David] Hunter burned quite a number of public buildings this morning, including the military institute...''
On 17-21 June, Corey writes of the Battle of Lynchburg, ''...Fell in this morning at 4 and went across the creek and waited for the train to close up by marching to within about 5 miles of Lynchburg and came up with the enemy. Gen. Crooks men with Gen Averil's drove them over two miles. Our division relieved Brooks after dark...We commenced to fire on them at half past 6. Kept up the musket firing all day. We had 1 killed and 4 wounded. Stayed in line until just after dark and then commenced to fall back. Marched all night...Started again and came back this side of Liberty and stacked arms. The Rebs followed us up so that we had to start again just after dark. We had a pretty hard skirmish just before dark...We stopped about an hour and was ordered forward double quick, the Rebs having attacked our artillery. They took and destroyed 11 pieces. We marched over a very high mountain and encamped for the night...found that we killed more of the Rebs then they did of us...''
In late July, Corey writes of several skirmishes around Winchester: ''...The Rebs drove in our outposts at about 10 and we went out and formed a line of battle in the woods...The Rebs advanced again today about 11 and we went out into our breast works. We advanced about a mile and a half on the double quick and camp up to their lines, but our left broke and we had to skedaddle. They followed us up and tried to cut us off from Martinsburg. Came back to Bunker Hill...Our company was on picket last night and the Rebs came on to us this morning and drove us in. The whole inftry had fell back except our brigade which was left as rear guard. We stopped on our old camp in Martinsburg and had a fight with the Rebs and fell back through the town. We stayed there until after dark and then marched to Williamsport Ford...'' In early August he reports on the Rebels retreating back over the Potomac and into the Shenandoah Valley.
At Cedar Creek on 13 October, he reports that ''Col. [George Duncan] Wells was killed in action today.'' and then ''Walker Cutting was killed up in the valley.'' On 2 December he writes an interesting account of a botched hanging, ''...French Will, one of Mosbys men, was hung up by the parapet this afternoon. The rope broke the first time and then they had to carry him up on the scaffold...'' Diary in pencil is very legible except for a handful of smudged pages. Front cover is a bit loose, overall in very good condition. CDV of Corey in uniform is also present.
CDV & Diary by 18 Year-Old Sergeant in the 34th Massachusetts Infantry -- Battles of Lynchburg, Piedmont & New Market -- ''...found that we killed more of the Rebs then they did of us...''
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