THE DIARY OF DAVID M. STEVENS,

1st Maine Cavalry Regiment

1863


NOTE: David M. Stevens was born 24 Feb. 1823 in Litchfield, Kennebec Co., Me. On 26 Apr. 1846 in Gardiner, Kennebeck Co., Me. he married Lucy Jane Peacock. The births of seven children were recorded in their family bible. The diary and bible passed down through his son Alvah Burton Stevens who married Delia Mooers Atkins in S. Gardiner, Me. They had no children. The Diary and bible were placed in storage after Delia died in 1930. In 1965 I discovered both in an old trunk in a barn belonging to the Atkins family of S. Gardiner.

   The diary itself is slightly less than three inches wide, six inches tall and about 1 quarter inch thick. Dated space for three days of entrys are provided on each page. This small space might have been a contributing factor to the general brevity of David's notes. David made his comments in pencil; one probably harder than a number 2 for the writing is relatively faint and sometimes difficult to read.

   Based on a suggestion made by Dan Peters after he read a transcript of the Diary is is now known that David Stevens was attached to the 1st Maine Cavalry Regiment. The entries for the 1st Maine Cavalry contained in Dyers Compendium can be accessed at  

THE CIVIL WAR ARCHIVES


THE DIARY

JANUARY 1863

Mon. 2 Jan. - Left the hospital.

No Entrys from 3 Jan - 7 Jan.

Sun. 8 Jan. - Got back to the brigade

No entrys from 9 Jan - 12 Feb.

FEBRUARY 1863

Fri. 13 Feb. - Went over to the 19th maine

Sat. 14 Feb. - Went to se the rigerment

Sun. 15 Feb. - A rough among the pieneers.

Mon. 16 Feb. - Brigade went out on picket and I comenced to cook.

Tue. 17 Feb. - We had a snow storm it snode 4 or 5 inches.

Wed 18 Feb. - Raind.

Thu. 19 Feb. - The boys came in from Picket. I received a letter from home.

Fri. 20 Feb. - Brigade reogerniesed

Sat. 21 Feb. - Went as orderlys for Birdon

Sun. 22 Feb. - We had about 8 inch snow.

Mon. 23 Feb. - Emerson went to his compeny

Tue. 24 Feb. - My 40th Birthday I was in camp near Falmouth, Va. Our pickets driven in by                            Stuarts Cavalry.

Wed. 25 Feb. - Sent out 500 men to strenthen the pickets

Thu. 26 Feb. - We had a heavy raine.

Fri. 27 Feb. - The weather was very fine

Sat. 28 Feb. - Heard from home and heard that William Peacocks little girle was dead.

MARCH 1863

Sun. 1 Mar. - raine in the morning but cleard of at noon.

Mon. 2 Mar. - Went down to the rigerment and got a horse.

Tue. 3 Mar. - Weather fine

Wed. 4 Mar. - Went to se the 19 maine.

Thu. 5 Mar. - very cold

Fri. 6 Mar. - Brigade went on picket I wrote Samuel

Sat. 7 Mar. - We had a joly time

Sun. 8 Mar. - We had an oster stew

Mon. 9 Mar. - Went up to Falmouth and saw the rebels pickets across the river.

Tue. 10 Mar. - Weather cold and some snow

Wed. 11 Mar. - Got orders to return to our compiney

Thu. 12 Mar. - Returned to rigerment

Fri. 13 Mar. - Weather very cold

Sat. 14 Mar. - put up or tent and moved into it

Sun. 15 Mar. - had a thunder showr.

Mon. 16 Mar. - went out on inspection

Tue. 17 Mar. - went down to the landing

Wed. 18 Mar. - went as ordley for gen cregge

Thu. 19 Mar. - rigerment came in from picket

Fri. 20 Mar. - cold snow storm

Sat. 21 Mar. - rane storm

Sun. 22 Mar. - weather very fine

Mon. 23 Mar. - went out to drill

Tue. 24 Mar. - went out on brigade drill and inspection and Co. M came to the rigerment

Wed. 25 Mar. - went out on grand revew and Co. H came to the rigerment

Thu. 26 Mar. - the weather very fine

Fri. 27 Mar. - weather very plesant

Sat. 28 Mar. - thunder shur and stormed all day

Sun. 29 Mar. - went on picket and the weather very cold

Mon. 30 Mar. - very plesant until 4 oclock and then it rained and snowd all night

Tue. 31 Mar. - the weather cold and windy

APRIL 1863

Wed. 1 Apr. - We was relieved from picket Pork from Luntz___?___.

Thu. 2 Apr. - the weather very plesant we had an alarm in camp that the rebels had crosed the                         river

Fri. 3 Apr. - the weather very plesant

Sat. 4 Apr. - weather cold and began to snow at night and snowed all night

Sun. 5 Apr. - the weather bad

Mon. 6 Apr. the weather very plesant

Tue. 7 Apr. - came in from picket

Wed. 8 Apr. - brigade went out to se two solgiers drumed out of camp

Thu. 9 Apr. - the weather plesant we had a scirmish drill

Fri. 10 Apr. - the weather very plesant we were mustered

Sat. 11 Apr. - weather very fine

Sun. 12 Apr. - the weather very plesant and we got orders to be ready to move at a momets                             notes

Mon. 13 Apr. - we brok camp and marched all day

Tue 14 Apr. - went to raperhanac (Rappahannock) stacion and drove the rebels from the bridge

Wed. 15 Apr. - rained all day we moved up about 1 mild and camped in a pine woods

Thu. 16 Apr. - we moved back about a mild and camped in an oak woods.

Fri. 17 Apr. - the weather plesant

Sat. 18 Apr. - we went on picket. I got a letter from home

Sun. 19 Apr. - we stil remane on picket I went into camp at midnight

Mon. 20 Apr. - started to cros the river to make a rade acros the river

Tue. 21 Apr. - we had to camp on acount of a raine

Wed. 22 Apr. - We marched to catlic (Catlett's) stacion

Thur. 23 Apr. - we are still at catlic on picket

Fri. 24 Apr. - it rained all day and cleard off with a thunder shouer.

Sat. 25 Apr. - a man shot his (self? unreadable )through the foot in Co., M. we went out on                              picket on the Gainsvill road

Sun 26 Apr. - we remain on picket and the weather very cold

Mon. 27 Apr. - the weather very warm

Tue. 28 Apr. - the weather rainey and we wear relieved from picket had order to move about                            5oc (oclock?)

Wed. 29 Apr. - we crosed the river at 9 oclock in the morning

Thu. 30 Apr. - Marched down and crossed raperdom (Rapidan)

MAY 1863

Fri. 1 May - marched down and tor up the railroad, at night marched to thomsons cros roads

Sat. 2 May - We lay out (at?) loouiser (Louisa) court house and went to the cros roades at night

Sun. 3 May - went down and tor up a bridge and stoped at the meeting house at night

Mon. 4 May - came back to luing (?) crick and went into camp for the remainder of the night

Tue. 5 May - remaind thear until five oclock marched all night and crosed the Raperdan .....

Wed. 6 May - at five oclock in the morning and remaned thear until just as night and marched to                        the raperhanac

Thu. 7 May - crosed the raperhanac this morning

Fri. 8 May - recrosed the raperhanac and camped near bealton stacion

Sat. 9 May - the weather very fine we lay at bealton station

Sun. 10 May - I comenced to cook for head quarters we moved to potomac crick in the                                   afternoon

Mon. 11 May - No Entry

Tue. 12 May - the weather very fine the boys came up from acqay (Aquia) crick

Wed. 13 May - the rigerment was payed off

Thu. 14 May - moved up on the hil

Fri. 15 May - marched to bealton stacion

Sat. 16 May - marched into the woods and the rigerment went on picket

Sun. 17 May - the compiney came in from picket

Mon. 18 May - I was sick with the dierrier

Tue. 19 May - I was sick all day

Wed. 20 May - we moved back to bealton stacion

Thu. 21 May - the forges came to the rigerment

Fri. 22 May - the compiney came in from picket and I got a parr of boots

Sat. 23 May - the weather very hot

Sun. 24 May - the weather very (no further entry)

Mon. 25 May - the weather cold enough for a grate coat

Tue. 26 May - the weather fine but cool

Wed. 27 May - the weather very fine

Thu. 28 May - had a leter from home with charley's minerture

Fri. 29 May - the weather fine but quite warm

Sat. 30 May - the rebs made a rade on the railroad and bunt a train of cars and we moved to                            warington junction

Sun. 31 May - the cars came to warington junction

JUNE 1863

Mon. 1 Jun. - the weather plesant

Tue. 2 Jun. - the weather plesant

Wed 3 Jun. - No entry

Thu. 4 Jun. - No Entry

Fri. 5 Jun. - No Entry

Sat. 6 Jun. - No Entry

Sun. 7 Jun. - kilpatrick returned and took comand of the brigade

Mon. 8 Jun. - we had orders to march at three oclock and marched down near kely ford

Tue. 9 Jun. - We crosed the river and had a fight near raperhanac stacion at Brandy.

Wed. 10 Jun. - we moved back to warington junction and went into camp.

Thu. 11 Jun. - No entry

Fri. 12 Jun. - No entry

Sat 13 Jun. - No entry

Sun. 14 Jun. - No entry

Mon. 15 Jun. - left camp at warington junction and stoped near manassus junction

Tue. 16 Jun. - remained thear until wednesday

Wed. 17 Jun. - left manassus junction and olney where we had a fight with the rebs

Thu. 18 Jun. - they wer scirmishing all day

Fri. 19 Jun. - had a hard fight lutenant kimball was kild

Sat. 20 Jun. - quiet all day

Sun. 21 Jun. - drove the rebels to ashleys gap

Mon. 22 Jun. - fel back to alldeis

Tue. 23 Jun. - remained in camp

Wed. 24 Jun. - remained in camp

Thu. 25 Jun. - at night camped near good crick

Fri. 26 Jun. - No entry

Sat. 27 Jun. - crosed the river after dark and marched all night

Sun. 28 Jun. - stayed at monoxey juncton until 2 oclock and marched to frederick

Mon. 29 Jun. - left fredrick at 9 oclock and marched to newincer ( "westminster" is crossed                               out).

Tue. 30 Jun. - marched to manchester and stayed for the night

JULY 1863

Wed. 1 July - marched to hanover and halted for an hour and then started for getersburg

Thu. 2 July - comenced to fight at getersburg

Fri. 3 July - had a tremendust fight at and near getersburg

Sat. 4 July - remained quiet all day

Sun. 5 July - marched to getersburg

Mon. 6 July - marched to grafton springs whear we passed the day and night

Tue. 7 July - marched to quincy and camped for the night

Wed. 8 July - left camp at 10 oclock and marched over the mountings camped on the mounting                       over night

Thu. 9 July - marched to midelton and camped for the night in a wheat field

Fri. 10 July - moved out back of the town and camped in a clover field

Sat. 11 July - marched to boonsborough whear we went into camp for the night

Sun. 12 July - remained in camp at boonsborough

Mon. 13 July - remained in camp

Tue. 14 July - marched to harpers fery whear we camped for the night

Wed. 15 July - remained in camp

Thu. 16 July - had a hard fight near sheperdstown and fel back to harpers fery at night

Fri. 17 July - got back to harpers fery in the morning and remained in camp

Sat. 18 July - remained in camp all day

Sun. 19 July - remained in camp until 10 oclock and marched to lovilsvill and went into camp                          fore the night

Mon. 20 July - left lovilsvill and marched through leaburg and camped for the night

Tue. 21 July - marched through centersvil to with about two miles of mannasses juncion and                             camped for the night

Wed. 22 July - marched to manasses juncion and went into camp

Thu. 23 July - remained in camp

Fri. 24 July - marched from manasser juntion to within tow miles of werington juntion and                               camped for the night

Sat. 25 July - moved to warington junction and went into camp

Sun. 26 July - marched to bealton station and went into camp

Mon. 28 July - remained in camp

Tue. 29 July - marched from bealton station and camppent on the warington and waterloo pike

Wed. 30 July - resumed our march and marched to tomisvill and went into camp

Fri. 31 July - we moved camp

AUGUST 1863

Sat. 1 Aug. - rigerment went on picket but I remained in camp

Sun. 2 Aug. - remained in camp

Mon. 3 Aug. - the rigerment came in from picket

Tue. 4 Aug. - we remained in camp

Wed. 5 Aug. - stil remained in camp

Thu. 6 Aug. - remained in camp

Fri. 7 Aug. - we marched to near celpher springs and went into camp

Sat. 8 Aug. - remained in camp the weather very hot

Sun. 9 Aug. - remained in camp the weather very hot

Mon. 10 Aug. - went over to celpher springs

Tue. 11 Aug. - remained in camp the weather very hot

Wed. 12 Aug. - remained in camp

Thu. 13 Aug. - rigerment went on pickit

Fri. 14 Aug. - remained on pickit

Sat. 15 Aug. - came in from pickit and moved near catlic stacion

Sun. 16 Aug. - went into camp

Mon. 17 Aug. through Mon. 31 Aug. - No Entries

SEPTEMBER 1863

Tue. 1 Sep. - No entry

Wed. 2 Sep. - went on gard

Thu. 3 Sep. through Sat. 12 Sep. - No Entries

Sun. 13 Sep. - rigerment started on a reconorcenses and I went back over the river

Mon. 14 Sep. - we started for cul peper and stoped all night 2 miles out of town

Tue. 15 Sep. through Fri. 25 Sep. - No Entries [ It appears from subsequent entries that at                           some point during this period of time David Stevens went again as a cook                           since he records payments for supplies from 26 Sep through Oct. 4 in his                             diary.]

Sat. 26 Sep. - payed for our beefs liver $5

                       recieved of mager chilley 5:00

Sun. 27 Sep - payed for fresh beef 2.70

                       payed for bisket 75 {cents}

Mon. 28 Sep. - payed baker for bisket 50

Tue. 29 Sep. - payed for potatoes and onyons 75 {cents}

                        payed baker for bread 50

Wed. 30 Sep. - reciefed 5.00

                         payed the comasary for bread and beens 150

                         payed baker for biskit 20

OCTOBER 1863

Thu. 1 Oct. - payed baker for a cake 35

                      payed forest for chees 25

Fri. 2 Oct. - payed baker coks {Cox?} 25

Sat. 3 Oct. - payed baker for bisket 50

Sun. 4 Oct. - payed baker for cakes 20

                     for chees 125

Mon. 5 Oct. - No entry

Tue 6 Oct. - returned to the compiny

Wed. 7 Oct. - No Entry

Thu. 8 Oct. - No Entry

Fri. 9 Oct. - No Entry

Sat. 10 Oct. - rigerment started for the frount

Sun. 11 Oct. - sunday I went into warington junction in the cars

Mon. 12 Oct. - went back to bealton and got a pass to go to the dismounted camps

Tue. 13 Oct. - got to the dismounted camp

Wed. 14 Oct. - remained camp

Thu. 15 Oct. - remained in camp

Fri. 16 Oct. - went on guard

Sat. 17 Oct. - started bck to the rigerment

Sun. 18 Oct. - got back to the rigerment

Mon. 19 Oct. - my hors played out

Tue. 20 Oct. - got up with the teems and went to gainsvill

Wed. 21 Oct. - went to near fayetsfill and went into camp

Thur. 22 Oct thru Mon. 26 Oct. - "remained in camp"

Tue. 27 Oct. - the rigerment went on pickit

Wed. 28 Oct. - remained on Pickit

Thu. 29 Oct. - remained on Pickit

Fri. 30 OCt. - the rigerment remained on picket

Sat. 31 Oct. - we went out to the pickits and saw the fight at raperhanac stacion

NOVEMBER 1863

Sun. 1 Nov. - was called in from pickit and marched to morisvill and stoped in an open filed

Mon. 2 Nov. thru Wed 4 Nov. - No Entries

Thu. 5 Nov. - Ridley 1.00

                      Burns 1.00

                      Peavy 1.00

Fri. 6 Nov. - No entry

Sat. 7 Nov. - No entry

Sun. 8 Nov. - Lent ranals 50

Mon. 9 Nov. - marched to kelys ford

Tue 10 Nov. - went to calits station with condemed hosses

Wed. 11 Nov. - came back morisvil and went into camp. lent liby 4.00

Thu. 12 Nov. - remained in camp

                        lent Abbut 4.00

                        lent andrews 50

Fri. 13 Nov. - rigirment went on pickit

Sat. 14 Nov. - rigerment remained on pickit

Sun. 15 Nov. - thear was fighing on the raperdan

Mon. 16 Nov. - rigerment came in from pickit

Tue. 17 Nov. - remained in camp I was sick

Wed. 18 Nov. - I was sick

Thu. 19 Nov. - I was sick

Fri. 20 Nov. - I was better

Sat. 21 Nov. - I was better

Sun. 22 Nov. - remained in camp lent lou (?) libby 5.00

Mon. 23 Nov. - had orders to move and got all redy and then went into camp

Tue. 24 Nov. - marched at six oclock and crosed alises ford and marched towards the railroade                         and camped near the tems (teams?)

Wed. 25 Nov. - remained in camp all day and all night

Thu. 26 Nov. - the army crosed the raperdan and we came back near elises ford and stoped                             overnight

Fri. 27 Nov. - fighting all day the teems moved down to the river

Sat. 28 Nov. - we remained in camp all day

Sun. 29 Nov. - thear was a cavalry fight near the plank road

Mon. 30 Nov. - the train moved back about one mile

DECEMBER 1863

Tue. 1 Dec. - our army began to fall back

Wed. 2 Dec. - we fal back part way to brandy stacion and stoped until (4 oclock is marked                              out) morning

Thu. 3 Dec. - started at fore oclock and went to brandy stacion whear we stoped all night

Fri. 4 Dec. - remained at brandy

Sat. 5 Dec. - stil remained at brandy station

Sun. 6 Dec. - joined the rigerment lent colbern 2.00

Mon. 7 Dec. - the rigerment went on pickit

Tue. 8 Dec. - remained on pickit

Wed. 9 Dec. - Ellit 1.00

                       Sanborn 1.00

                      Andrews 1.00

                      Maraner 20

Thu. 10 Dec. - No entry

Fri. 11 Dec. - No entry

Sat 12 Dec. - we moved to bealton

Sun. 13 Dec. - remained in camp

Mon. 14 Dec. - the rigerment went on picket

Tue. 15 Dec. - a squad came from Culpeper with horses

Wed. 16 Nov. - No entry

Thu. 17 Nov. - No entry

Fri. 18 Nov. - William Peacock comenced to take milk the 11 day of Oct.

Sat. 19 Dec. - No entry

Sun. 20 Dec. - No entry

This ends the dated portion of the diary. The pages containing dates 21 through 31 December were not present, having been removed from the diary at some time prior to when it came into my possession.

In the Memoranda section of the diary is found:

"A toast:

Our fire engines may they be like our old maids. all ways ready but never wanted."

"No. of carbeen 64,5,28"

"No of Pistol 24,5,97"

There were numerous columns of numbers written in blank pages of the diary. Apparently he had been doing some bookkeeping concerning supplies or perhaps in some cases concerning the money he had lent out. There were no written notations associated with the numbers and math work.


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