Note: This is one week’s worth of diary entries of Octave Bruso, who participated in the Siege of Petersburg as a member of the 50th New York Engineers.1
Sunday July 24, 1864:
Cloudy. In Camp. Wrote to my wife, my sister and to Uncle. Went out walking to see the Petersburg Express. Rained all night.
Monday July 25, 1864:
Beautiful day. In camp all day.
Tuesday July 26, 1864
Beautiful day. In camp all day. Recd a letter from my wife. The 2d Corps went off. The Company went working on the Redoubts.
Wednesday July 27, 1864
Beautiful day. Wrote to my wife. The Company went out again. In camp all day. Heard good news from the 2d and 6th Corps.
Thursday July 28, 1864
Cloudy + Warm, Went to City Point. Started at 4 A.M. and returned at 11 A.M. Out after papers Horseback, in the evening.
Friday July 29, 1864
Pleasent day. Went out after papers in the evening. Recieved orders to be ready to march at 4 A.M. Recieved a letter from my wife and one from Henry.
Saturday July 30, 1864
Warm Day. Petersburg Seized at 4 ½ A.M. Terrible Artillery and Infantry fight. In Camp all day did not move.
(Editor: this was the day of the massive explosion which precipitated the Battle of the Crater.)
Source:
- “1864 Diary of Private Octave Bruso, 50th NY Engineers, Company E” edited by Tom Bauerle, Buffalo, NY, 2010. ↩