Civil War Diary
Note: The diary entries below are Nathan Parmater’s and have not been edited. Entries in (parentheses) are his while those in [brackets] are added for clarity.
The United States Civil War started on April 12, 1861, with the attack on Fort Sumter, and ended in May 1865. Nathan Parmater’s Civil War diary’s first entry is dated September 23, 1861, and the last is August 10, 1865. The diary describes in an understated and matter of fact manner many of the significant events of the war. Nathan and fellow members of the 29th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry, the 29th Ohio, participated in roughly twenty battles including the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, and Sherman’s March to the Sea.
One of the events Nathan witnessed was the execution of three Army of the Potomac deserters, in Leesburg, Virginia, on June 19, 1863. The 29th Ohio, among many other regiments in the Second Division, were called to form a hollow square partially surrounding three dug graves and three rough coffins. The convicted men were blindfolded and seated beside a coffin in a position facing a firing squad. After a few short words and a prayer from a chaplain, the command “ready, aim, fire” was given and the three fell back into their coffins. Of the incident Nathan wrote: “Such a sight I hope I will never be called to witness again.”
On the first of July 1863, the 29th Ohio was in Littlestown, Pennsylvania, not far from Gettysburg. The following passages attempt to describe three of the 783 days penned in Nathan’s diary.
Wednesday July 1 - Marched at 7 A.M. went back to the town and filed left and marched towards Gettysburg which is ten miles distant, when within four miles of G. we filed into the field and camped, soon we heard cannonading in the vicinity of G. and could see the smoke, but did not advance until about 4 P.M., when within a mile of the town found our men (the 1st and 11th corps) drawn up in line of battle, we took our position on the left, the 1st and 11th advanced through the town but after hard fighting had been driven back to where we found them, bivouacked for the night.
Culp’s Hill is located south of what is now, and was then, the center of Gettysburg. It is a relatively small hill consisting of two peaks separated by a narrow swale. It is heavily wooded and rocky, bound to the east by Rock Creek. It is difficult ground to cover, less hospitable than the open farm fields to the east and the immediate west where other Union troops had formed.
During the Battle of Gettysburg, Culp's Hill was a critical part of the Union Army defensive line. Historians describe the Union position as a “fish hook” and Culp’s Hill represents a prominent feature on the eastern barb of this hook. Maintaining a position on Culp’s Hill was important because it dominated Cemetery Hill and the Baltimore Pike, the Union force’s primary supply route. Defending Culp’s Hill fell to the 29th Ohio, among other units.
On July 1 and into the next day, in withering summer heat and wearing heavy wool uniforms, Union forces constructed breastworks: defensive walls built with felled trees, stone, and earth. Then they waited.
The main battle started the following day, July 2nd. Gunfire erupted in the morning west of Culp’s Hill as Confederate General Longstreet’s forces attempted to push back Union forces on the far side of the fish hook. It was not until later in the afternoon, at around 4:00, that General Ewell launched his attack on the Union forces from the east.
Thursday July 2 - All quiet this morning, we were moved to the extreme right this morning, the enemy commenced on our left in the afternoon and the fight was severe, they drove our men a little, some skirmishing along our line on the right, our Brigade was moved farther to the right, and soon after there was hard fighting where we left, we were on the move nearly all night.
Confederate infantry was at a disadvantage fighting uphill against a Union army dug in behind the breastworks, but General Robert E. Lee ordered General Ewell to continue the assault and Confederate forces tried repeatedly to take the hill.
At dawn on July 3, General Ewell renewed his attack on Culp’s Hill with an artillery bombardment followed by several infantry assaults, all of which were effectively repulsed by Union forces but not without heavy loss of life. An account of the battle describes Captain Edward Hayes, acting commander of the 29th Ohio, dashing forward from the relative shelter of a hollow to the forward breastworks to discuss the relief of the a regiment from New York. Hayes then returned to the hollow, explained the movement, and ordered the 29th Ohio forward. At his signal, the 300 officers and men of the 29th went over the crest by the hollow at a run and through a hail of bullets without pausing to fire until they reached the shelter of the breastworks. Then, covered by the fire of the 29th, the relieved regiment ran back to the hollow.
Nathan’s diary entry reads:
Friday July 3. Battle field at G. -took our old position near the breastworks this morning, and at an early hour the enemy attacked us in force, there was one of the most terrific fires kept up for some six hours (by the 12th Corps) that I ever heard. The fighting was done in a broken and rocky piece of woods, our men had a breastwork and the rebels took to rocks and trees, but as the enemy had taken a part of our breastworks we had to drive them from them in order to get to the breastworks from the reserve we had to charge over a rise of ground which gave the enemy a fair chance at us which they were not slow to improve, as we relieved those at the front about every hour, and gave new or rested troops a chance. It was done handsomely and the best of courage was shown, by eleven A.M. the enemy gave way, leaving only skirmishers, in the afternoon the battle waged heavy on the left but we had it all our own way taking many prisoners, some of the best officers etc. We (the 29th) had to stay in the breast works from 10 A.M. til 10 P.M. and the most of us had nothing to eat since yesterday noon and were on the move nearly all night last night and some six hours steady fighting but the boys are in good spirits and determined to conquer or die, our loss was our Lieutenant (Hayward). I do not know the number in the [regiment] but several have fallen, most of them shot in the head, late in the evening we could hear the wounded in our front hollow for help, some 25 of the 'rebs' came in and gave themselves up as they had got where they could not very well retreat. In front of us lay Ewell’s Adjt. General, pierced with several balls while trying to get some of his men to retreat but the fire was terrific, nearly taking all the bark from the trees.
July 3 was the last day of significant fighting in Gettysburg, at great cost to both armies. Historians estimate that roughly 50,000 men lost their lives in the three days of fighting. But the Civil War did not end and Nathan’s diary documents his travels to Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama, among other states. He recounts battles as well as the mundane: “The boys have been busily washing and cleaning up generally, which I did my share.” His entries describe the pleasure of finding ripe apples and chestnuts and his encounters with Southern girls who “chewed tobacco and could spit as independently as any ‘young American.’” The last entry of Nathan’s diary of the Civil War was from August 10, 1865.
Returned to Geneva [Ohio] on the morning train and rode down to see [friends] where I spent the day getting ready to go west, which I expect to do soon. Weather showery.
After the war Nathan moved to Michigan where he was one of the first European settlers in what is now Gaylord in Otsego County. He was a doctor and his ledger records payment in eggs and chickens for services rendered. His daughter Vieva was the first white girl born in Otsego County. He died on January 14, 1910.
Nathan with his daughter, Vieva, and wife, Violet Tinkham
Afterword: Do we know the significance of our lives in the moment? Nathan Parmater’s diary covers over two years, and what strikes me is the matter-of-fact nature of his entries. Nathan was witness to, and a participant in, events immortalized in paintings, that academics have scrutinized for decades, that we all learn about in school. Indeed, the Battle of Gettysburg changed the course of American history.
References: Nathan Parmater’s diary as well as Wikipedia and Culp’s Hill by Harry W. Pfanz.
Nathan Parmater was Sam's 2nd great grandfather (paternal)
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