March, 1865

Mar 1-16
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Friday, Mar 17
161st Regt. left Fort Gains & crossed the bayou. Boat landed at Pilot Town. I slept on the Land until day Light.

Saturday, Mar 18
Our brigade started on the Route for Spanish? Fort at 8:00 a.m. Marched 3 miles and went in camp. The soldiers threw away all their extra clothing this morning.

Sunday, Mar 19
We broke camp at sunrise this morning and marched about 12 miles without any opposition.

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Monday, Mar 20
We broke camp again early this morning and marched until noon and then went in camp & began to build corory [corduroy] road.  It rain[ed] very fast tonight.
[A corduroy or log road is a road made of logs laid transversely across swampy or low ground. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corduroy_road]

Tuesday, Mar 21
We are in camp yet today and to work on the road, the mud & water is from one to two feet deep.

Wednesday, Mar 22
Our division broke camp at daylight this morning & marched along slowly & made road & helped the train along as we went.

Thursday, Mar 23
We are marching along by degrees today We have had a very muddy time of it. We march up to the 2nd Division & go in camp.

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Friday, Mar 24
We Broke camp at Daylight this morn and marched to Fish River where we arrived about noon & found A. J. Smith’s [Major General Andrew Jackson Smith] troops there strongly entrenched.

Saturday, Mar 25
A. J. Smith’s command started at day eight this morning & the 13th Corp. started at 12 o'clock, marched about 6 miles & went in camp.

Sunday, Mar 26
We are on the move again today. Our advance reached the pickets of Fort Spanish (Spanish Fort) about noon and drove them in. We went in camp and forty field. [?]

Monday, Mar 27
The Rebel skirmishers opened fire on the right of 161st Regiment at daybreak this morn, but they [were] soon drove back.  We advanced & drove them in Fort.

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Tuesday, Mar 28
Our Boy has been to work all night & this morning we are strongly entrenched and our sharp shooters & artillery [are] giving the Rebs particular thunder.

Wednesday, Mar 29
Our Regiment was ordered back to build a bridge yesterday.  We will have it done today. 5 pm we went to Stark's Landing to do picket duty.

Mar 30-31
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