Remarkable diary kept by a young artilleryman (it commences when he is 18½ years of age) during all-too-brief service with the Union Army, mostly along the Mississippi in Missouri, building forts, engaged in skirmishes, foraging, etc. The diary is accompanied by a fair copy in a contemporary hand, and at the end of the copy is written "George D. Brown's Journal. He died at the battle of Corinth Oct. 4th whilst bravely doing his duty, another victim of this unholy strife." Brown was serving in the same regiment as his father, and also present is a letter from Brown to family at home, which has a postscript added by his father. A typed transcript of the journal and letter is present. A few excerpts: April 7th, 1862, “The gunboat Benton ran the blockade last night. The rebels fired at her a great many times but did hit her but once, slightly… Also a think has happened that we have been expecting every day for weeks, that is they have got a canal cut through the woods and this morning 4 transports came down through. They are going to transfer troops over into Kentucky…” June 5th, “Chickens, geese and pigs are suffering today. We are short of provisions and the boys are laying in for anything that comes in their way. There is plenty of blackberries and mulberries here. I am afraid the boys will make themselves sick eating so many as they do.” July 7th, “Laid by our guns all night and this morning news came in that the enemy are still advancing we expect to be attacked before morning but will be ready to receive them at any moment…” July 8th, “Still no fighting but the Cavalry say they are advancing slowly, they think there are about 10,000 of them..." July 27th, “As near as I can find out there were nearly a whole regt. of guerrillas in the skirmish yesterday. They dashed through the pickets killing two of our men on the start. The men in camp were surprised but managed to get their carbines and drove them back taking 12 prisoners after which they chased them ten or twelve miles…. I expect they were nearly all of them citizens who live near by…” September 11th, “…Have at last got us a negro cook for our platoon. He ran away from Gen. Prices army a few weeks ago and just got into camp yesterday. I never seen a fellow so delighted as he is to get away from the rebels. He says he was terribly abused by them receiving as often as 500 lashes for very trifling things. Our news from the different parts of the army continue to be full of defeats but I hope it will soon turn the other way. They must not conquer us, even if it takes every able bodied man from the north…”