Calvin Day French-43 Ohio Volunteer Infantry Civil War Diaries

This episode details Calvin's Civil War Pension, Civil War deaths from the battlefield or disease and Calvin's life after the war including his courtship, marriage and employment with the Delaware & Hudson Railroad and National Express.

This episode covers Calvin's participation in the Union Army Grand Review in Washington, D.C., the Trial of Andersonville Commandant-Henry Wirz, the history of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his travels back home to Ohio where he musters out of service with the Union Army.

Calvin Day French

In January, February and March 1865 Calvin and the 17th Corp are

After a three week furlough following his escape from the Confederate prisoner train, Calvin travels 900 miles by train from his home in Ohio to Atlanta. There he joins up with General Sherman's Army on November 18, 1864 and marches nearly 300 miles across Georgia reaching Savannah on December 10, 1864.
During the "March to the Sea", General Sherman and his troops destroy and burn towns and railroads and forage the land.
In this episode, a female family member of a descendent of Calvin reads from a woman's historic diary of her account of the destruction of the railroad and railroad station at Gordon, Georgia.

The Confederate government began the construction of their Union prisoner of war camp in Andersonville, Georgia beginning November 1863 and started accepting prisoners in February 1864. The prison was designed to house 10,000 prisoners. During the operation of the prison 400 prisoners arrived daily resulting in nearly 45,000 Union soldiers being transported to Andersonville. Nearly 13,000 Union prisoners died at Andersonville from disease, exposure, and malnutrition. The dead were buried in mass graves dug by the prisoners outside the prison walls. There was an extreme lack of shelter, food, and water. By August 1864 32,000 prisoners remained within the 26-acre prison site.

The Union gained control of Atlanta during battles in September 1864 which resulted in 14,000 Confederate and 6,000 union casualties. Fewer Union soldiers were being transferred to Andersonville due to the Confederates concern that the Union would attempt to continue south of and liberate the prison camp. Attempts to liberate the prison by the Union had failed. Prisoner exchange was not agreed to by General Grant nor President Lincoln. As a result of the Union capturing Atlanta and concern of further attempts to liberate Andersonville, on September 7, 1864, the Confederate government began transporting the well bodied prisoners out of Andersonville. The prisoners were told they were being transported by train for a prisoner exchange. Instead, they were being transported to other Confederate prisons located as far east as Savanah, Georgia.

Calvin travels nearly 300 miles through Alabama and Georgia. He marched east through the Alabama towns of Mooresville, Huntsville, Woodville, and Stevenson. In Georgia Calvin marched south through the towns of Chickamauga, Lafayette, Taylor’s Ridge and met up with the command of General Sherman at The Battles of Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, and Marietta just north of Atlanta.  Calvin is assigned to the front line as a skirmisher. The Battle of Dallas during late May 1864 consisted of 100,000 Union and 65,000 Confederate soldiers. Losses to the Union were 4,500 and to the Confederates 6,000.

Food was in limited supply. Breakfast consisted of coffee, meat and hardtack made from flour, water, and salt.

Calvin’s diary from July 13, 1864, to November 2, 1864 can’t be located as it would have been the one he carried when captured. While as a skirmisher, he was captured by the Confederates on August 4, 1864 near Marietta and transported 150 miles south by train to the Confederate’s prison at Andersonville, Georgia. During a railroad prisoner transfer from Andersonville in September 1864, he jumped from the train and walked 150 miles back to the Union lines north of Atlanta arriving on September 21, 1864. Calvin’s capture, imprisonment, escape and travel back to the union lines north of Atlanta will be documented in the next few episodes.

Photo of fighting at Marietta, Georgia

Calvin is marching with his company north from Prospect, Tennessee to Columbia, Tennessee then back track south to the Tennessee towns of Lynnville, Pulaski and Mill Creek then continued south to Alabama towns of Athens and Decatur. His company traveled north then backtracked south ending up Decatur, Alabama located on the banks of the Tennessee River marching nearly 260 miles. Although Calvin’s diary reflects his Company is going to march to Nashville, Tennessee, the furthest north they march is to Columbia, Tennessee about 40 miles south of Nashville, Tennessee.

By 1864, Union forces had advanced from Tennessee into Alabama and Confederate territory. The food, ammunition, clothes, and weapons required to for the Union soldiers were transported primarily by railroad.

Calvin is marching about 300 miles from the Mississippi cities of Luka and Eastport to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to the Tennessee cities of Pulaski, Prospect and Bethel and then on to Mills Creek Alabama all the time skirting the Tennessee and Alabama border. Calvin crossed the Tennessee River several times by bridge on his travels.

Saturday, August 1, 1863 through Saturday, October 31, 1863: Calvin is marching from Memphis, Tennessee to Luka, Mississippi to Eastport, Tennessee a distance of approximately 125 miles. He is travelling by foot and crossing swampy rivers on his way to meet up with the Union Army battle to take place in Alabama and the occupation of Nashville in February and March 1864 and then the march to Savannah, TN.