"...great deal of thunder coming from the east..."

Saturday, May 31, 1862, Smith's Farm, Virginia
We have arrived at a new place, our third since arriving in Virginia. The regiment is not fully settled in but I did not want to await until I get settled in to write this as I may become so settled in as to fall asleep.

Our new camp is at Smith's farm north of nine-mile road, east of Richmond, quite close to the Chickahominy. In fact, we are so close that one might as well say we are in the swamps. This is no place for an encampment. As the days get warmer, we are sure to be heavily affected by the fevers incumbant to such a location. The mosquitos are everywhere and in everything. There is little sweet water here. Soldiers being that special breed of folk, will get their water by whatever means is easiest and they will suffer fluxes for it.

But here we are and here we stay until told otherwise. We are unfamiliar with the location or strength of the Yankees or even if they are close at all. Together we will strike down mosquitos while waiting to strike down the Yankees.

Our colonel has resigned. R.G.M. Dunovant, who was our colonel from the first is no longer in the army. We do not know why he should do this when every man is needed. Our lieutenant colonel, Dixon Barnes, is now in charge of the regiment. I suppose he will be promoted to full colonel before too long.

The officers have it all over us enlisted folks. They may submit a piece of paper through proper channels stating that they will be resigning their commissions and leaving. We privates are not allowed that priviledge. We may indeed leave but our superiors call that desertion had will have us shot if caught.

Our brigade has been expanded by two more regiments. We were three and now we are five regiments. The new ones are the First South Carolina  and the First South Carolina Rifles. This could be confusing to some. The rifle regiment is known more commonly as Orr's Rifles after it's commander. We shall have to continue our drilling but expand it tio include moving with five regiments instead of three. Brigadier General Maxey Gregg is still our brigade commander.

We have not yet had the opportunity to forage in or around Smith's farm but suspect that that time will come. At present, we shall have to make do with the usual hard crackers and salt pork. It has been some time since any of us in the squad has received a package from home.

We are in for a good drenching and need to get up the shelters quickly. There is a great deal of thunder coming from the east where the Yankees are.