April, Tuesday 15, 1862

       On the Shenandoah, Berry's Ferry.

The weather is very unfriendly and our hut consisting of rubber blankets is not waterproof.

A lot of diarrhea is in the Regiment. Rations of crackers are missing, also coffee and sugar. One starts to follow the example of the peasants to brew coffee from barley and wheat. Creamed soups as well find approval especially so, by the sick.

Lots of rain weather with Eastwind. In the afternoon towards five o'clock the report arrives that by the crossing of the Shenandoah one boat occupied by two Companies, J - K from the fourteenth Regiment, turned over and about seventy men drowned. I am going down to Lieutenant Gerick from Company C and Sergeant Klingner to find out.

The Fortieth Regiment bivouacs on the hill close by the river the waters of which evidently are streaming down with a slight whirl. It is supposed to be one of the deepest spots of the river. On the right side interrupted with two small islands. The place where the Ferry plies back and forth is about twelve to fourteen feet deep. The terror and the bitterness of the eye witnesses was great, especially so since the cause of the mishap, according to almost unanimous statements was due to poor management of the entire operation. The boat according to an expert's (marine) estimation should have been loaded with no more than forty men. It had about eighty-four men with heavy packs, guns, etc. The boat was so crowded that in the event of it rocking in the river it was impossible to balance. Quartermaster Wiek (Philadelphia book merchant) apparently restored some sort of order. He was summoned to take five Union boats that were available, to float alongside the loaded boats to act as lifeboats. He refused, since one transport without escorts already had been shipped safely across. On the way across, the people were asked to pull on the rope that had been spanned across the river, thereby the beak (bow) bow of the boat was pressed down and started to rock until it drew water, went on its side, and all but five of the occupants plunged overboard one after another, under heart rendering screams. After that the boat again straightened itself. Very few were in the position to save themselves since they were too heavily pa...ed, although only a few paces from the shore. Among the ones saved was the wife of a Sergeant. He too come out alive. Apparently all the clothes the woman wore acted as a float. Others like Sergeant Tiemann , brother of Adjutant Tiemann, already was with half his body at the shore when three desperate individuals who had fastened themselves to him, pulled him back and down. We were told that the sight was horrible, as one saw from the distance only the hands above water to disappear forever.

In the moment of the catastrophe Lieutenant Colonel Mahler is supposed to have made the remark, "If only the muskets and munition were out". General Bohlen to whose Brigade the Regiment belonged, was called to, from the other side of the shore: "He should take his revolver and again shoot into the people and so end the suffering of the unfortunate ones". The same one is supposed to have shot into his people in the post when he found them in the act of marauding. Now that the rations are in part missing in part very irregular he too closes an eye here and there. Only when he meets soldiers from other Brigades does he relieve them of their loot.

The unwillingness of the soldiers is so great that one cannot even think of another crossing especially since a few miles up river there is supposed to be a bridge.

Night: Marching readiness.

Twelve o'clock we and the Blenkers are awakened without any noise.

We march back to Paris as far as to a hill where we at about two o'clock bivouac. We get through the night without rain. In the morning the weather is mild. We receive meat and flour, and are supposed to march as soon as we are through eating. Bread, even crackers are missing for several days now.