Franklin County: Diary of Franklin R. Rankin (1864) — Diaries

About the Author

Franklin R. Rankin was born in Franklin County in 1834. During the war he enlisted in the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry as a sergeant. This diary is a record of his service during 1864 in what are at times very brief entries. His daily reports include updates on his regiment's movement toward Richmond and tallies of casualties incurred along the way.

February 5 -

Reenlisted at Chambersburg

March 5 -

Left home for Chambersburg

6 -

At Bloody Run all night

7 -

All night at Wm. Brattons five miles West of Chambersburg

8 -

Joined the Regiment at Chambersburg.

16 -

Left Chambersburg for Washington

21 -

Arrived at Washington and marched to Camp Stoneman

22 -

In Camp all day

23 -

Turned the horses in

24 -

Marched to Arlington Heights

25 -

Still at Arlington Heights

26 -

At the Heights and received arms and equipment

27 -

Marched to Alexandria and got transportation for Port Royal

28 -

Arrived at Port Royal

29 -

On a forced march all day

30 -

Still marching

31 -

Still on March

June 1 -

Arrived at Cold Harbor in front of Richmond

2 -

In the same place and under heavy fire

3 -

Under fire all day and lost over 60 men in the Regiment

4 -

Picketing

5 -

Relieved and marched Chickahominy River and encamped until the 12th

12 -

7 o'clock P.M. Crossed the River and marched on towards James River

14 -

Arrived Harrison landing and encamped until the 16th

16 -

Crossed the James and marched 18 miles and encamped

June 17 -

In Camp

18 -

In action all day and night and lost heavy in killed and wounded

19 -

In reserve and under fire all day. Still losing some few men

20 -

In the same place

21 -

Advanced to the left a few miles

22 -

Moved front to support 2nd Corps and was under heavy firing all evening and all night

23 -

We were relieved till 3 o'clock when we moved in the extreme left and built breastworks all evening and most all night

24 -

Returned to Camp

25 -

In Camp

26 -

In Camp

27 -

In Camp

28 -

In Camp

29 -

In Camp

30 -

In Camp

July 1 -

In Camp

2 -

In Camp

3 -

In Camp

4 -

In Camp

5 -

In Camp

6 -

In Camp

7 -

In Camp

8 -

In Camp

9 -

In Camp

10 -

In Camp

11 -

In Camp

12 -

Ordered to the front line of work front of Petersburg

13 -

In front

14 -

In front

July 15 -

In front

16 -

In front

17 -

In front

18 -

In front

19 -

In front

20 -

In front

21 -

In front

22 -

We were relieved in front of Petersburg and returned to Camp

23 -

In Camp

24 -

In Camp

25 -

In Camp

26 -

In Camp

27 -

In Camp

28 -

Our regiment was ordered in front of Petersburg

29 -

Busy building bomb proofs

30 -

The enemies fort blown up and sieging all day

31 -

Our dead and wounded still lying on the field in front of the blown up fort which they charged on

August 1 -

Our dead was berried and the wounded taken off that had been lying in front of the fort

2 -

In front until the 16th

September 30 -

Advanced to Poplar Church and took two lines of works with but little loss and captured one gun and 50 or 60 prisoners.

October 1 -

Exposed to firing from the enemy whilst reversing the works we took the day previous and rained all day which made it very disagreeable

3 -

In front until the 6th

6 -

Ordered to City Point for the purpose of being mounted

7 -

In dismounted camp until the 16th

16 -

Received horses and equipments and all complete

17 -

In line of march at 8 o'clock A.M.

18 -

In Camp near Hand Cock Station

October 19 -

In Camp

20 -

In Camp

21 -

In Camp

22 -

Fair and warm

23 -

Fair and warm

24 -

Fair and warm

27 -

Made a reconnosance toward the Boyd Town plank road

28 -

Skermshing and fighting all day and lost 60 or 70 men.

29 -

Returned to camp

30 -

In Camp

31 -

In Camp

November 1 -

In camp

2 -

Picketing. it rained all day

3 -

Picketing. Still raining

4 -

Picketing - fair weather

5 -

Returned to camp

6 -

In camp

7 -

Raid toward Stoney Creek Station

8 -

Presidential Election. All passed off quiet

9 -

In Camp. Pleasant weather and all quiet along the line

10 -

In Camp

11 -

In Camp

12 -

In Camp

13 -

In Camp

14 -

Picketing

15 -

Picketing

16 -

Picketing

17 -

Picketing

18 -

Relieved and returned to Camp at 5 p.m. It commenced raining and rained all night

November 19 -

Still raining

20 -

Still raining

21 -

Still rainy

22 -

Fair and nights very cold

23 -

Fair

24 -

Fair

25 -

Fair

26 -

Fair

27 -

Picketing. The weather fair and warm

28 -

Picketing

29 -

Picketing

30 -

Returned to Camp

December 1 -

Out on a Scout as far as Stoney Creek Station. Burnt the Station and returned to camp and lost but few men

2 -

In Camp. Still fair weather

3 -

In camp

4 -

In camp

5 -

In camp

6 -

In camp under marching orders

7 -

Started on the raid toward Bellfield, Va

8 -

Raiding

9 -

Raiding

10 -

Raiding and the roads very muddy

11 -

Returned to camp at 12 p.m. and the night being very cold

12 -

In camp and still cold

13 -

In camp and still very cold

14 -

In camp

15 -

In camp. Fair and warm

16 -

Picketing

17 -

Picketing

December 18 -

Picketing

19 -

Returned to camp

20 -

Fair and warm

21 -

Raining all day

22 -

Very cold all day

23 -

Cold

24 -

Cold

25 -

Picketing and pleasant

26 -

Rainy

27 -

Rainy

28 -

Returned to camp

29 -

Cold. Some few flakes of snow falling

30 -

Very cold and rainy and in camp all day