Hope all of you are enjoying a great holiday season, and thanks for coming back to HSP's Fondly PA blog! We've got more transcriptions to share from the George F. Parry Civil War diaries (George F. Parry family volumes, Collection 3694). If you're just joining us, in 2012 HSP acquired the diaries of Bucks County resident and Civil War veterinary surgeon George F. Parry. In that collection are three diaries he kept during the Civil War dating from 1863 to 1865, when he served with the 7^th Pennsylvania Cavalry. In celebration of Parry's work and the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, I'm providing monthly posts on Fondly, PA of transcripts of entries from his diaries.

To see other posts in the series, check out the links over on the right-hand side of this page.  Clicking on the diary images will take you to our Digital Library where you can examine the volumes page by page, along with other digitized items from the Parry collection.

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Parry spent December 1864 in and around Louisville, Kentucky. While he didn't participate in any battles, he did spend considerable time taking care of the regiment's horses, from shoeing them to distributing them among the soldiers. After a plesant stay in Kentucky's capital, Parry was on the march south at the end of the month.

Notes about the transcriptions: I've kept the pattern of Parry's writings as close as formatting here will allow, including his line breaks and spacing. My own additional or clarifying notes will be in brackets [ ]. Any grammatical hiccups that aren’t noted as such are Parry's own.

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Sunday, December 4
Wrote to Miss Lizzie Linton.  Received
a splendid Shirt from Home[;] after
noon took a walk.  caught two men
abusing their Horses by [running?] them[.]
ordered under arrest and I pressed
charges requesting they be transferred
to Infantry.

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Thursday, December 8
Paymaster Paying off the Regt
Col. Munty's brigade [pressing?]
Horses.    went to City and got
new pair of Boots.  Dined at
Ornsby House[,] met Mr. Clapp
At Louisville House from Huntsville
Ala.
                        Attended Louisville Theatre
Spent the night at Wolfs Hotel.

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Wednesday, December 14
In the morn drew (600) Six hund[red]
Horses.   Picked out a number
For officers and one for myself[.]
afternoon Drew (400) four hund[red]
more.
               Issued three hund[red] Horses.

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Monday, December 19
went over to company D and
inspected their Horses[.]
                                   Went to the
City with Lt. Conner and Breckbill
clear and cold

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Saturday, December 24
In camp all Day[.]   clear and
Nice.   Ordered all the Smiths
at work shoeing Horses.
                                     Received
a Letter from Home.
                                     Had a
Gay time in the evening – got
a number Drunk and much
sport.  This night will long be
remembered by me.

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Thursday, December 29
Up at four O'clock and all
ready to move at light.  Moved
out at Day Light[,] passed through
Mount Washington and Bardstown[,]
crossed salt River and encamped[.]
a cold nice Day[.]  passed through
a splendid country.   Bardstown
a nice place.  Capt. McCormick and
Dr. J. L. [Shuk?][.] rode ahead to call on some
friends near Bardstown and while in the
House of their friend the House was
Surrounded by Gunillers and after their
surrender the[sic] were killed and robbed.

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