Dear Diary,

Well, I'm finally shed of Louisville.  We left by steamboat last 
night, and reached Paducah early this morning.  This used to be a 
big Reb town, but they pulled out without a fight.  Grant moved in 
on the 6th, and the Army is assembling.  For what, we're not really 
sure - there's been some fighting down around Bowling Green, but 
the Rebs haven't shown any great desire to "head north".  I thing 
they've got their hands full getting an army together to hold what 
they've got. 

I saw my first example of "Army discipline" today - and don't like 
it one bit.  Tommy McKearnan fell asleep on guard duty last night.  
After all, it had been a long day, what with the skirmish then the 
ride down to here.  Tommy was beat before his squad drew the guard.

He was caught by the sergeant of the guard early this morning, and
placed under arrest.  They didn't even bother much with a trial - he 
was guilty anyway.  As punishment, they've stripped him down to his
underwear, and are making him wear a barrel around camp with a sign 
on it "I Fell Asleep"  He'll probably be back on duty tomorrow.

In another regiment, they "bucked and gagged" a soldier for the same
thing.  Talk about cruel - they gagged the poor guy, made him sit on 
the ground with his knees up, then tied his hands around his ankles.  
To make sure he didn't get loose, they ran a stick between his arms 
and his knees.  Then, they left him like that for 8 hours!  Glad I'm 
in the 40th Ohio - we don't do that stuff.  But, you betcha I won't 
be falling asleep on guard duty to find out!