February 25, 1862, at Rancocas, New Jersey

Pa took sick shortly after Christmas and hasn't been able to do much at
all.  I think he was feeling poorly even near the end of the harvest but
didn't want to say anything.  Ma has been making him stay in the house and
hasn't been letting him tire himself out.

Ma can be just as tough, probably tougher, then Pa when she digs her heels
in.  Everybody here abouts says Patricia McBride is as sweet as an angel -
but should never be crossed.  Having now known her for 18 years, my
birthday was January 23, I've been witness to what they're talking about,
and they're right.

Ma has always said that Pa was the only man she ever loved, and that I was
the only child she ever wanted.  It might have been nice though to have a
brother or sister around.  Someone to talk to about things like the war.

I've been so busy, what with Pa sick and all, that I haven't had a chance
to pay much attention to the war.  Since that big battle back in July down
in Virginia there hasn't been much fighting going on.  Pa says that both
sides scared themselves so bad down there at Bull Run that there may never
be another battle.

Well, Pa was wrong.  I found out just this morning over at Ebley's General
Store, that there was two battles fought just this month out in Tennessee
and Kentucky.  Seems we really gave them old Johnny Rebs what for this
time.  

We whipped them good at a place called Fort Henry in Tennessee, on February
6th, and then ten days later whipped them again at Fort Donelson, in
Kentucky.  I knew once some of our Burlington County boys showed up we'd
begin to whipping them Southerners.  The 19th NJ Infantry was at Fort
Donelson according to Mr. Fields whose son Corey is enlisted with them.  

Mr. Fields is a teamster for the Farmer's Coop over in Beverly.  He was
real boastful about his son being in the war, but some of it seemed to be
play acting.  I think he's also real worried.

Mr. Ebley said that the casualty lists and correspondent's reports would
probably be printed in the Burlington Herald on Thursday next.  I can't
wait to read them.  I hope nobody I know got shot.

A lot of boys, I mean men, I know here about, have already been gone for a
while.  Like I said there hasn't been much war news but with these latest
battles maybe things are going to be heating up.  I don't know how much
longer I can avoid going.  People around here haven't said much about me
not going but I think that it's because they know Pa's been so sick.

I think even Pa knows I can't stay out of it much longer.  Maybe he's
taking his time getting better to keep me around.  Ma won't even let us
talk about the war in the house.

Well, winter on the farm doesn't mean there's no work to do.  Soon it will
be planting time again.  Thank god we've got good mules.