American Historical Ephemera and Photography

Leatherette pocket diary with entries spanning from 19 August 1862 - 17 May 1863, 149pp (including 31-page insert at back of diary containing entries from 3 April to 17 May 1863), approx. 3 3/4 x 5 3/4 in. (heavy wear and separation throughout, covers barely attached at spine, many pages loose from binding, some toning, soiling, and dampstaining throughout, though entries remain legible). Near-daily diary entries in a loose format. Inscribed on front free endpaper: "John A Raudibaugh / His Book / jond [sic] the Army on the 8 of August 1862 / Co H. 133 Regt P V / Capt D. L. Tresler / John A Raudibaugh / Harisburg [sic] Dauphin County Pa..."

Raudibaugh, listed in HDS as Raudenbaugh, enlisted as a corporal and mustered into Company H of the 133rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment on 13 August 1862 (HDS lists his company as B, but his own inscription along with the identification of D. L. Tressler as his captain supports a Company H designation).

After a Grand Review of the regiment by General Whipple on 9 September, the 133rd PA received order to march out on picket. A few days later, on 13 September, the regiment was in Washington en route to the arsenal for additional arms when Abraham Lincoln passed by with his body guard. Raudibaugh writes, "And the President past [sic] in front of hour [sic] camp with his Body gard [sic]."

Another interesting sight came a few days later in "Fredrick City" on 17 September. Raudibaugh writes of seeing about 800 rebel prisoners, about 900 Union prisoners on parole. He also writes that women handed them water all along the street, and when they passed through Boonsborough and Middletown and reached the Antietam battleground, they saw the bodies of soldiers who had not yet been buried: "...on the ground whare [sic] the Battle was yesterday and the dead is not all Beriad [sic] yet that was kild [sic]. Wee [sic] as in line of Battle."

The following day, Raudibaugh reports that they were "Expecting a fight every minit [sic]" as the rebels were no more than 2-3 miles from their encampment. Union men buried the dead in the morning, and they passed through Sharpsburg thereafter, seeing many houses riddled with balls as proof that Confederate troops had been there.

Fascinatingly, Raudibaugh also makes many references to Professor T. S. C. Lowe and his famous balloon, from which he performed aerial reconnaissance on Confederate troops. In an entry dated 23 September, Raudibaugh writes: "...proufesser [sic] low [sic] is up with his Baloon [sic] to day [sic]." He mentions that the "Baloon is up" in entries for 24, 25, and 30 September, 1 and 16 October 1862, and 17 April 1863.

After picketing along the Potomac River at turn of September into October, the regiment was presented a flag by the"Seakeritary of the state" (presumably William H. Seward) on 15 October.

The regiment was seemingly constantly on the move passing through Harpers Ferry, crossing the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers on pontoon bridges, crossing the Washington ad Manassas Railroad, and heading toward Fredericksburg from late October through November.

On 12 November, Raudibaugh reports his promotion to "first corporal."

In an entry dated 11 December, Raudibaugh writes that they "left camp at Six and march With in A mile of the River and haulted [sic] in line of Battle and Canonading [sic Comence [sic] at 6 in the morning..." The men stayed remained in the line of battle, making minor adjustments and movement over the next couple of days, and on 13 December he reports that they continued on the march for Frederick and "got on the Battle A Bout [sic] 2 oclock and Went in to Battle at 3 oclock and was in till after dusk When thair [sic] Was Another Reagement [sic] came up and Wee [sic] laid in line of Battle all night A Bout a hundard [sic] yards from Ware [sic] Wee fought." The next days, he reports that they are ready to go in and fight and that "the Balls is falling all A Round Ware Wee ar [sic] laying...left the feald [sic] and march in to town and...ad slept their [sic] for the night...Wright [sic] in front of the Cort [sic] house."

Raudibaugh's entries from January provide details about camp life and the famed "Mud March," of which the 133rd was part. The next campaign for the regiment, as part of Humphreys' Division, V Corps, was Chancellorsville.

In his entry from 29 April 1863, Raudibaugh reports that they "crossed the [likely Rappahannock] River After dark and halted on the other side." After crossing the Rapidan the following day and moving in toward Chancellorsville, Raudibaugh's regiment joined the battle on 3 May. He writes: "in line of Battle six or seven times and then Went out as skemeshers [sic] thair Was seven Wondid [sic out of the Regement [sic] and then fell Back in the Woods to get something to Eat and in the Eavning [sic] Went out and throad [sic] up Erthworks [sic] and dug Rifle pits in front and thair is A Bout 150 Canons hear and thair was a Shell Bursted in hockers [sic] Staff that the Reables [sic] throad and throad grape and casnster [sic] all the time."

Raudibaugh reports that the regiment received orders to march in the morning and were "fighting all the time and Went to the front and stade [sic] thair all day..." The regiment left for Camp Humphreys the following day, and was mustered out between 21-26 May.