The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931 Page: 203

Diary of H. C. Medford, Confederate Soldier, 1864 203
TIHE DIARY OF H. C. MEDFORD, CONFEDERATE
SOLDIER, 1864
EDITED BY REBECCA W. SMITH AND MARION MULLINS
II
March - Saturday - 26 - 1864
Sleep seven hours - up before dawn - help prepare break-
fat of fried bacon - beef steakes - cornbread - hard bread
and coffee. Here we leave Sergt. Hall, who so is sick he cannot
travel any further. Poor fellow, I am affraid he will die. He is
a clever man and a good soldier. After doing a hundred things
necessary, in all cases, to get ready, we march. Thence towards
Livingston - pass over a rich and fertile country and very hilly,
bordering along on the Trinity River. From these hills, can be
seen the meanderings of the Trinity River swamp. Oh! a view.
The surrounding country here is exceedingly romantic. Such a
view as this would put a poet into ecstasies.
I imagine that the classic hills of ancient Greece were some-
thing like these. Here upon my left I am passing a residence,
handsomely situated upon a high hill, in the midst of a natural
cedar grove. Now here another place still more beautiful - a
fine house built in a large cedar grove, some thousand yards from
the road- cedar grove reaching to the road, and an avenue cut
through those beautiful trees to the house.
I would that I owned such a lovely place as this. Cedar trees
are so handsome, so cheering to the gaze, as their tops and
branches so gracefully waive and sport as the soft breezes kiss them
Meet two young ladies. They do look so handsome - so amiable
- so sweet. Thence down many a decent into the valley of the
Trinity - thence to the river, to a ferry called Thart out. I shoot
a bird from a tall tree. It is a beautiful bird. It is a specimen
of the "genus Vulturus." Cross the river in a boat - thence to
Livingston over a little of the worst road I ever saw. Have
travelled over a space of fifteen miles today - pitch tents in Liv-
ingston - help prepare supper of boiled beef - boiled pork -
hard bread, and corn bread. This day has been fair - warm
and pleasant. This is the first day I have seen that will do for