The author was a captain of the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteers, a three-year unit, during the period in which he kept this diary. The diary begins in February 1862 after the author's arrival on Hatteras Island as part of the North Carolina Expedition of 1862. There the narrative describes drill, social events with the local residents, and life in camp, all looking towards the forthcoming battles. After participating in the New Bern campaign and occupation, the author and his company returned to Washington. The Battles of Second Manassas, South Mountain, Antietam, and Fredericksburg follow. On May 18, 1863, the author resigned his commission at Lexington, Kentucky, and returned to his home in Pennsylvania, where the diary concludes.
