A barrel of genuine Connecticut apple juice in camp was a striking feature. Such a token of good will from the North was received by a George A. Partric, of Company F. It came from his Norwalk friends, and he describes its hearty reception as follows:

"I was on camp guard duty when the barrel arrived. When I came off duty I saw the barrel being rolled by Sergeant St. John and several others toward my tent. I told them to take it to the company's eating house. They did so, and we immediately tapped it. The cider had been made about three weeks, and was found to be in prime condition. The boys wouldn't partake of it until I would consent to take compensation for it. We finally agreed on five cents a quart for the juice until a certain number of gallons were gone, and then the balance should be free. The precious liquid then began to flow from the barrel and down the throats of the men in blue, and, as it was the pure juice, the men were loud in its praise. As the news spread some of the 25^th Ohio boys heard of it, and they came on to test the virtue of Connecticut apple juice. They were made heartily welcome, and were as loud as the others in praise of the stuff. As we had the night to ourselves, we made a night of it---we and the cider. The cider had had no opportunity to work until now, and it put in its best licks. Perhaps no cider was ever more industrious than was this. As the night advanced the cider in the barrel lowered, and the spirits of the boys rose. There were songs, dances on the table, toasts and applause. In the morning the interior of the cook house presented a very discouraging spectacle.

January 5---Three deserters from Beauregard's army arrive at Gilmore's headquarters last night. They report that there is much fighting among the Charleston army, on account of expiration of service of some of the regiments, which are not permitted to go home.

The weather for the past three days was very bad. It was wet and cold, and the men on picket duty suffered from the cold.

Sunday the 10^th, seventy-five members of the regiment were detailed for fatigue duty on Kiawah Island, where their work consisted of driving spikes in the beach to prevent an advance of enemy cavalry. Between this work and the rebel lines was a large plantation. From this several negroes drove a mule team to us, drawing a load of fresh fish, which found a ready sale. One of the negroes told me he had escaped from his master in Charleston. He said he had been sold several times, but not outside the state. But his children had been.

The Twenty-fifth Ohio, in our brigade, re-enlisted about this time, for a period of three years. They had already served thirty months. Friday morning, the 15^th, the Seventeenth escorted them to the end of the island, where the Twenty-fifth took steamer for Hilton Head, thence to New York on their way home for thirty days' visit.

There was a good state of feeling between the Seventeenth and the Ohio regiments of the brigade. They used to laugh at us at first, because of our greenness, but they changed their opinion and conduct after the first winter in Virginia.

February 4^th---Gen. Ames returned from command of the division to command of the brigade. This brought Col. Noble back to his regiment, and Capt. Kellogg, commanding regiment, back to his company.

The next day Colonel took command of the brigade at inspection, and Capt. Allen the regiment. Gen. Gordon was placed under arrest, on the charge of sending a box of provisions and clothing to his brother and sister in Charleston. It was further reported that he owns property in that city.

Saturday night the orderly sergeants were called to learn the number of well men in their respective commands. The next day, Sunday, February 7^th, we were busy getting ready to move. In the evening we fell into line, and marched down the beach to the steamboat landing, where we crossed by boat to Kiawa Island. Marched all night with brief rests. At daylight, Monday, halted on a plantation, where we remained through the day. The owner of the place was in the rebel army.

The house was three stories high, of architectural merit. It had a large, handsome yard, and from it to the beach, a mile away, was a broad, straight, amply shaded avenue. The place was a welcome sight to us, who had seen nothing like it since we left the north. Monday evening we started again, going down the beach to the end of the island. Here we waded across a stream to Seabrook Island, which we reached at midnight. On this island we stopped an island, during which time we wrung out our stockings and pantaloon legs. Then we marched to the end of Seabrook and across another stream to John's Island.

It was now daylight of Tuesday, February 9^th. The Seventy-fifth Ohio advanced as skirmishers. A heavy fog rested upon the earth, obscuring objects at a short distance or distorting them into foreign shapes.

As we approached a cluster of buildings on a plantation, the skirmishers came across a rebel picket. A brief engagement took place between the two, which resulted in wounding two of our men, and in killing a Confederate captain and private, and the capture of five prisoners by the Ohio boys. The picket fell back and our forces pressed forward.

Our skirmishers pursued the enemy through a piece of woods, two or three miles, to their rifle pits. Here it was ascertained that the force of the enemy was much stronger than ours, and we fell back to the plantation where we put up rifle pits, and occupied them through the night.

Next day, Wednesday, we increased the lengths of the rifle pits, and expecting an attack from the enemy. That night our regiment did picket duty.

Thursday there was an artillery duel, in which several of our men were killed. At night Colonel Noble gave orders to tear down one of the buildings for fuel. At midnight we quietly stole away from the plantation, on a back movement, setting fire to the buildings on the plantation as we left, which was a somewhat inexcusable performance. At the same time a signal light was displayed, notifying the gunboats which were near the island to shell the woods between us and the enemy's rifle pits. This was done, and under cover of this fire we got safely away.