The Asa Sackman Diaries offer a wonderful account of a Civil War soldier's daily life. Asa Sackman was a private in the 44th Regiment, Company G, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain John M. Newkirk during the Civil War. He entered service at age 22, fought for three years, and transferred to Company G, 8th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry on January 4, 1864. His status in the Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio is listed as "veteran."This collection consists of seven manuscript diaries, written while Asa Sackman was serving in the 44th Regiment. The diaries date from October 1861, his first month of service, to August 1862. Sackman writes almost daily about the company's movements and actions, the weather, scouting food, and camp conditions. He occasionally describes encounters with Confederate troops. In one diary, he details the punishments for unruly soldiers and deserters: "the court marchel is over and the sentance was red of at dressperade one Pattric Hart was disonerable discharged from the sirvis for offences to noumerous to mension he belonged to Co. A 44th regment and one in the ohio cavelry regment was to be kept at hard labor during his tirm of sirvis and forfit half of his pay and the other half was to be payed to his wife for dissirting...." The manuscript notes on the diary covers list several camps in western Virginia, including Camp Piatt and Meadow Bluffs.
