American Historical Ephemera & Photography

Pocket diary for 1863, approx. 2-1/2 x 4 in. Attributed to Asst. Surgeon Robert P. Davis, 84th Indiana Vols., although not marked as such. The diary is printed with three days per page. The diarist has filled it out Jan. 1 – Apr. 30, 1863, then on May 4th, he has written in “Feb. 22 /4” and continues to the 26th, then has left a number of blank pages, commencing with June 20, 1864 on the page beginning with May 31, 1863. He continues with a few “holes” through June 13 9printed date) and on June 15, has noted “Atlanta Comg / 1864” in large letters. The next date is noted as “May 3 / 4” and it continues after that pretty much in sequence. He describes Hooker’s rescue of the unit after they encountered overwhelming enemy forces at Resaca (May 14) and other skirmishes in the area (May 10 – 20 approx.). May 27: “I am on duty at the Hospital handing instruments for amputation.” The next day “At same duty as yesterday.” And the next day, as well…. With one day’s break to visit the unit, he is back at the amputation table the following day. June 1, the sick and wounded are moved to a more permanent hospital and their field tents are moved to the left of the line. 

The diarist was very ill himself during March and April of 1863. His description of his interactions with the doctors at this time suggest he has no medical knowledge. He sounds like any other enlisted man. He becomes ill again (with chills of “ague”) at the end of June during the battle of Kennesaw Mountain. This section ends about August 9 with just one entry on the 23rd. 

In the rear of the diary, there are random notes on the Memo pages. Three memorandum pages and one Cash Account page have injury reports with name, company, and injury (“Bowels Sever[e];” “Killed;” “L. side and arm – Sever[e]”, etc. Two more pages have mileages between towns, mostly in this part of Tennessee.

Robert P. Davis was born in Lawrence, Ohio in 1836. The family was in Linn Co., Missouri about 1850 and in Randolph, Indiana about 1860. Davis enlisted as a 1st Sergeant in the Indiana 84th Volunteer Infantry in August 1862. He seems to have spent much of his time as a hospital steward. He mentions a few times in his diary that he was assigned to take sick soldiers to the hospital. By the end of the war (April 1865) he was promoted to Assistant Surgeon. The 1860 census lists him as a farmer. We have not been able to track his education or history, but later sources such as wills and cemetery records list him as “Dr.” This suggests his interest was piqued during the war and he got an education after he was mustered out in June 1865. On Christmas Day, 1866 he married Eliza Anna Peoples (1844-1898). The couple does not seem to have had any children. Dr. Davis died a couple years after his wife in 1902 in Jay County, Indiana.

The 84th Indiana was organized in the late summer of 1862 around Indianapolis and Richmond, Indiana. It mustered into service on Sept. 3 and sent to Covington, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, to defend against a threatened invasion by Kirby Smith. It was sent to Point Pleasant, West Virginia a month later where it waited for six weeks before moving to Catlettsburg, KY where it made winter quarters. In February, the 84th was sent to Louisville and then on to Nashville. It spent most of the remainder of its enlistment going from one Tennessee town to another. It fought at Chickamauga in September. In January 1864 they were sent to Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga. In May 1864 they joined Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign. By October they left Atlanta and went back to Chattanooga and on to Nashville eventually. Besides Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain, they fought at Kennesaw Mountain, Nashville, Buzzard’s Roost and other smaller battles (eg. Tunnel Hill, Pine Mountain). The regiment is mustered out in June 1865.