"August 30, 1862 - Tupelo, Miss. We're horse soldiers now! Colonel transferred to cavalry. Asked me to go with him. Thought hard about it. Reckon a change'll be OK. Was a trooper for years, am again. Colonel given three regiments - 3,000 or so troopers on paper, we're short that. The stock is decent but we need half again what we've got. New commanding general of this Army of Miss. is William J. 'Old Reliable" Hardee. Temporary assignment I hear. Shake up of command. General Hardee made up cavalry - the Colonel's training in the old army put to good use, I reckon. We're off to test our metal as horse soldiers in Tenn. and Kentucky in three days. Lots to do getting us ready."
"September 29, '62. Completed two days of raids on Union boys north of Nashville. Tore up Buell's railroad and wire lines.
Some of Forrest's boys joined us for a spell for Kentucky adventures. We sure raised some fine hell, Buell's cavalry didn't know which way to look or ride. It was some lark. Twenty-two lost, fifty-one wounded. Captain Towry of D Company, 5th Georgia, killed. Colonel's fourth horse sent to 'Elysians Pastures'. Name, Augusta, small gray mare. Near Perryville, Kentucky today. We blocked Yankee advance with downed trees. The Colonel said felling trees to mess up Union passage is just obvious."
"Oct. 13, 1862 - Colonel named Chief of Cavalry for this army (Miss.). Guess we got the western war to tend to."
"Promoted to Captain today (Nov. 1, 62). Colonel was made a Brigadier yesterday. Word is he's maybe the youngest at 26. He said when he promoted me, ' I figured you've earned some gold tracks if I got a wreath around my stars, Captain'."
"November 16, 1862. The new Brigadier named Chief of all the cavalry by General Braxton Bragg. My boy general given command over wild Forrest and hard-driving John Hunt Morgan. The general asked me to be his chief of staff. Well it's a long, long way from my being a seventeen-year-old buck private at Monterrey with old Zach."
There was a gap in notations of nearly a month, then: "Jan. 3, 1863. New Year and we're busy. We have been giving Old Rosey's boys hell along his supply line from Murfreesboro to Kentucky. 20 different hot fights during the last six weeks! Old Bragg sent a 'reprimand' for 'reckless exposure'. He don't send the boys anyplace he don't go. Hell for leather!"
"Last week we took and burned 450 Union supply wagons. Captured 2,437 prisoners. 'Old Rosey' is in trouble."
"January 18, 1863 - North of Nashville near Ashland City. We got a new name, 'Horse Marines'. Some Georgia boys calling us that. Around Christmas we got word they calling us "Wheeler's Lumberjack Cavalry. If we had a lot more boys they could call us anything they want. As is, we're surviving. We'd been busy burning bridges around Ashland City on Cumberland R. 1/12/63. We're watching river for traffic. Fired on steamer 'Charter' with boat in tow. Boats came ashore and surrendered. Next morning at same spot two gunboats raked the shore with shot hoping to get us. They missed. Colonel Wade's detachment had been successful farther up the river. He and his boys captured an unescorted transport up at Ashland landing. Next day 'Trio', transport also captured. 'Hastings', a hospital ship full of blue boys hurt from Murfreesboro was next and transport 'Parthenia'. Hospital boat sent on to safety. What a sad ship. 'Slidell', a gunboat then came up blasting the banks. Our little field pieces out shot them terrible gunboats' firepower. We got her too. Five vessels in a row - a gunboat and four transports taken in two days! Horse Marines, indeed."