Elon G. Mills Diary, 1862-1864

Abstract

Elon G. Mills was a resident of Leoni, Mich. who served with Company G, 17th Michigan Infantry, during the American Civil War. His diary is comprised of memoranda and copies of 89 letters sent by Mills to family and documents his time in the Union army from August 12, 1862 to August 4, 1864. The diary includes descriptions of the company's training and camp life in Detroit and the reception given to the troops as they traveled to Washington in September 1862. Mills describes his military service in detail and provides insight into the daily routines of soldiers and their struggles with injury, sickness, hunger and tedium. He also includes accounts of the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg, actions in Tennessee and Mississippi, and the siege of Petersburg. The diary also contains some drawings, including a map of the 17th Michigan's travels from 1862 to 1864. Additional content associated with the diary include Mills's discharge papers from June 3, 1865; a lawyer's advertisement for services for soldiers, with the promise of 'No fee unless successful'; a receipt for a money package sent to his sister Ellen; and a brief family genealogy from 1741 to 1877.