APRIL 7. Tuesday. A general clearing up of camps which took until this afternoon. Tom Martin came back yesterday and an order was read at dress parade returning him to duty. APRIL 8. Wednesday. At 11 o’clock this forenoon an orderly call was beaten and we received orders to be ready in fifteen minutes with all our arms and all our accoutrements on, to march down with other brigades of the division, to a large plantation house. Upon the porch stood Generals Thomas, McPherson, McArthur, Crocker, and a drove of the “rankest commish,” such as Colonels, Lieut. Cols., and Majors. Gen. Thomas was a fine stately looking man, tall, with iron gray hair, and apparently about sixty-five years of age. He was introduced by Gen. McPherson in a pleasant speech. Gen. Thomas then made a few remarks in which he expressed great sympathy for the poor enslaved Africans, and announced the President’s settled policy of arming the Negroes. He authorized two regiments to be raised here. He said he had authority to commission officers for said regiments, where the applicants came well recommended. I like the policy. He also said the object of it was to protect the navigation of the Mississippi and defend other Negroes who were at work on abandoned plantations trying to raise their living. After Gen. Thomas was through, Gen. McArthur was called on. He came forward and gave a short, good natured speech. He was heartily cheered. After him came Col. Reed of the 15th Iowa, Crocker, and Captain Chink, who by the way, is to be Colonel of one of the regiments. When they had concluded we marched back to camp and Gen. Thomas boarded the steamer “Rocket” and started up to Logan’s division. When we returned six applications had been handed in for appointments in the regiments of color--from Co. K, namely: Hines, Davis, Foxears, Foster, Chesher and Berry. APRIL 9. Warm and pleasant, in fact we have had beautiful weather for over two weeks. Major Peats is gone and Capt. Moore is in command of the regiment. Nearly half the company went fishing this afternoon. Buck got a pass to take us outside the pickets and we caught about a mess. We had dress parade at 5:30 P. M. Two boats, the “Edward Walsh” and the “City of Alton” came down with deserters. There were two for our company. APRIL 10. Warm and pleasant. At 10 o’clock we had muster. The whole U. S. forces are to be mustered today, to find the exact condition of the army, and the number of conscripts needed to fill the regiments up to the required standard. We had dress parade this evening in which the two deserters were returned to their companies by a regimental order. Our company needs about fifty-four to fill it up.