JUNE 17. Wednesday. Cool and pleasant. Rebs threw over a good many shell from their guns. We always knew when it was coming for it was heralded by six or eight shots from our batteries. I helped make out muster rolls today. JUNE 18. Thursday. I worked at muster rolls almost all day. About noon I was agreeably surprised to be accosted by Pat Gallegher and George Hissung. Pat is Captain, and George is about to be Second Lieutenant. I was extremely glad to see them. They both look the same as ever and are bodyguards of Smith, who is on our left. Frank got a pass and went over to Hovey’s division to find A. B. Knight, but he was wounded at Champion Mills, caught and paroled by the Rebs and sent north, and I expect by this time he is at home. He was a good soldier. JUNE 19. Friday. We were called from our slumbers by bursting shells and they continued to come at regular intervals all day. They were shrapnel filled with a handful of small balls, which rained down in a perfect shower among us, but fortunately no one was hurt. Their guns are in hollows and used as mortars out of range of ours and we can do no better than let them shoot. A good many of our boys are burrowing into the hillside. We received the melancholy news last evening of the death of Dare. Poor fellow! he was a good soldier and a true patriot. One shell from the Rebs’ old mortar fell directly into the tent of Stolbrand (chief of artillery on Logan’s staff) bursting in the ground, tearing everything to pieces, and scattering dirt on the writing desks in other tents, but strange to tell, no one was hurt. Stolbrand was out. JUNE 20. Saturday. Last night deserters came in reporting another massing of troops, and about 2 o’clock in the morning our brigade formed and were ordered up to the rifle pits. The pits were filled without Co. K, and we marched back to camp as reserve, so I lay down and slept until morning. About 4 o’clock Logan’s old whistling Jack sent over its eighty-four pound messenger. This was the signal for the whole line to open. From six to eighty-four pounders now united in pouring over a perfect shower of shell on doomed secession. This continued until 10 o’clock, six long hours. When we were through they opened their old mortar and another gun. The shell from the small gun burst over our brigade, throwing numberless pieces among us. One shell struck on the left of the 7th Mo., in the midst of a crowd standing around a well. They immediately fell down and rolled away. The shell burst, tore up the ground, and hurt no one. Such accidents are constantly occurring, but the boys are not always so fortunate. We partly expected a charge today. Sappers and miners are digging into the fort; we can see them from above. Gen. McClernand is relieved and O. E. Ord takes command of his corps.