Diary of Capt. John E. Hames

Diary of Capt. John E. Hames

THUMBNAIL	YEAR	PLACE
	1861-1862	Begun at Charleston and ends at Battle of 2nd Manassas (Bull Run) VA.

The diary begins with his election as captain of his company of 18th South Carolina Infantry. It describes its beginnings in Charleston and the movement of his company to Malvern Hill and to Manassas prior to Battle of 2nd Manassas (2nd Bull Run).
It contains some notes about money lent to soldiers in his command.
It ends abruptly and the notes that were added posthumously detail the return of the bodies of John and his brother Sgt. Charles Hames, also of the 18th SC Infantry and their cousin Sgt. Henry Foster of the 5th SC Infantry who was killed in the same battle on the same day.

Postumous notes added at the end describe the travels of kin Eisons and Foster by train to the battlefield where the bodies were located, disinterred from their shallow graves and brought back to Union in special lead caskets.  According to Miss Ola Jean Kelly at Union Co. Museum the bodies were found because of the dedication of the body servant to Captain Hames who made careful note of where they had been buried.  Name needed.

– source: Union County Museum