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July 31st Monday 1899

Slept uneasily last night and dreamed of friends. I awakened; the Outpost pickets were firing sharply and a sentinel pacing slow in the street was humming “My Bonnie & C” and floating across the bullet-scarred field, came the soft tones of the chimes from some secluded convent in the hills –and a feeling of sadness came over me which I tho’t I had learned to forget.

We have been assigned to the USS Transport Pennsylvania to sail on Aug 20th. 1500 troops are in the bay to reinforce us. Nothing but coffee for breakfast, but rations came later. Wrote to Tops, sent it down by our Clerk, Lincoln.

Niggers advanced too close in evening, so the 4th Cav, outpost & 1 gun of the 1st Art opened up. Very hot today.