Private Mike M. Hubbert, of the Minutemen of Attala, went home sick from the camp of instruction at Union City, TN, in June, 1861. He returned to the regiment at Leesburg in September:

“I took the cars at West [MS] Station…traveled by way of Grand Junction [TN] and Chattanooga, Tenn. Had quite tiresome trip, cars being very much crowded with soldiers.”

Soon after he arrived, the regiment moved camp again, Sept. 24, from Leesburg to Balls Mill on Goose Creek.

“That being the first [march] I ever took, [it] was looked upon as a hard one, yet the distance was only [nine] miles” south of Leesburg.

The next day, Sept 25 was:

“Warm and pleasant. We stretched our tents and established a regular camp at this place. [Col. Barksdale] left this morning with two companies [the Kemper Legion and Lauderdale Zouaves] for a scout on the Potomac.”

Mike Hubbert, according to McLean’s roster, was 23 when he mustered in at Kosciusko as a private. He would become a musician and a commissary sergeant. His brother, James M., was also in the Minutemen, but he was 32, born in Alabama, and mustered in at Kosciusko as a 1st Corporal. Both apparently lived near Multona Springs, which is the northeast part of Attala County.

(Hubbert’s diary is available at the University of Texas in Austin.)