The following Diary covering the interesting period of the Civil War from January 1, to December 31, 1864, and a portion of 1865 to the surrender of General R. E. Lee at Appomattox Court House, Va., was kept by the Author at the age of twenty-two when an officer of the Tenth Regiment Vermont Volunteer Infantry, Third and First Brigade, Third Division, Third and Sixth Corps respectively, Army of the Potomac, and is a brief war history as seen by a young soldier literally from the front line of battle during General U. S. Grant's celebrated campaign from the Rapidan River to Petersburg, Va., and Gen. P. H. Sheridan's famous Shenandoah Valley campaign in the summer and fall of 1864. During this time the Author passed from the grades of Second to First Lieutenant and Captain, and commanded in the meantime in different battles five or more companies in his regiment which afforded an excellent opportunity to make a fairly interesting general diary of the fighting qualities of his regiment and especially of the companies which he commanded during that most interesting period of the Civil War when the backbone of the Rebellion was broken, which, together with Sherman and Thomas' cooperations led to the surrender of General R. E. Lee at Appomattox C. H. April 9, 1865.

Lemuel Abijah Abbott was born in Barre, Vermont, on August 24, 1842. He enlisted July 28, 1862, and mustered in as 1st Sergeant, Co. B, 10th Vermont Volunteer Infantry. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Co. D, February 4, 1863, to date from January 26. On May 5, 1864, at the battle of the Wilderness, he was slightly wounded, severely wounded at the battle of Monocacy on July 9, and then wounded again at Winchester, on September 19. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on July 11, 1864, to date from June 17, then promoted to Captain, Co. G, on January 30, 1865, to date from the previous December 19. Abbott was mustered out on June 22, 1865 to accept a position as 1st Lieutenant and Adjutant of the 97th U.S. Colored Infantry, on November 6, 1865, and was honorably mustered out on September 10, 1867. He joined the 6th U.S. Cavalry as 2nd Lieutenant on July 2, 1867, was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on September 10, 1869. He served as Regimental Quartermaster from November 1869, to May 1873. He was promoted captain on June 3, 1880. He received a brevet promotion to major for "gallant services in action against Indians at Big Dry Wash, Arizona on July 17, 1882. He retired on January 3, 1885. Abbott died February 3, 1911, and is buried in Wilson cemetery, Barre, Vermont.