1864

1. April 26: departs from Bulls Gap, TN.
2. April 28: arrives at Charleston, TN.
3. May 3: leaves for Cleveland, TN.
4. May 4: marched 10 miles to Red Clay Depot, Ga.
5. May 5: troops inactive.
6. May 6: marched 6 miles toward Tunnel Hill and one mile toward Dalton, Ga.
7. May 7: witnessed brisk skirmishing.
8. May 8: inactivity.
9. May 9: marched four miles and involved in a skirmish.
10. May 10: skirmishing continues.
11. ay 11: troop inactivity.
12. May 12: marched through Tunnel Hill.
13. May 13: marched near Resaca, Ga.; heard skirmishing and formed a line of battle.
14. May 14: marched to where "heavy battle was fought."
15. May 15: marched another day; unit avoided participating in the victory of the 20 corps.
16. May 16: marched 10 miles while enemy retreated.
17. May 17: marched 15 miles and crossed a river at night.
18. May 18: marched 11 miles.
19. May 19: marched 10 miles.
20. May 20: marched 8 miles while skirmishing.
21. May 21: inactive.
22. May 22: "burnt and foraged" a mill on the Castanota River.
23. May 23: marched 6 miles.
24. May 24: captured 23 wagons and burned them.
25. May 25: marched through mud and encamped on the battleground of the 24th.
26. May 26: marching.
27. May 27: stayed encamped behind breastworks all day.
28. May 28: "heavy skirmishing" and "enemy shelling."
29. May 29: more fighting at the "7 Days Breastworks"
30. May 30: repulses enemy charge, in Paulding County, Georgia.
31. May 31: repulses two night charges.
32. June 1-7: night march for one mile; charged and took two enemy breastworks; captured prisoners; barely avoids an artillery shell; rainy marches; engaged "bushwacking Rebels" and found retreating Rebels dead and wounded; guarded ammunition train.
33. June 8-15: days of inactivity; writes letters home; receives news of captured rebels in Greenville, TN; rainy weather; claims Confederate Joe Johnson was arrested for retreating; writes of Confederate General Polk's death; cannonading and musketry all night long on the 15th.
34. June 16-23: writes of enemy's retreat and the advance of Union forces; describes the death of Union soldiers; heavy battle on the 22nd, when Union troops built breastworks afterward and "tore down Negro houses;" more skirmishing.
35. June 24-30: expecting attack on 24th; Hooker's men burn 69 dead Rebels; men prepare for another battle with "bullets flying all around;" soldiers tired from building fortifications all day.
36. July 1-7: expecting another attack; marching toward Atlanta and finding evacuated entrenchments.
37. July 8-15: crossed Chattahoochie River; Rebel gun captured; men built a pontoon bridge in two days; served picket duty on a bluff; played in the river.
38. July 16-23: change of command; night marching; capture of Decatur, Ga.; heavy skirmishing all day (20th); Confederates constantly retreating; can see Atlanta from a tree limb on the 21st; the closer to Atlanta the more bullets fly around Blazer; regiment ordered to recapture Decatur, Ga.
39. July 24-31: mentions the cavalry raids that destroyed Georgia's crops; estimates damage at $30 million; heavy skirmishing and cannonading near Atlanta for several days.
40. August 1-7: on the 1st, heard a heavy battle; marched and built more earthworks where he eventually experienced heavy skirmishing and cannonading, approximately 100 shots in four minutes; his regiment, 8th Tenn. Lost 83 men in a charge on the 6th; wounded lied in a field all night during a rainstorm; mentions amputations and deaths of friends.
41. August 8-15: skirmished on the 8th and 9th; captured Confederate cannon; camped in one place until the 16th.
42. August 16-23: constant marching and foraging.
43. August 24-31: sick for a few days; occasional skirmishing; almost captured a train; bought honey, sugar, and corn cakes.
44. September 1-7: destroyed railroads while marching toward Macon; capture of Atlanta; Battle of Jonesborough; heavy rain fell on the enemy's abandoned dead and wounded; unpleasant marching back to Atlanta in mud and rain; heard of Confederate John Morgan's death.
45. September 8-15: marched triumphantly through Decatur, Ga.; inactive until the 15th.
46. September 16-23: marched a little; inactive until the 25th.
47. September 24-30: does very little in camp; relates news of Union victories in other theaters of war.
48. October 1-7: saw a horse race; did little until crossing the Chattahoochie on the 4th; while troops waited for a train, Blazer climbed to an overlook and was in awe by the sight of the bending river, marching troops, and rolling wagons; marching while dodging cannon fire.
49. October 8-15: regrets seeing the horrible sight of amputated limbs on the ground; marching every day; camped near Rome, Ga.; fought Rebels near the Alabama line; comments on the poor condition of Confederate horses.
50. October 16-23: while Union troops marched, the Rebels harassed them occasionally; band played songs of Alabama when the 8th crossed into the state; did little on the 22nd and 23rd.
51. October 24-31: marched further into Alabama but turned back to Georgia; mailed letters home and ate Georgia apricots.
52. November 1-7: marched to and passed Dalton, Ga.; tore down houses for firewood; days of inactivity; took a train to Chattanooga; enjoyed eating pies; took another train to Nashville.
53. November 8-15: enjoyed himself in Nashville; comments on the selling of goods, the weather, and the ladies of the city; took a train to Franklin; traveled by train to Spring Hill; soldiers had some "good turns by a Lady;" received letters from home; marched to Columbia; comments on the burnt conditions of Linville; marched to Pulaski.
54. November 16-23: stayed in Pulaski until the 22nd, when troops marched to Nashville; marched without food to Columbia.
55. November 24-30: enemy tries to cut off the rear flank as they march to Columbia; prepare for battle on the 25th; crossed a river and made a defense at a "ford" to prevent Confederates from building a pontoon bridge; shelled Confederates; loss of sleep; under constant shelling from enemy; traveled quickly to Franklin and prepared for battle; good description of the Battle of Duck River; Confederates charged seven times - "a most desperate slaughter;" the 8th Tenn. captured Confederate prisoners and flags.
56. December 1-15: scenes after the battle of Franklin; need for rest; describes Hood's attempt to capture Nashville; a detailed description of the capture of a Confederate "fort" on the 15th; chasing retreating rebels, who formed a line of battle; description of how both sides prepare for another engagement.
57. December 16-31: a battle on the 16th; both sides firing away at close range; Union artillery was the deciding factor of the battle; Confederates retreat after an impressive Union charge; Union forces capture many Confederates; marched with difficulty in muddy conditions after the battle; stopped at a train on Franklin Pike to get rations; marched to Franklin, then Spring Hill; comments on battlefields; marched to Columbia; reports the number of prisoners in recent battles; camped near Columbia until January 2, 1865.

1. January 1-7: marching in very cold weather; crossed Tennessee and [Buffalan ? River]; marched near coaling grounds near Tennessee Iron Works; snow made marching difficult.
2. January 8-15: inactive at camp for days; unloaded a steamboat in the Tennessee River; camped by river until the 16th.
3. January 16-23: traveled on a steamboat which comprised a flotilla of 14 vessels (one gunboat); traveled by Paduccah, Louisville, and finally unloaded in Cincinnatti, where troops traveled by rail to Columbus, Ohio; snow was everywhere in Ohio; traveled by train through Virginia and arrived at Cumberland City, Pennsylvania on the 23rd.
4. January 24-Feb 1: traveled by train to Alexandria, Virginia; on the 26th, Blazer was taken to a hospital in Washngton, D. C., where he stayed until Feb. 1.
5. February: 23rd corps left Alexandria on the 4th. [No more entries for Feb.]
6. March: list of gold prices.
7. April: list of gold prices. [Entries are not in chronological order.] Records news of battles and surrender in and near Mobile, Ala, Montgomery, Ala., and Macon, Ga.; General Lee's surrender; President Lincoln's death; capture of John Wilkes Booth; General Johnson's surrender in North Carolina; and the honorable discharge of all wounded soldiers.
8. May: Records news of more Confederate surrenders, cessation of transportation for refugees, Lincoln's funeral, announcement of reward for the capture of Jefferson Davis, capture of Davis; writes verses of a gospel song; describes journey back home.
9. June: records cost of traveling back home from Washington, D. C. to Greeneville, TN.

1869-1892: [Entries are not in chronological order.] Inventory of crops and fruit trees; record of sowing and harvest dates; record of pension application process; record of receipts; record of doctor visits.

Classroom roster: 1878-1879, 1882

Business ledger (Blazer's crop and livestock purchases from and sales to his neighbors): 1879-1887