Merrill records that he left Elmira, New York, on January 2 to go to Tennessee as a member of a wartime railroad construction crew of about 400 men; he describes his train journey via New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington, and Alexandria, Virginia. He describes his work on the railroad, where the crew burned wrecks of cars, salvaged iron and wheels, repaired tracks between Manassas and the Bull Run Bridge, loaded lumber and wire cable, and performed other kinds of work; also described are eating arrangements, lodging, weather conditions, and pay. Another topic in the diary is his work as a cabinetmaker, and the kinds of cabinetry work he performed in Horseheads, Chemung County, N.Y.