In his first seven months of service, Huddard describes the life of a union soldier training in Ohio and then marching in Kentucky. He informs his father that he is in good health and that when he goes to town to weigh himself, he realizes that he has gained eight pounds. In September he visits the Ohio state fair. The fair this year is very poor and was not worth the price of admission, Huddard writes. But the first time the regiment is called out to action, Huddard is scared.