Written while Bacon was serving as Adjutant of the 9th Georgia Infantry Regiment, the diary gives a detailed account of the movements of the Regiment from August to November. Written mainly while Bacon served in Virginia, the diary describes life as a soldier; the aftermath of the first battle at Bull Run (Manassas) including a description of the hospital and battlefield with a hand-drawn sketch, and comments on the actions of Generals Robert Patterson, Joseph Johnston, and Pierre Beauregard.