USA > Iowa > Lucas County > Past and present of Lucas and Wayne counties, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 19
USA > Iowa > Wayne County > Past and present of Lucas and Wayne counties, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 19
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"The rebels acknowledge the loss of Col. Wade, Chief of Ordnance, and seven privates killed and 25 wounded.
"The night of the 29th there were four transports, five barges, four gunboats and two rams ran the gauntlet by the Fort to a place five miles below where we met them by march- ing across the country. One of the rams was badly disabled in passing the fort. We embarked on the boats the next morn- ing and floated down the river 5 or 6 miles and landed on the east side of the river. We marched up the river on the Mis- sissippi side from two o'clock P. M. until sundown, when we stopped about a half an hour to get our suppers. We then started and marched till 12 o'clock at night. We marched slow, stopping every 15 minutes, giving the advance guard time to look around.
"About 12 o'clock we came too close to a rebel battery to be healthy. They threw grape and shell right into our midst. One of the fruit of the vine striking close enough to me to throw sand in my eyes, but that was nothing to what it was a few minutes later, because most of the boys could lie down in the road, which was cut through a top of the ridge to the depth of about two or three feet and hide from the fire, but I lay on the bank with some others. We did not lie there long until we were ordered to support our battery, which was get- ting into position as fast as it could. We obeyed orders of course, but some, (in fact all) of the boys got very mannerly after getting to their feet.
"The rebel battery fired very close, and the shot and shell flew right over our heads a little too close to be comfortable.
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which would make the boys all nod their heads; some of them nodding so low that their faces touched the ground. This only lasted a few minutes, causing a little confusion in the ranks, but they soon got over it, and stood right up to their work from that time till the battle was over. While in that place there was a spent ball hit the Lieut. Col., bruising him a little but not serious-one of the Cos. had two wounded, one has since died, the other is all right again.
"We marched there to a ravine and lay under fire all night. On the morning of the first ( Friday) about 9 o'clock, the 21st Iowa was in front of us and was ordered to charge a cane brake in their front. Their Col. (Merrell) made some objections, saying he was out of his place. Our Col. said to the Chief of Staff, the 23rd will do it, the 21st then filed around us and came up in our rear. We marched up without a grum- ble or a flinch, preserving a good line and fired two volleys into the cane brake. The command was given, 'Forward, March.' We marched into the edge of the cane brake, fixed bayonets and charged through, cleaning it of rebels and driv- ing them across into another a few rods further on our road to Port Gibson. After we had driven the rebels out of the road, one of the 21st coming through after us, got a rebel flag that our boys had charged over. One of our company passed right by it, but did not stop to pick it up.
"As soon as we got to the top of the ridge we let into them again and fired an average of 35 rounds to the man. It lasted just an hour and the shortest hour I ever put in, as I thought. During that hour the 23rd Iowa whipped the 23rd and 20th Alabama. The 23rd Ala. had been in five battles, and had never been whipped and declared they never could be, but we left 300 of their men on the battle field by that one hour's work. Our company lost one man killed, C. C. Batterill shot through the head over the right eve. Two wounded (Wm. Houge in the back close to the spine, dangerously, and Jacob A. Tabler slightly in the arm) and seven killed. The rebels fired too high, but we did not object.
"After firing ceased, Gen. Hovey rode up and said, boys you are soldiers, every one of you.' He then turned to the Lieut. Col. and asked what Regt. charged that cane brake, he said the 23rd Iowa. Hovey said, 'God bless the 23rd Iowa,' and took off his hat and yelled like a steam boat whistle. Hovey is in command of another Division of old soldiers,
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which made the remarks more complimentary to the 23rd and the Regt. appreciates it. I am giving more of what the 23rd done than of the others, because I know more about it. We made another charge during the day that report says an Ill. Regt. refused to make when the Lieut. Col. said the 23rd wanted to try it. We were told to go ahead. We did so and lost one killed and one wounded. After making the last charge we fired six rounds, and that finished our day's work.
"We had not slept any the night before, and eaten nothing during the day and were both hungry and sleepy. I was struck with a spent ball during the day, but it did no damage. Our loss is estimated at about 700 or 800 in killed, wounded and missing.
"The Rebel medical director is reported to have said their loss in killed and wounded is 3,500 and the whole army is missing. Some of their men were here that were at Shiloh, and they said that Shiloh was calm compared to the first of May.
"I might give you a great many more points about the battle, but I don't think the good of the country requires it. The appearance of the field after the battle is just such as you can read in the papers after any battle.".
"EDWARDS STATION, May 19, 1863.
"It is two weeks since I wrote my last letter, but there has been no mail going out since, and I could not have sent it if I had written and it is not likely that we can send any mail till after Vicksburgh is taken, but that will not be long. If it is not taken now, it will be before tomorrow night.
"Since writing last we have seen the monkey grow to be the size of an elephant. The battle described in my last will be known as Magnolia church, Andrews Hill or Port Gibson. Since that time there has been five different battles fought with complete success to the Federal army. We were not engaged especially in more than two. On Saturday the 16th inst. we were held as a reserve a part of the day, and in the afternoon the 16th Ohio were repulsed and we went in and met them coming out of the fight in confusion. We went over the same ground that they did, but for some cause the Johnnies did not wait for us. We took some prisoners, but did not lose any men. This place will be known as Champions Hill.
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"After the battle, which was very stubbornly fought on both sides, we marched to Edwards Station; camped about 9 o'clock P. M. I had marched since the morning of the 15th, and all I had to eat was two crackers. After getting into Camp I got a potato about as large as a goose egg and eat it raw. We were up by 4 o'clock in the morning, and marched to Black River, about 4 miles. As our General could depend on us, we were put out of our place proper, and moved to the extreme right of the army on the bank of Black River; cov- ered by the bank we laid there some time, when our Col. was ordered to occupy the enemy's left breastworks if he could. He answered, 'we can do it General, we can do it.' He did not know how far it was to them, but it would have made no difference to him. He ordered us to fix bavonets. Then Left Wing forward. The five companies moved out under fire. Right Wing, Forward. When the five Right Companies started, we climbed the bank and had to run just a quarter of a mile through a perfect shot of leaden hail, which left very near one-half of our Right on the field, though some fell from exhaustion. We were loaded rather too heavily for fast run- ning as we had our canteens, haversacks, cartridge boxes and guns, which amounted to several pounds, but according to the General's watch we made the quarter in just three min- utes, driving out 5 rebel Regts. and taking 1,600 more prison- ers. It was short but we lost 10 wounded in our Company, and 115 in the eight companies, that were really in the charge. The other two were out skirmishing at the time. To look back now I can't see how any one got through. I was struck but not hurt. My shirt sleeve was shot through the wrist, and without touching the skin. Another struck me on the leg, leaving quite a mark and drawing blood, but it did not cut my pants ; the third passed through the strap of my gun, one through the front part of my blouse and one through the back of my blouse. The Rebels had a most terrible enfilading fire on us from not less than 2,000 guns for the whole distance. I believe we are ordered to march toward Vicksburgh today. and I must prepare for it.
"We will not have to do any more fighting soon, as we are detailed to guard the prisoners that were taken here, and will probably take them to Chicago. We lost our Col. on the field. He fell mortally wounded and died the next day. In losing him we lost one of the bravest of Iowa's sons. A gentleman
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and a soldier beloved by all that knew him. He wanted to be buried on the battle field, but the officers wanted him to be buried beside Col. Dewey in Des Moines.
"YOUNGS POINT, La., May 23, 1863. After writing the first sheet we marched the next day, and camped on the west side of Black River, directly across the river from the battle field. The 20th we marched to the Miss. river or Yazoo river a little above its mouth, crossing the old battle ground of Chickasaw Bluffs, just above Vicksburgh.
"That night we were relieved from guarding the prison- ers by another Regt., as we were completely worn out by marching and fighting.
"The next morning we started on board the boat for parts unknown, but the boat soon landed here. Young's Point is about five miles above Vicksburgh on the west side of the river, and in sight of Vicksburgh.
"On the 9th the attack was made on Vicksburgh and there has been a continual roar of cannon and musketry ever since. The musketry and field pieces keeping comparatively quiet at night, but the mortars keep it up day and night.
"I was down near the Point yesterday and seen the gun- boat fight, which was terribly grand and very heavy. Most of the Vicksburgh batteries and five gunboats playing at once. It would be a nice sight, and a person could enjoy it first rate, but for the awful consequences. I think we will take the place, but it will be a heavy loss for both sides.
"The night we came to the Yazoo the rebels tried to cut their way through the Union lines and release the prisoners, but were repulsed with heavy loss. They have tried it twice since, but failed. We have the place completely surrounded so that no man can get out. We have three lines clear around the town. It is reported that Gen. Grant says that the charge we made last Sabbath at Black River Bridge was the best that was ever made on the continent. We can't have much idea here how the battle is going only that the rebel lines are being pressed in and consequently ours are getting shorter, but by the help of God of battles we will come out triumphant over all our foes and the cause of Freedom will spread through this length and breadth of this once happy country.
"I am Sergeant of the prison guard today, and have charge of about 5,000 prisoners.
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"May 24th. The battle still rages. We hear a great many reports, but don't know what to believe. Some of the 22nd Iowa were taken prisoners yesterday and paroled. They came in here yesterday.
"I have never described my feelings when going into bat- tle, and don't know that I can. I suppose all have the same or a similar feeling. It is not fear, nor is it anger. I never was in a more pleasant humor, and after taking a prisoner I could shake hands with him as a friend. It is not a feeling of pity, because when the men were falling around me the fastest, I did not think of stopping to notice who it was: would jump over two at a time in the hurry to get to their breastworks. I had perfect presence of mind when the ball struck my leg. I stopped and looked at it, and when I seen that my pants were not cut I concluded that it was not neces- sary to fall at that time, though the bullets were flying like a perfect hail storm, but I came through safe by the Protect- ing Power that is thrown around us all. Had there been no such power not a man could have come through, and I can't see how the balls passed between us without hurting more than was hurt.
"There is only one word that I can think of that will con- vey some idea of the feeling, and that will not do it. "Dread" comes nearest. You feel like you will be hit, but don't care much; you don't care for yourself or any body else so you succeed. After the battle every one feels like he had been providentially saved, and feels glad to see any of his Com- pany that may have come through, and we shake hands and grasp one another as though we had not seen each other for years.
"May 26th, 1863. On Board the Steamer Chancellor. We are on our way up the Mississippi river to Memphis with the prisoners. We started this morning. We have 5.000 prisoners, on five steamers, with four Regts. guarding them. There are seven companies of the 23rd on this boat. and 1.000 prisoners; three of our Cos. are on another boat.
"I have not told you before, but we have had no tents from the 28th of April to the 24th of May ; sleeping on the ground through all kinds of weather, though the weather was gener- ally good. The day Jackson was taken and the day before (May 13 and 14), the rain poured down all day and we trav- eled all day through mud and water that was at no time less Vol. 1-14
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than shoe mouth deep, and from that to half leg deep, and waded streams that were above high water mark. You may guess that it was hard marching. At night the water would run all around us, and dam up against us, but we had good health through it all.
"The country in Louisiana is very flat, but across the river in Mississippi it is just the opposite ; very rough and broken. The hills are not high, but lots of them.
"The battle of Vicksburgh was not decided when we left, but they had ceased firing on both sides. Our boys have them shut in on all sides so that there is not a possibility of escape, and they are undermining the Rebel Forts and intend to blow them up. I saw three wagon loads of spades and picks going down to them.
"I will mail this at Memphis."
"YOUNG'S POINT, La., June 1, 1863.
"We left the prisoners at Memphis on the 27th ult., and started back to this point on the 28th, and landed here yes- terday evening. There is still considerable firing going on over the river yet. This morning was the heaviest cannonad- ing I ever heard, but it did not last very long.
"It is reported that the rebels are on the point of starva- tion. S. L. Glasgow has just got his eagles. We left the Capt. (Glasgow) at Memphis in the hospital. He will not be likely to do any more service.
"The health of the right is very poor at present. We have been worked a little more than the boys can stand for the last month.
"Gov. Kirkwood is here, and says that the 23rd must have some rest. We will probably go over the river and rest in the rifle pits."
"YOUNG'S POINT, La., June 6, '63.
"In answer to what I suppose would be your most anxious inquiry, my health is good. Vicksburgh is not taken, but our lines are being continually shortened, and the final triumph of Grant & Co. is only a matter of time. We did not go over to Vicksburgh as expected in my last, and now have no idea when we will go or whether we will go at all. We don't hear from our personal friends over there, and I can not give you any information concerning them. The general news is all we hear and that is not always reliable. The prisoners are
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still coming in from the other side of the river, and the negroes are set to guarding them, which they don't appear to appre- ciate very well. The colored gentlemen are new at the busi- ness and a great deal more strict than old soldiers, and will allow them no privileges at all.
"It is reported that the Guerillas made an attack on the camp at Millikens Bend a day or two ago, and were repulsed by the negroes. Last night we were waked by an order, about 11 o'clock, to be prepared for an attack in the morning about 3 o'clock, when we were called in line of battle to await their coming, but they did not come. We slept on our arms in line of battle from that to morning. The attack was not made though they were seen within a mile and a half of our pickets late yesterday evening.
"June 9. I was stopped rather unceremoniously on the 6th by an order coming for us to go to Millikens Bend forth- with as they were expecting an attack at that place by the rebels. We went up that evening, the Regt. numbering 130 men, and got there just a little after dark. When we arrived the officers in command had about concluded that the rebels were not coming, so we lay on the boat all night with the understanding that we were to be notified of any approach of the enemy in time for us to disembark. (It would be well to state here that there were no troops there except colored Regts. with white officers.) We lay on the boat till nearly daylight, when the news came that the rebels were coming, but we did not think they were in very heavy force or very near. We went out to within about 20 steps of the breast- works, and the front halted until the rear would get off the boat. As soon as the front stopped the Col. rode to the breast- works to see where the rebels were, and to his surprise found them within 200 yards of the works. Four Regts. deep, coming up, driving cattle, mules and horses in front of them for breastworks, carrying the Stars and Stripes and some of them with our clothes on. He ordered us, 'double quick, for God's sake, they are right on us.' We did so but the left of the Regt. did not all get into the works until the rebels were on top of them. Both sides used their bayonets with effect. One member of the Regt. and a rebel met and at the same instant plunged their bayonets into one another and both fell dead on the works with their bayonets in that position. Another rebel ran his bayonet through one of our
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men, and one of our men knocked the rebel's brains out with the butt of his musket. It was a very hot place. The rebels numbering not less than 2,500 against 130 of us, (except the negroes, and they had just drawn their guns the day before and did not know how to use them). They stood much better than I supposed they would, being so green in the business, but they fired too high and exposed themselves too much as they would fire and then keep their heads in danger to watch the effects of their shots. They did not all know how to load their guns, and did not know where their caps were. Three of them came to me for caps. I said, 'My God, have you no caps ?' One of them answered, 'Massa, we don't know where dey are.' I showed them and they left. We had been in the ditch about three minutes when the negroes gave way on our left and let the rebels in. They fired a terrible volley on us right down the ditch, and were preparing to give us another when the Col. ordered us to fall back to the next breastworks that run at right angles with the first. We did so when they flanked us again, and we had to fall back. We did so when they flanked us again, and we had to fall back to the river bank. There was not a man flinched in the Regt. till he was ordered to fall back. Out of 130 that went into the engage- ment 25 were killed on the field and 43 wounded; making a little more than half of the Regt. When we fell back to the river one of our gunboats lying there shelled the rebels and killed several. I counted beside our killed, 50 dead negroes on our left.
"On the right of our Regt. the negroes killed a rebel gen- eral and his horse. The rebel loss in killed and wounded is supposed to be not less than 300, though we have no certain way of ascertaining as they hauled off a great many, but they left directly in front of the 23rd, thirty of their dead; all their wounded were taken off except one. About 25 were dead in front of the negroes, and it is reported that a shell exploded among them on their retreat and killed 42. There were prob- ably 1,200 negroes around the works. There were four Regts. of the rebels engaged and said to be one held in reserve.
"After the rebels left we marched down the river to Van Buren hospital a mile or more down the river in order to pro- tect that place, as we had quite a number of sick and conva- lescent then. We stayed there that night, and were reinforced by two more Regts .. but they were not needed, as the rebels
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were satisfied with their first reception, though it was rather informal. We took boat yesterday again, and came back to Youngs' Point, where we now lie under marching orders tak- ing us over to Vicksburg.
"The battle was on the ground where Grant's troops first landed at Milliken's Bend preparatory to marching around Vicksburg. A ditch wide enough to allow a man to stand in it was dug in the levee on the river side and near enough to the top to enable us to stand in the ditch and by stretching a little could look over and see them. The rebellion is a little like a joint snake now, only that the tail does not jump around much, but unlike the joint snake it will never come together again.
"The armies at Vicksburg are within speaking distance and frequently call to one another. One rebel said, 'we have got a new general over here', Yank-'what general', Rebel -'general starvation', Yank-'have you no corn bread ?' Rebel-'very little, have you any crackers over there ?' Yank -'Yes,' Rebel-'let us have one'-at this one of the boys slipped a shell into one of our cannon and sent it over to them. It bursted middling close, and one of our boys asked them how they liked it, and they answered, 'very well.' This is a sample of what can be heard every hour."
"REAR OF VICKSBURG, June 28, 1863.
"We left Young's Point on Thursday the 18th inst ; fixed camp on the 19th. The Right went on picket duty on Satur- day the 20th, and our pickets and the Rebels were within about ten steps of one another. Sabbath we were in the rifle pits all day. I can't describe to your satisfaction the appearance of the rifle pits and forts, etc., with all their windings through the hills across hollows, up ravines and under the rebel forts above Vicksburg. Our rifle pits now run to within 30 feet of one of the forts and we have commenced to undermine it. We are in comparatively little danger to be right under the guns of the fort. Last night we stood picket within six feet of the Johnnies. There is a kind of armistice existing be- tween the pickets, and no firing is done after the pickets are put out. We extend our pits every night, and guard them during the day.
"June 25. I did not get to finish this on the 23rd. I was detailed to take charge of a squad of men at work on the rifle
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pits. Stayed twenty-four hours and last night went on picket, and got back to camp at daylight this morning. It was reported last night that the rebs were going to try and cut their way through our lines, but they did not try it on us, though it appears that they tried it on another part of the line and failed, with heavy loss to them and none to us.
"Two of my old Penn schoolmates were killed in the charge on the 22nd, John and Mathew Robb. They belonged to the Twenty-second Iowa-such is war.
"Our rifle pits cut through the ground that our brigade charged over. The dead from that charge are very indiffer- ently buried. One soldier was buried with his legs uncovered to the knees. They were buried by the rebels, and it is re- ported that some of them lay five days before being buried, but that is probably not true, as in this climate and weather the bodies would be entirely decomposed in that time.
"I am writing amidst the roar of cannon and the sharp crack of musketry, but our camp is in a deep ravine and the balls pass over us.
"The rebel, General Johnson, is said to be in the vicinity of Black river, but we have perfect confidence in Grant.
"Our regiment is generally down with the chronic diarrhea. Company D has only about twenty men now that are able for duty. I must now go to bed, so as to be ready for picket again tonight."
"REAR OF VICKSBURG, June 30, '63.
"I am the only man in Company D that is really able for duty today. My health never was better, and I weigh more than I ever did at this season.
"The morning report shows eight men for duty, but if it was not for the urgent necessity to have as strong a force as possible here there would be only one man reported for duty in Company D. Our company now numbers seventy-four men of which thirty-four are absent (sick and wounded.) We have forty present in camp, and the camp is a very fair representation of a hospital. Our duty comes hard on those who are able to perform it, as the most able bodied men do the duty for those not really able to do it. The sickness is prin- cipally chronic diarrhoea.
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