No. 8.

Vicksburg, Miss, July. 11^th. 1863.

 

            My Dear Wife,

                        I have no chance of mailing a letter to you now, but will commence writing one and mail it at the first opportunity.

 

To-day at 2 o'clock P.M. Herron's division was all on board transports and within a few minutes of starting down the River to reinforce Gen. Banks when one one of Admiral Farigut's iron clad, two masted steam ships of war came puffing up. Soon after this frigate landed we rec'd orders not to move till further ordered, with the intelligence that Port Hudson had surrendered.

 

            This glorious victory gives us undisputed possession of the Mississippi River. What Copperhead can now have the audacity to say that we have gained nothing by fighting when we compare the present locality of the enemy with where it was at the time we made the celebrated march from Allenville to S^t Joe under Col. Edwards. Then the rebels were menaceing the borders of the Hawk Eye State while now it is scarcely probable that they will make / another stand of importance this side of Mobile

 

            While we are witnessing the glorious achievements here in the South West we are additionally elated over the news from Gen. Mead's department.

            "Sing, brother soldiers,

            Sing near and far,

            For the light of hope is breaking

            From the red flower of war;

            Breaking, and brightning

            Amazingly grand,

            On the black battle smoke

            That drives through the land."

 

            "Sing, brother soldiers,

            Sing near and far,

            For the light of peace is breaking

            From the red flower of war

            The light of peace is breaking

            And all men agree,

            We are bound to have a country,

            Where every one is free!"

 

Aboard the steamer Prima Donna, 6 o'clock PM July 12^th

            This morning our order to go to Port Hudson was countermanded and immediately followed / by another to move up to Yazoo City. In pursuance of this last order we left Vicksburg at 3 o'clock P.M. and are now steaming up the dead water of Yazoo River above Hain's Bluff.

 

July 13^th

            At 12 o'clock to-day our transports landed 3 miles below Yazoo City and our gun boats moved up and shelled the rebels out of their forts in less than one hour but in the engagement our gun boat Barron DeCalb was sunk by the explosion of a torpedo in the River.

 

At 5 o'clock the transports steamed up and the infantry disembarked and took possession of the rebel work. We captured 250 rebel prisoners.

 

Yazoo City, July 14^th

            To-day our Reg. was employed in removing the captured siege guns from the forts to the boats and the naval crews were engaged all day in raising guns out of the illfated Barron DeCalb.

 

July 15^th

            Our Reg is on picket guard to-day.

 

July 16^th

            This morning the whole division (except two Reg.) was ordered to prepare five day's rations in / haversacks and be ready to march at 12 o'clock M. After geting this order there was considerable guessing and wondering about which which direction and where we were going; but at half after 12 o'clock one of our queries were answered by us being formed in line and put on motion on the road that runs from Yazoo City to Jackson, but the where has not been answered yet. We are now in camp for the night eight miles from where we started.

 

            Cooney has the ague and could not come with us; we left him with a good many more of our sick boys in our camp at Yazoo City. The country we have passed through to-day is by far the prettiest and richest that I have ever seen in the South or I might say any where else.

 

            The plantations are large but as a general thing not very well tended; this deficiency I was informed by the citizens was on account of the scarcity of niggers nearly all of which had been taken away to work on fortifications. There is no end to the fruit; we have had all the ripe peaches apples and figs we could eat.

 

The figs grow wild in the timber and so do the magnola and myrtle trees. The two last named trees are in full bloom and makes the wild scenery beautiful beyond description.

 

July 18^th

            Yesterday morning we started on our march at 4 o'clock and some time after dark we crossed Big Black River and camped on its left bank.

 

            In the forenoon yesterday we heard heavy and rapid fireing some distance ahead of us and last night after comeing into camp we learned that its cause was a battle fought between the forces of Gen. Sherman and the rebels fortified at Canton a station on the rail road 7 miles from our camp on Big Black. The rebels were whipped and scattered in every direction.

 

This morning Gen Herron sent a cavilry escort with a currier out to Gen. Sherman which returned about noon and at 3 o'clock our division was again in motion recrossing the River and retraceing the same road we came. I think the intention of our / march out here was to cooperate with Sherman in his attack on Canton yesterday but the rebs were so easily dispersed that we did not get up in time to take them prisoners.

 

All the inhabitance in this part of Miss. are as perfectly subdued as the rebel army is whipped and demoralized. The citizens along the road tell us that they are certain that the Confederacy is "played out" and that they believe the union will be restored and peace made inside of twenty days, but this war is such a desperate game with the rebel leaders that I do not think they can give it up so soon as their poor suffering dupes would be glad to have them to. As we were passing a fine house to-day a woman came out and said to uss—"I knew it would turn out just this way when we commenced this war. I knew the North was two strong for us and I knew the Yankees would overrun our country just this way &c."

 

This woman's foreknowledge reminded me of the story about the old cow eating the grind stone. We are now in camp for the / night a distance of ten miles from Big Black.

 

            Dave had a chill to-day and has very high fever now.

 

            Yazoo City, July 19^th

We left our camping ground very early this morning and arrived here about 2 or 3 o'clock P.M. We found Cooney well of the ague but pretty bad off with the diarrhea. Dave had the ague again to-day. I am still well and hearty but when I look arround me and see so many of our men on the sick list I can't help thinking that my turn will come pretty soon. Several of the men on the march to-day were sun struck, some of which the Surgeon says will die.

 

Olie is six months old to-day; I wish I knew how she was geting along.

 

July 20^th

            We rec'd orders this morning to cook up two day's rations and prepare to embark on a transport at 6 o'clock P.M. Myself and four others of our Co. have just been out in the country a little ways trying what we could raise in the way of something to eat. We were pretty successful: we led in one fat sheep and carried two geese, six / chickens, about one bushel of peaches, as many figs as we wanted and a wooden bucket full of very nice honey. Negroes are flocking in here by hundreds and one boat load were sent down to Vicksburg to-day.

 

            Our forces are gathering a great deal of cotton; I should think that there were now stacked up on the Yazoo City wharf about five or six thousand bales ready for shipping

 

            Dave has missed the chill today and Cooney is better. Charley is not well but is able to knock arround considerable. Frank and all the other neighborhood boys that came up here with us are well. We left Dave Crowley pretty sick at Vicksburg.

 

            I guess we are going down to Vicksburg and I am glad of it for I want to get a letter from you and get a chance to mail this. The citizens along the road told us yesterday that the enemy (meaning the Yankees) were in possession of both Richmond and Charleston; we did not know whether to believe them or not but would like mighty well to do the former.

 

            We are every minute expecting orders to shoulder our traps and go aboard a boat / and I guess I had better put away my pen and paper for to-night

 

            Vicksburg, Miss, July 22^d, 1863.

                        We are this morning in our old camp; we arrived and disembarked last night. Dave and Cooney were both very sick yesterday. It does not seem to be the ague that is working with either of them. Dave was not able to walk up to camp and he was taken to the Regimental hospital in an ambulance I would not have allowed him to be taken to the hospital but it was reported that we were to embark again this morning and strike out on another expedition and I knew it would be very injurious to him to be draged arround as has he has been for several days past. We have rec'd orders this morning to be ready to embark on a boat in a minutes notice; so that I expect we will have to leave Cooney in the hospital with Dave. This is rather a sad dilema with me; I would not mind it so much if they could be left in some healthy locality. I hope something may turn up that we will not have to leave yet. I was extremely glad last night when I came into camp to find two letters here for me both of which were from you. One dated June 17^th (three days after I left home) and the other July 5^th. I was glad to hear that Olie was geting over the whooping cough.

 

            I have enclosed in another envelope for a Yazoo Daily Yankee which I will mail to you. This letter has now been on my hands eleven days and as I now have a chance to mail it and have filled the second sheet I will bid good morning and subscribe myself,

 

                                    Your loving husband              Enos Reed

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