Seth J. Wells

“ One year ago today we left Winchester, Virginia, on our march for Manasses Junction. Part of Providence was burned this afternoon. The few citizens and Negroes whom the raise of the water had overtaken, were wading in the streets, waist deep, trying to save what things they had left.
March 22. We had orders to draw and cook one day’s rations early this morning. The water [48] rose a good deal last night, and nothing but a small temporary levee keeps the camp from being inundated, and that is being washed away. The cattle and mules are all being driven higher up. ”

“ We closed up in regular order and about 3 o’clock came in sight of a fleet of eighty transports and gunboats at the mouth of the Yazoo. We halted about one mile above them, and twelve miles from Vicksburg by water, or eighty by the short cut on the Louisiana side. The troops here tell us our boys are working on the Farragut’s canal and are to have it finished in a few days. We slept in the boat last night, Abe and I in our old place. The country for over a hundred miles above here is quite thickly settled by wealthy planters. On some of the plantations the Negro quarters form quite a town. ”

“ Nine miles out we came upon the road leading from Jackson to Vicksburg, and were upon the battle ground of yesterday. The horrors of war were everywhere visible. The dead and wounded were scattered around over the ground. Here we came upon Bill Stafford, who said McPherson’s corps took seventeen hundred prisoners and thirteen pieces of artillery, but were badly cut up. They are burying the dead. It is rumored that Pemberton was killed. In one place the horses of nearly a whole battery were killed. We marched five miles, joined our old brigade, and camped on Black River. ”

“ Grant. Logan went down to the Hollow where he met the Rebel Colonel Montgomery, a major and a number of other officers. Hostilities were suspended till 8 o’clock and we went over and buried our dead of the day of the charge. They had lain three days in the sun and had turned black. Firing had no sooner ceased along the line than the contending parties mingled like a flock of sheep. A great many found friends and relatives, and two or three [71] found brothers. The Rebels were very anxious to exchange for coffee. They are, taken altogether, the finest looking lot of Confeds I have seen. ”

“ We made a hard march of nineteen miles.
May 2. Marched fifteen miles, very tired. We passed McArthur’s division this forenoon. Weather awfully hot.
May 3. Started at 5 o’clock, as usual. The country through which we are now passing is the most beautiful I have ever seen. The plantation mansions are grand, and the grounds and outbuildings are fitted up in fine style. Each plantation has a splendid steam gin, and some have steam cane-mills as well. The mills must have cost between ten and twenty, possibly thirty thousand dollars. The inhabitants have but recently left. ”

“ There is a high promontory and a range of bluffs here which the Rebels had forfeited with nine guns. It commanded the entrance to the Black River as well as the Mississippi. It was a fort of nature’s own construction. We have had a fatiguing march and a good many have given out. Grant’s headquarters are eighteen miles back. We hear that Logan’s division is in advance and has done good fighting, also that many prisoners have been taken. ”

“ McPherson passed through here, and Logan’s division is coming up and passing through. Our old brigade (Col. Stevenson’s) also passed. A train came in a little after dark and was loaded with cotton. The country is stripped of everything and so we are on half rations. All the hogs and live stock have been killed. The Negroes are suffering and I think they would welcome their old masters. There are a great many leaving, a large carload left today. We have poorer fare than at any time since we enlisted.
Dec. 25. Christmas. I came off guard duty this morning. ”

“ At the wharf you can see transports as far as the eye can reach in either direction. The river is quite low. I came around the Rebel works and in coming back was surprised to see so little artillery commanding the river. Only four guns and one mortar, and a one hundred and twenty-eight pounder, manufactured in Richmond, Va. In the land defenses from the river to the English Whitworth gun there are twenty-six pieces, making in all from Fort Hill around to town fifty-nine guns. Most of the troops have gone to the rear and there is less than an army corps here at the present. ”

“ The Rebs are to be paroled and the officers are to retain their side arms and personal property. Between 10 and 11 o’clock the Rebs marched outside and stacked their arms, after which they returned to camp. At 2 o’clock the troops on the left began marching in. At 3 we formed, and after marching a while in the broiling sun and suffocating dust, our division moved in and up to the courthouse. We passed a large number of Confeds. They are as good a looking set of Reb. troops as we have seen. Most of them are glad they have surrendered. Only a few look sober and sullen. ”

“ The inhabitants are badly scared and are moving out. It will all be inundated when we get the levee cut through. The engineers say there are four feet and six inches of fall between the surface of the river and the surface of the ground below the levee. We worked until noon, and then another relief came on. The regiment moved down to the boats and camped on the other side of the levee. We got a large barroom stove for our tent. This evening there was a detail sent across the river to a large plantation for Nigs. One hundred and forty were caught and sent to Vicksburg. ”

“ We went forty miles last night. This is a rainy day. Fortune seems to be against us when we float the Mississippi. Our rations in the bread line since we left Bolivar have been mostly hard-tack with cornmeal. We occasionally draw flour. The hard crackers we draw are better now than they have been before. The boats have moved very slowly against the current today. We arrived at Providence the middle of the afternoon, landed above the town, and went ashore. ”

“ We saw Stevenson and Logan this afternoon. I saw Quimby when we stopped for dinner. A number of fellows swam the Black River and captured chickens, pigs, etc. The Rebels have chosen their own ground and have been badly whipped each time. We draw scarcely any rations. Engineers are bridging the river.
May 18. Monday. We lay in camp until 1 o’clock, when the bridge was completed and orders came to advance. We crossed in the rear of Blair’s division and marched to within six miles of Vicksburg. The country is nothing but a succession of hills. Sherman’s corps was in the advance. ”

“ There is general activity today, Steele’s division is crossing over—also Tuttle’s. Gunboats and transports are engaged in the work.
May 8. Friday. All quiet. Sherman’s corps moved out this morning. An exorbitant price is demanded for everything. A sheet of paper and envelope are five cents each. Twenty-five cents for a lemon; six dollars for a canteen of whisky; milk costs a dollar a quart, and other things in proportion. At 5 o’clock we boarded the “Empire City” for the lower landing, fifteen miles below, to protect the hospital and bring off the wounded. ”

“ The Rebels called over the line the other night for us to look out as they had a new General. We asked who it was and they replied: “General Starvation.” Blair’s expedition is returning from the rear; they went within sixteen miles of Yazoo City, but old Joe was nowhere to be found. A division has just come down from above. I wrote home today.
June 5. Friday. All quiet today, I went out with Boggs and picked some blackberries. At dusk I went up to look at the fort, and after dark got over to look at the “land gunboat” as it is called. ”

“ I am on parole guard today. We expect to move in a day or two.
Jan. 11. The regiment was formed at 4 this morning. In the afternoon we received marching orders. Our division has been moving up all day. [27] Logan’s division is here. The stockade fort that the contrabands are at work on near the depot is almost completed. At 4 o’clock we had dress parade. Orders were read, fining the absentees from roll call since the last of December, one dollar each time.
Jan. 12. We were called up at half past three this morning and were on the road inside an hour, and by sunrise were four miles on the way. ”

“ We had to turn back, feeling pretty badly sold as it made us four miles extra walk. Young poplars were so thick that we could not see where we were for a while. The levee is broken in two places. Our division (6th McArthur) is repairing the upper one, and the lower division the lower one. The water is running through here badly. They are planting artillery behind the levee all along between camp and the ditch. The levee forms a substantial breast-work. One mile this side of the ditch we came, for the first time, within full view of Vicksburg. ”

“ A number of deserters came in today. Six siege guns are coming up from the river. Today is the quietest we have had since we took up our position before the town.
June 7. Sunday. Up early, regiment formed [76] and went out skirmishing. The Rebels command a hollow which we were obliged to cross. They poured in quite a fire, but no one was hurt. The regiment came across all right.
June 8. Monday. The company formed before daylight and we crossed the exposed hollow before light, leaving three men at the rifle pits. Artillery firing tonight. Boggs and I went up to the big fort. ”

“ Drill forenoon and afternoon. Dress parade in the evening, the same as yesterday. We had a game of baseball in the evening. I worked all day on the pay rolls.
March 15. Warm and rainy. I arose before roll call and took a walk down to the levee. Vegetation is starting rapidly. Peach trees are just in [45] bloom, and some are leaved out. Logan’s division came down and embarked on transports during the day.
March 16. The long expected opening in the levee was made this evening, amid the shouts and cheers of the two divisions. The water was let through in two places, each about two feet wide. ”

“ We had dress parade at 4 o’clock. Gen. Logan’s address to his troops was read to us. Grant and McPherson were both here today. It is rumored that the “Star of the West” has been captured.
Feb. 25. Our division was inspected today by Major Strong, Inspector-General. Ours was the first regiment inspected. We had a thunder shower in the afternoon and an awful one last night and this morning. Our tent leaked like a sieve. The river is rising very fast. The bank is being leveled to keep the water out of the canal. We had dress parade this evening. ”

“ Minnie balls, whole shells and pieces, and solid shot cover the ground. They have defended the place bravely and I say “All honor to them.” We marched around the courthouse, [89] stacked arms, and lay there about three hours. Citizens had nice little caves dug into the banks where they took their families and lived during the siege. The mortars have nearly destroyed the town. Large buildings were torn to pieces, each by a single shell. Some went straight through, and some exploded inside and tore them. A few citizens were killed. Citizens are moving back to their ruined dwellings. ”

“ One o’clock. We just now received marching orders to be ready tomorrow morning. Frank, Bill, Buttons and Boggs of our mess, and Ragan and Doughty of the Peacock mess, fetched in a whole beef, and a few minutes later Abe, John and Scott brought in a whole hog. If we live on half rations it will not be of meat, as we have a hog and half a beef. It is very warm and pleasant today, I lay down and took a nap, but the flies were so troublesome I could hardly sleep. ”

“ We packed up twice to change our camp today, but the order was countermanded each time. The arsenal is a very extensive building and the rebels turned out one hundred small arms per day. We are preparing it for an extensive hospital. Quartered here again tonight. I went up to the depot and while there met old Captain Backman, of Co. C, 12th Ind. Reg. He is now sutler in the same regiment, which is located but a few miles below here doing picket duty on the railroad. ”

“ Rebs unusually active, throwing shell. They have one gun that is causing us considerable trouble. It is back in the rear and our artillery cannot disturb it. I wrote home today.
June 15. Monday. We were aroused at 3 o’clock this morning. The company was formed and went out sharpshooting. The enemy were rather quiet, but they had a piece of artillery or mortar directly opposite from which they sent over shell all day. It was out of sight, but we had our artillery loaded and ready and as soon as we could see the smoke from their guns the shells were put in from all directions. ”

“ No one but Napoleon has equalled it. It has resulted in the complete destruction of the Rebel army at Vicksburg. They have lost without doubt about forty thousand men. The boys are beginning to think Grant is a Napoleon. He has completely wiped out his Shiloh affair. Papers of the 29th in camp show very discouraging news from the East. The Rebs are throwing heavy columns into Pennsylvania, and are threatening Pittsburg, Harrisburg and Baltimore. Northern papers give no account of the army movements. Hooker has been superseded by Gen. Meade of the 5th Army Corps. ”

“ It is now five feet deep and has a rapid current. It averages over twenty feet wide upon the surface. The Mississippi is rising rapidly. I went down to the lower end of the ditch, it is one mile and one-eighth in length. There are heavy details at work throwing up a levee on the west side of it. We have thirty two-pound parrots blockading the river. They are posted behind the levee here. When we arrived Gen. McClernand was taking observations. The [34] Rebels are throwing up heavy works below the mouth of the ditch upon the opposite side. It is about three miles distant. ”