Saturday, 9th–I was on picket guard down town and all is quiet. The ice floe is running quite strong in the Mississippi and has been for some days, which is rather a new thing to the people of Vicksburg. They say the like has never been known, at least in such large quantities, and that [...]
Friday, 8th–I was on fatigue duty, hauling wood for the picket post out in an open field. General Hunter reviewed our brigade today and inspected Company E. It is reported that he is to take command of the Seventeenth Army Corps. All of us hope that it is a false report, for we do not [...]
Thursday, 7th–Pleasant weather again after several days of cold. Our brigade now provides the provost guard for the city, which takes each regiment down town every fourth day. The work is thus becoming heavier for our brigade. All is quiet in camp.
Wednesday, 6th–The time for re-enlisting with the bounty expired last night at midnight. The boys who re-enlisted are now looking forward to going home on a thirty-day furlough in the spring.
Tuesday, 5th–The Eleventh Iowa went in today as a veteran regiment, for three years more if needed. Our brigade will also go in as a veteran brigade. It is quite stormy, with a wind from the northwest. I went on picket again, down on the river bottom, two miles below.
Monday, 4th–An order was issued by the War Department cancelling the previous order giving the large bounties to soldiers for re-enlisting, but it is not to go into effect until midnight of the 5th inst. Re-enlisting is going on at a lively rate. Company E today secured the necessary number entitling it to be a [...]
Sunday, 3d–It cleared off this morning and it got quite cool. I was at my post this morning, standing in water a foot deep. When our relief came they had to go back almost to town before they could cross the swollen creek to reach our post. The “Veteran” excitement was raging when we got [...]
Saturday, 2d–I was detailed for picket again this morning, and the post I drew stationed me on the bottom land. It began to rain late in the afternoon and continued into the night and I was soon standing in water. I tell you, it is poor comfort on picket. The commanding officer banished three women [...]
Friday, 1st–This is a cold New Year’s Day, but things are quite lively in camp, the boys being in fine spirits. I got a pass to go down town this afternoon and found the stores all closed for the day. This is the beginning of the year 1864, and this cruel war still continues to [...]
Thursday, 31st–The weather has been generally mild this month, though changeable, but today it capped the climax. There was a strong gale from the northwest, accompanied by rain and snow. This is regular muster day. The Eleventh Iowa was mustered at 10 o’clock, and we all had to fall in line by companies, and march [...]
Wednesday, 30th–The veterans of the Eleventh Iowa were sworn into the United States service today. There were ten from Company E, as follows: Nathan Chase, George Cush, Leroy Douglas, Frank Johnson, James Martin, James Newcom, Henry Newans, James Rankin, Burtis Rumsey, and Orlando Stout.
Tuesday, 29th–I was on camp guard today. The weather is quite pleasant. News came that General Schofield is to be removed from the Department of the Missouri and that Rosecrans is to be placed in command. People are rejoicing over the change. Schofield is in command of a corps with Grant.
Monday, 28th–The commanding officers of our post here are “conscripting” every able-bodied citizen for military duty. The order applies to blacks as well as to whites, and aims to provide artisans for labor in connection with the army and army posts.
Sunday. 27th–I was again on provost patrol in the city, and with two others was assigned to the mule corral, the meanest place one could possibly be stationed at; for all we had to do was to see that the four mules penned up there did not kick down the fence.
Saturday, 26th–The Eleventh and the Fifteenth Iowa returned from Redstone, and they report that there was no sign of the rebels out there. The rebels being out there was all a humbug. The regiments were sent out there so that the officers in town could have a spree on Christmas.[1] [1] Many thought at the [...]
Friday, 25th–It was a false alarm. The rebel attack did not materialize and we came in from picket at the usual time. The extra force from the other two regiments returned late in the afternoon. The camp is a lonely place with so many out at Redstone, and it is Christmas Day, too. I went [...]
Thursday, 24th–I went on picket again this morning. Late in the evening the Eleventh and the Fifteenth Regiments were ordered out to a little town called Redstone, as it was reported that a strong force of the rebels was there. At 10 o’clock at night a detail of sixty men from the Thirteenth and Sixteenth [...]
Wednesday. 23d–The weather continues quite pleasant. There is no news. All is quiet here. There has been no foraging for two months now, for the reason that there is nothing left to forage. I often wonder what the farmers in this section live on; whatever they have certainly cannot be in abundance. The citizens of [...]
Tuesday, 22d–Relieved from picket this morning. It was quite cold last night. I was on an outpost and our detail consisted of a sergeant, a corporal and twelve privates. We took turns standing on vedette, one hour at a time.
Monday, 21st–The Eleventh Iowa furnished the provost guard for the city, though I had to go with a picket squad.
Sunday, 20th–Quite pleasant weather. We had our regular company inspection at 9 o’clock today with dress parade at 5 o’clock.
Saturday, 19th–All is quiet around Vicksburg, and the weather is quite mild and pleasant, though quite cold at night. Our camp was cleaned up for inspection. I was out on picket again, though on higher ground than the previous time out.
Friday, 18th–No news. Our camps are good and there will be no suffering since we have plenty of wood for fuel. The boys feel quite lively staying in camp so long at one time, but I think a march would do us all some good.
Thursday, 17th–It cleared off and has turned quite cold, consequently the boys not on duty keep pretty close to the fires in their tents. There are no “chuck luck” banks in operation now—it is too cold, and then the boys’ money is all gone.
Wednesday, 16th–It rained nearly all day, commencing about 1 o’clock in the night. I being on picket had a hard night of it, for the water at our post in the bottom stood about a foot deep. It was a fearful night to be out on picket; one could not even find protection standing, let [...]