April 14, 1863, Peoria Morning Mail (Illinois)
Providence, La., March 22, ’63.
Dear Parents:–Having a few spare moments and the poor dim light of a candle to see my way by, I will pencil a line or so to you…
General Grant is using every means to bring about a complete victory at Vicksburg, and in the opinion of the troops here he will not fail in his object. He is the man that never fails, and troops under him have no fear of his ultimate success over the great overthrow of the work now before him. The lion works of the rebels must fall; a great defeat stares them in the face more terrible than all the past combined. Terror will strike deep into every heart of those rebels who cherished hopes of success till this might crash fell upon them and their voice will be hushed forever…
But to the end. We are expecting to leave here in a day or two far down the river to participate in the fight. The whole army is being concentrated some forty miles below here for the purpose of getting in the rear of the enemy so that we may entrap them if they may try to break out and escape. Grant wants to take the whole force prisoners if it can be done, and will do so if possible. As I said before, hard fighting will alone do it. This we are all prepared for and will enter into it with a spirit never before manifested, knowing how much depends on the victory. We are hemming them in on all sides, and to-day, they hold no communication west of the Mississippi. Farragut has passed the batteries at Port Royal with gunboats of his fleet and now lays below Vicksburg waiting for orders to give the rebs a compliment in the way of a hundred and twenty four pounder. Two of his boats have gone up Blackwater river to batter down the railroad bridge across that stream. When this is done the enemy has no longer any communication with the east, but are left inside their works to work their way out as best they can, if able to do it. We think they can be prevented, at all events we’ll do our best. Time alone will tell.
IRA.