Read Ebook: The siege of Vicksburg from the diary of Seth J. Wells by Wells Seth J Seth James Krolik Sarah Ewell Author Of Introduction Etc Bliss May Wells Other

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Contributors: May Wells Bliss Sarah Ewell Krolik

The Siege of VICKSBURG

FROM THE DIARY OF SETH J. WELLS

INCLUDING

WEEKS OF PREPARATION AND OF OCCUPATION AFTER THE SURRENDER

DETROIT, MICHIGAN WM. H. ROWE, Publisher.

Copyright 1915 BY MAY WELLS BLISS AND SARAH EWELL KROLIK

All Rights Reserved

In Loving Memory OF Seth James Wells AND Frank Ewell Wells

Foreword

The Diary of Seth J. Wells from June 14th, 1861, to July 9th, 1864, relates to the every day life of the soldier in camp and field and records its tramps and hardships cheerfully borne.

The Siege of Vicksburg is taken from the Diary.

He was born on April 26th 1842 in Iowa, Des Moines County, near the village of Rising Sun and was reared in his Grandfather Ewell's family on the "Ewell Farms" in Michigan, Macomb County, near the village of Utica.

He was wounded in battle and died a few days later in a hospital at Vicksburg on July 9th 1864. He enlisted on June 12th 1861 and served in three companies of the United States Army during the Civil War: Company E, 12th Indiana; Company K, 17th Illinois; Company G, 8th Illinois. The brothers, Frank and Seth, were together in Company K, 17th Illinois.

S. E. K.

The Siege of Vicksburg

DEC. 1. While I was looking out of the window this morning at some recruits for the 48th Indiana, whom should I see but John Metternich of our old company. He was as much surprised as I; the last time I saw him, his head was bruised and bleeding as the result of a spree. This morning a band of guerillas came up within about two miles of this place, captured a number of mules and burned the cotton they were hauling.

DEC. 2. Tuesday. The 109th Ill. came in tonight.

DEC. 4. I was on guard today. It rained nearly all day, and toward night we had a real northerner.

DEC. 5. Late in the afternoon it turned cold and began to freeze and snow.

DEC. 6. Ground is frozen quite solid this morning, for the first time this winter. There is some excitement among the boys of the 17th in regard to a report that Gov. Yates has ordered home ten of the old regiments to recruit and fill up their ranks. If any go, the 17th will probably be one of them, as the company reports only twenty-two for duty.

DEC. 7. Sunday. I was detailed for guard this morning and stood before the provost-marshall's office.

DEC. 9. On fatigue. Weather fine.

DEC. 10. Weather fine. We had dress parade at 4 o'clock.

DEC. 11. Weather warm. I was on fatigue nearly all day, cutting and hauling wood for the company. We had dress parade at 4 o'clock. Just at dusk the news came in that a guerilla band was to attack us before morning. Fifty men from our regiment and forty-eight from the 126th were detailed to build breastworks of cotton, four hundred bales of which lay near the depot. Col. Norton and Major Bates did the engineering. After they had finished we lay on our arms during the night, but no enemy made its appearance, and about 7 o'clock we were ordered back to camp.

DEC. 12. Quite sore from chopping and rolling cotton. Our Colonel, Amos Norton, is Commander of the Post, and Rats is provost-marshal, Col. Smith commanding the regiment. Toward dark a rumor was rapidly circulated through the camp that we were ordered to Holly Springs, Miss. No one could tell where it started from, and consequently no one credited it.

DEC. 13. Marching orders, sure enough. We drew three days' rations this morning, with orders to have two cooked and in our haversacks, ready to march at 5 o'clock the next morning. I have a new pair of boots which I expect to break in on the march--or they will break me. We were relieved this morning by the 126th. I have a very severe cold.

DEC. 14. Sunday. Reveille sounded this morning a little after 2 o'clock. We filled our haversacks, got our breakfasts, and by daylight were ready for the march. We fell into ranks, the regiment was formed, and then we witnessed an unexpected ceremony which is disgusting to every true soldier--the drumming out of a fellow soldier for disobedience and disgraceful conduct. I should prefer death to being marched between two lines of a regiment by a guard, at a charged bayonet, with an escort, the band playing the Rogues March, and the remainder of the regiment standing at charged bayonets; but it was soon over, the ranks were closed, and the regiment started on the march. We crossed Wolf Creek, a fine stream one mile from LaGrange. We passed over a fine country somewhat broken. The army has surely left its mark here. Miles of fences and scores of houses have been burnt. From one place we could count seven or eight ruins. The destruction of property is not countenanced by a good soldier, but every regiment has its straggling, order breaking reprobates that are a disgrace to the flag they fight under. We reached Coldwater toward night and camped. I was on guard. I came across an old cove who helped build dam No. 4, in Maryland, and knew all the citizens who live there now.

DEC. 15. We struck tents early, packed our effects as snugly as possible, and as on the preceding morning, shouldered our knaps. It rained during our entire march to Holly Springs, the flower city of the South, and on our arrival there the flood gates of heaven opened and the rain poured down on our defenseless heads in torrents. We stood it about two hours before the Colonel could secure quarters. Three-fourths of a mile up the railroad track we found a very large rebel arsenal, but were wet to the skin long before we reached this shelter. It continued to rain all day without intermission.

DEC. 16. 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.

DEC. 17. Toward night we received marching orders and started for Abbyville at dark. We heard that there was great excitement at Jackson, as an attack from a detachment of Bragg's men was expected. We marched about eight miles from town and crossed the Yazoo swamp, where we camped for the night. The next morning we again packed up and started for Abbyville.

DEC. 18. We arrived at the Tallahatchie Bottoms about noon. Bissell's engineer regiment is encamped here. It has just finished the railroad bridge over the river and the cars now pass on to Oxford in advance. There was a clearing with two redoubts which we passed before entering the woody bottoms of the Tallahatchie. The teams were halted and we slung our knapsacks and carried them over the marshy bottoms. We had advanced but a short distance when the formidable earthworks which the Rebs had erected, loomed up before our eyes. When we once more struck terra firma we were halted, unslung our knaps, and when the teams came up, packed them on the wagons. I started on and entered the camp of the 12th Ind. Volunteers. Found the old members of Co. E. divided among two companies--F and I, both gotten up at Warsaw. We arrived at Abbyville in the middle of the forenoon. The country between LaGrange and Abbyville is rough and hilly.

DEC. 19. Jesse Walker and I went out foraging and succeeded in capturing a shoat. The nigs were left very destitute and there will be a great deal of suffering if the government does not feed them. There is a report that Jackson, Tenn., is threatened by Bragg; that there is fighting there and our communications are cut off, at any rate troops are on the move, being taken back by rail as fast as possible. There is a great battle being fought this morning by Burnside's men. They have already fought one whole day. Burnie has crossed the river and holds Fredericksburg.

DEC. 20. The news came in this morning that Holly Springs was entered at daylight and captured. The Rebels took over two hundred thousand dollars and burned the depot with all the stores and the arsenal we had fitted up for a hospital. After dinner we were set to work building breastworks of cotton, having captured one thousand bales from the C. S. A. When we first came here the regiment was scattered along the railroad, one company in a place extending nearly to Oxford. Companies G and K were kept here, this being the headquarters of Regiment 1, Norton commanding the Post. Two companies below were sent up, and by night we had a complete breast-work of cotton bales, regular old hickory style.

DEC. 21. The long roll was beaten at 3 o'clock this morning. The company was formed and we marched down to our cotton fort where we lay until daylight, when the other companies marched to their camps, and we back to ours. Last night a division of cavalry passed, going north. It was composed of the 3rd and 4th Ill., 7th Kansas and 3rd Mich. Just before night Generals Ross and McArthur came into town with their respective divisions. They are moving back for some cause. The weather is fine but the nights are very cold. It is what people call pleasant fall weather in Michigan. We have had no more snow since the flurry in September, and the weather never was more favorable for a winter campaign. The army is well clothed, having as much clothing as the soldiers wish to pack.

DEC. 22. On guard in Frank's place, he has gone foraging ten miles below. More troops passed on their way back.

DEC. 23. Gen. Grant passed through here this morning on the train. The division of Denver's, passed through here today also. The troops are all coming up further north. The cars are going north loaded with cotton. I think this is a cotton expedition.

DEC. 24. On picket guard today. Got my boots half soled. Gen. McPherson passed through here, and Logan's division is coming up and passing through. Our old brigade 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. 26. Warm and raining. We were astir early, cooked our breakfasts, filled our haversacks with meat and what little bread we had, and fell in about 7 o'clock. It began to rain and we had gone but a mile or two when we were wet through. We secured two ox teams, one of six oxen, and one of four, which hauled our knapsacks. The 12th Ind. is still camped on the Tallahatchie. Saw Lieut. E. Webster and Tom Anderson, they are living on quarter rations. Capt. Williams, now Colonel of the regiment, was at Holly Springs at the time it was captured and he was taken for the third time. We marched to the Yazoo Bottoms and camped on the opposite side. It rained and we were completely soaked. The ground was muddy and I looked around, found a stack of corn, dug down to the dry stalks, husked out a lot and made a bed for myself. We are within seven miles of Holly Springs.

DEC. 27. Warm and rainy this morning. We struck out tents, fell in about daylight and marched through to Holly Springs, where we saw the effects of the late raid.

A long ambulance train, a large hotel and one whole block was burned, also the whole of the large arsenal building which we had prepared and were using for a hospital, the large depot and all the supplies that were in it, two or three engines and a long train of cars. When the magazines exploded it jarred out nearly all of the window glass in that part of the town. We camped on the north side in a beautiful grove. As soon as camp was laid off we killed one of our oxen which had labored so faithfully in hauling our knapsacks here, and drew one more day's rations to finish out our four days. The boys have taken the mills into their own hands and are shelling and grinding corn, what they should have done long ago, live off the country. They tell us that we are the first regiment of the first brigade, sixth division of Grant's department. There has been no time to parole the sick.

DEC. 28. Sunday. We lay here all day, all is quiet.

DEC. 29. A foraging party went out this morning. One of our boys killed five hogs and thirteen chickens, and found two government wagons and two barrels of molasses that the Rebs had taken out from Holly Springs and hidden. At 3 o'clock we had orders to move in twenty minutes for Moscow, a small town ten miles west of LaGrange on the Memphis and Charleston railroad. We marched to the opposite side of Coldwater and camped for the night. Our brigade was in advance of the division and our regiment in advance of the brigade.

DEC. 30. Rained a good deal last night. We were up early. Our regiment was rear guard to the wagon train today. It cleared off early and was quite cool, making a fine day for marching. We carried our knapsacks as on the previous day, and marched about eight miles. Fine country between Coldwater and Moscow, that is for Mississippi. Most plantations have fine mansions. There have been but few troops over this road, consequently cattle and hogs are quite abundant. Our boys drove in about sixty hogs and most of them are fine, fat ones. When they came into camp the boys pitched in, each man for himself, and our mess got half a hog.

DEC. 31. Last night was very cold. It snowed quite hard. The regiment formed this morning and guns were fired off. We were formed for muster at 2 o'clock yesterday. Abe left our mess, also Geo. Scott, both were ill.

JAN. 1, 1863. Thursday. Bright and clear, warm and pleasant. How well do I remember two short years ago today when we took a sleigh ride and made a regular family visit at Uncle Tim's. Since then I have traveled over four thousand miles, five hundred and eighty of which I marched with gun on my shoulder; have seen more vice and drunkenness than I ever supposed existed, yet I hope I am morally no worse than when surrounded by kind relatives and friends. An orderly call beat immediately after reveille this morning at which time we received orders to cook our rations and be ready by half past seven. We cooked our fresh pork and by the appointed time had it in our haversacks, and our knapsacks strapped on our backs, ready for the march. We went eight miles and camped close to a small town called Lafayette, situated on the Memphis and Charleston R. R. As soon as we had pitched our tents, Chas. Berry and myself went out one mile from camp and killed a hog. We are now the first regiment of the first brigade, commanded by Brigadier-General McArthur, of Gen. Hamilton's corps, of the left wing of Gen. Grant's army. We were put in the rear of the brigade today as a special guard to keep up the stragglers.

JAN. 2. Struck out tents early this morning and marched to Colliersville, a distance of seven miles from Lafayette and twenty-four from Memphis. As soon as we had stacked our arms and broken ranks, John Cumbersworth and I went out a mile and a half from camp and got a fine hog. While we were skinning it our orderly-sergeant, Sullivan, Jesse Walker and Mike Walsh were captured not more than a quarter of a mile distant, by a band of rebel cavalry. Sullivan turned and ran and several shots were fired after him, which we heard plainly but we thought it was the boys shooting hogs. When we got into camp Bob Dew and Charlie Berry came in with their paroles, they having been caught by the same company. Five paroled from Co. K in one day. Five such days' work will muster Co. K out of service. The 17th Ill. at present musters about three hundred and fifty men. On guard tonight; storming fearfully.

JAN. 3. Quite pleasant during the day, but it rained heavily all night.

JAN. 4. We had inspection at 1 o'clock. Col. Norton's tent burned today.

JAN. 5. Monday. I am on guard at the depot today.

JAN. 8. Orders are very strict. If caught outside of the pickets the fine is ten dollars. We get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and stack our arms. I am on parole guard today. We expect to move in a day or two.

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