Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

Post image for Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

January 23, 2013

Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry

Friday, 23d—We continued our journey again at daylight and by evening reached a point about ten miles above Vicksburg, where we drove our fleet ashore and remained on the boats all night. Fully seventy-five boats loaded with troops are assembled here, while the fleet of gunboats is lying in the river two miles below us. The country is very low here, the land on either side of the river being about twenty feet below the water in the river, which is kept within its banks by levees. The river is rising, and about three miles below us the levee on the Louisiana side has broken, and the land is being flooded.

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