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

Tuesday, 12th—We took up our march at 5 o’clock this morning and marched sixteen miles over very fine roads. This is a very rich country, and before the war, was prosperous, but now looks quite desolate, the buildings and fences having been burned by our troops. At the approach of our army the people fled, leaving all behind them. At noon we halted for lunch, and since it was so fearfully hot, remained here during the heat of the day in the shade of evergreens. The Eleventh Iowa was situated just opposite the residence of General Bowie, said to be a descendant of the inventor of the bowie knife. The main Bowie residence was burned and household articles, among which is a grand piano, are strewn about the large lawn. The outbuildings, on a grand scale, were not molested. The lawn contains about forty acres and is planted in all kinds of tropical trees and shrubbery, with cisterns and fountains at different points. The plantation borders the west bank of Lake St. Joseph, the public highway being just between it and the lake. This plantation, containing several thousand acres, is all planted to corn, which is now in tassel and silk. Our march today was along the west bank of the lake with a continuous cornfield on our right. When night came we were still by the lake, where we went into bivouac.