Wednesday, April 15th.
I went to the supper table last night too sick to eat anything; left the table and laid down on a lounge until the hotel keeper could show me a room; I retired early and slept well; got up this morning all right, but did not go to the breakfast table; took a lunch from my own haversack; walked out in town; went to the ten-pin alley and spent an hour rolling; had not played a game before for eight years, and enjoyed it very much; smoked a cigar, a notable scarcity in these times, and returned to the hotel, where I wrote a letter to Judge Devine, and one to my dear wife; may heaven’s choicest blessings rest upon her and my sweet children; went to the dinner table and found the landlady apologizing for some defect and two young females discussing the merits of the Episcopal and Baptist faith; got through dinner somehow and walked down to the quartermaster’s office; got the Vicksburg Whig; stretched myself out on the counter; read and took a nap; got up; went to the armory and would have enjoyed looking over the work very much but felt sick; it produces four Mississippi rifles per day at $30.00 a piece on contract with the state; I am now sitting at the foot of the hill below the armory.
April 15th. This morning, at six o’clock, hove up anchor, and steamed down the river; at ten o’clock, brought ship to anchor five miles above Port Hudson, for the purpose of communicating from masthead, by army signals, with vessels of lower fleet; signalizing from masthead, during the day, with U. S. sloop-of-war Richmond. At six o’clock, Mr. Gabaudan, Admiral’s Secretary, returned on board, in company with some army officers, across the point of land, from lower fleet, after an absence of seven days, upon business of great importance with Major-General Banks at New Orleans. He brought cheering army news. Gen. Augur, with a large force of Banks’s men, was in the rear of Port Hudson, cutting off their possibility of receiving supplies from that quarter, while we had blockaded the mouth of Red River, keeping them from transporting any provisions or stores from Texas out of this stream, and thence down the Mississippi; so the reader must admit that, unless they have a large quantity of beeves and provisions, this rebel stronghold must soon surrender to our arms. Starvation, when it begins, will do the work, which will be better than our being hasty, fighting, and losing thousands of valuable lives.
Camp White, April 15, Evening.
Dearest: — Your short business letter came this afternoon. I do not yet know about your coming here during the campaigning season. If we fortify, probably all right; if not, I don’t know.
Lieutenant Ellen is married. His wife sent me a fine big wedding cake and two cans of fruit. Good wife, I guess, by the proofs sent me.
You speak of Jim Ware. What does he think of the prospects? I understand Jim in a letter to Dr. Joe says Dr. Ware gives it up. Is this so?
I send you more photographs. The major’s resignation was not accepted and he is now taking hold of things with energy.
We are having further disasters, I suspect, at Charleston and in North Carolina. But they are not vital. The small results (adverse results, I mean,) likely to follow are further proofs of our growing strength.
What a capital speech Everett has made. He quite redeems himself.
Always say something about the boys — their sayings and doings.
Affectionately ever,
R.
Mrs. Hayes.
April. Having been an inmate in the hospital for three months, at my own request, I was allowed to join my company, located at Fort Marshall, east end of Baltimore. Reported to Lieutenant Merwin, commanding company. He would not allow me to go on duty. Wished me to remain at Regimental Hospital for a while until I could get stronger.
15th. Rainy during the night and drizzling in the morning. Went on, leaving the teams. Drew ammunition. Rode along some with A. B. then with Chester. Passed through Nicholasville and Lancaster. Crossed the Kentucky River. Mountains for several miles. Grand scenery. Reminded me of the Alleghanies. Reached Stanford, 45 miles, about 10 P. M. Went on two miles.
April 15 — Commenced raining last night and rained all day, with a cold wind from the north. This morning a dispatch came from headquarters that the Yankees were advancing with a heavy force from the direction of Fredericksburg. We broke camp immediately after the dispatch was received and started our wagons up the Valley pike. We went one mile east of New Market on the Sperryville pike and put our battery in position ready for fight. The Sixth, Seventh, and Eleventh Regiments of Virginia Cavalry were there also, ready for the fray at the first appearance of anything in the shape of an enemy. The dispatch this morning about the Yankees advancing in heavy force was a big, heavy, false report. We remained in battery about two hours, saw no Yankees, then moved up the Valley pike to Mount Tabor Church, eight miles below Harrisonburg, and camped. It rained very hard all day and nearly everything we have is thoroughly saturated. There was not a dry stitch on me when we stopped to camp.
Mrs. Lyon’s Diary.
Fort Donelson, April 15, 1863.—Had a slight scare. Five or six of the 83d boys were just outside of the pickets and were taken prisoners. It did not amount to much of a scene.
April 15, Wednesday. No full reports yet from Du Pont. Am pained, grieved, distressed by what I hear; and that I hear from him so little. We learn that after all our outlay and great preparations, giving him about all our force and a large portion of the best officers, he intends making no farther effort, but will abandon the plan and all attempts to take it. A fight of thirty minutes and the loss of one man, which he witnessed, satisfies the Admiral.
The Ironsides, the flagship, was suspiciously remote from the fight, yet sufficiently near to convince the Admiral he had better leave the harbor. Down to the day of the conflict I had faith in him and his ability, though grieved at his delays. When here last fall, expressly to consult and concert measures for the capture of Charleston, he was as earnest and determined as any of us, did not waver a moment, and would not listen to a suggestion of Dahlgren as an assistant.
Millikens Bend, La., Wednesday, April 15. A warm pleasant day. Awoke to get hay from a barge, then strolled around to see Providence, which was a neat village with several fine buildings, but most of the main part of the town is inundated by the pass cut through the levee, connecting the river to Lake Providence, about 80 rods long. And where used to be the street, now is the bed of a rushing torrent. Found the 6th Division (McArthur’s) encamped here. McPherson’s headquarters also here. Took on 600 boxes of coal and at 2:30 P. M. started on our way down the river, being the last of the fleet. Wrote a hurried letter home. 5 P. M. we arrived at Millikens Bend, the shore lined with steamboats, the troops embarking as fast as possible. Got a part of our battery off.
Wednesday, 15th—General Quimby’s Division passed on down the river today, and another large fleet of boats loaded with troops passed us for Vicksburg. It is thought that Vicksburg will soon be attacked. Things seem quite lively at present.
