June 10th. Commenced with pleasant but warm weather. Thin clothing is the order of the day. At a little before daylight, the mortar vessels of lower fleet, engaging the rebel batteries; at nine A. M., inspected crew at quarters; at about this hour, great guns were fired in and in the rear of Port Hudson. During the watch from eight P. M. to midnight, the mortars inland, of the army, shelling the rebel works.
June 2013
June 10 — Sharp shooting as usual again today. 4 o’clock p.m. —We have had a fine rain today. 5 o’clock p.m. -cannonading pretty rapidly at this hour. Night has again come on. The wind is blowing hard and a dark cloud is rising, while the bright lightnings play across the heavens and the awful thunder appears to shake the whole earth. Oh! May Jehovah, he who rides upon every tempest protect me tonight. W.R.C.
by John Beauchamp Jones
JUNE 10TH.—We have news of a fight on the Rappahannock yesterday, above Fredericksburg, the enemy having crossed again. They were driven back.
There are also reports from Vicksburg, which still holds out. Accounts say that Grant has lost 40,000 men so far. Where Johnston is, we have no knowledge; but in one of his recent letters he intimated that the fall of Vicksburg was a matter of time.
June 10th, 1863.—Dr. English came today and with him Captain John Yates Beall, the soldier he had written about. Captain Beall is young and very good-looking. He has the front room up stairs, where he can be cool and we have our orders to make no noise. He must not talk and he has to take nourishment every three hours. Father dressed his wound and left him to sleep a while. I hope I do not forget and make a noise.
Sister Mag, with her family, and Sister Mart have gone to Bath, where Brother Amos has a furnished house, left to him in his father’s will. It is large and pleasantly located, built expressly for the summer-time and cool and airy. Brother Amos has never recovered from his wound and the doctors, who have examined him, say he will never be fit for service again, but he says he is going back, just as soon as he feels well again. That is the spirit which animates all our soldiers.
Mother keeps surprisingly well. We are so glad of it for it is impossible to leave home in search of health in these busy days.
Cairo, Ill., June 10th, 1863.
We are now three hundred and sixty-six miles from Lebanon, which place we left at 3 p. m. of Sunday, and reached Louisville about seven. The ladies had prepared supper and we partook of it with many thanks to the generous doners. After supper we crossed over to Jefferson and took cars for this place. Here we missed the executive ability of General Poe. In all our journeying from Newport News everything was arranged with care and precision. Here all was disorder and confusion. The cars assigned to our regiment were partly filled with men and baggage of other regiments. Colonel Luce requested the officer who seemed to be in charge to remove them. This he refused to do, swearing they would have a fight first. The Colonel looked in vain for someone to bring order out of this chaos. Finally he assumed the responsibility himself; told the officer in charge if a fight was what he wanted, a fight he should have; ordered us to throw them out, and we did it with a will. About daylight we took possession and were soon under way.
Our trip through Indiana and Illinois caused an ovation. It seemed that the entire population turned out to encourage and cheer us on our way. Women and children, with bright smiles and waving handkerchiefs, thronged the way, and at every station fruit,cakes, bread and butter, newspapers, and, better than all, warm, friendly greetings, were literally showered upon us.
At Washington, Indiana, we halted for supper. It was midnight, but, as usual, the station was thronged with people of both sexes and all ages. Some ladies came to our car—food was served in the cars—and requested that all who were asleep might be awakened, for, as they had been cooking until that time of night, and had then walked nearly a mile to see us, they would like to see us all. So we aroused the sleepers, and had a lively time during our short stay.
They presented us with bouquets, cards, mottoes, etc., and took their leave with many kind wishes for our success and safe return to our families and friends. God bless the loyal people of America, is the soldier’s prayer.
We reached Cairo about twelve o’clock last night, and immediately went on board of transports.
June 10. — Had a letter from Hannah this morning. Went over to see Captain Starr, and from there to headquarters of the Army of the Potomac, after dinner. Heard of the fight our cavalry were in, and found that they behaved very well. Went over to the Engineer Brigade, but found no one there. Day warm, and towards evening cloudy and threatening rain.
Wednesday, 10th.—Rained hard all day; man in Company E. mortally wounded.
June 9.—Yesterday my friend, Mrs. Brewer, invited me to accompany her on a visit to Lookout Mountain. There was quite a large party, and a very delighful one. It was given in honor of General McCown, who was of the number. We stopped at a very pretty house on the summit, and had an addition to our party of two very pretty girls—the Misses Cox— who are the nymphs and reign sole queens of this enchanting spot. One of them I thought perfectly beautiful. The day was cool and pleasant, and the scenery even more beautiful than when I was last there; the foliage was in its maturity, and the wind, sighing through the trees, filled me with a pleasurable sadness which I can never describe.
“Those are the haunts of meditation; these
The scenes where ancient bards the inspiring breath
Ecstatic felt, and, from this world retired,
Conversed with angels and immortal forms,
On gracious errand bent; to save the fall
Of virtue struggling on the brink of vice;
In waking whispers, and repeated dreams,
To hint pure thought, and warn the favored soul
For future trials fated to prepare.”
As we looked down at the plain beneath, I asked one of the gentlemen if he thought a cannon-ball fired from there could reach us. He said no; he did not think it possible. After partaking of a very fine lunch, we started to pay a visit to Rock City, some two miles distant from the Point of Rocks; but found it was too late, as it would be impossible to descend the mountain after dark. I was disappointed, as I had heard much of this natural curiosity. I have been told it has trees, castles, and mountains of solid rock, cut by Nature’s masonry.
We stopped a few hours at a very large house, built for a hotel, but then empty. It is owned by Mrs. Colonel Whitesides, who was of the party. We procured some very delicious water from a spring on the brow of the mountain, which abounds in
“Story-telling glens, and founts, and brooks.”
JUNE 9TH.—To-day our regiment was at the front. The rebels kept pretty quiet; they are learning to behave very well. In fact they might as well lie low and save their powder.
Our men have been employed digging a ditch leading up to Fort Hill, when they intend tunneling and blowing up the fort. The rebels, however, have got range of the men digging, and have fired upon them. The answering Yankee trick was to shove a car of cotton bales over the trench toward the fort, while the men worked behind it. This served a good purpose for awhile, till the rebs 
managed to set it on fire; not to be out-done, our boys pushed forward another car well soaked with water. Another Yankee device was contrived—a tower, ten or twelve feet high, with steps inside running to the top, where was hung a looking-glass in such a position as to catch and reflect, to a man inside the tower, the interior of the enemy’s fort and rifle pits, and thus every man and gun could be counted. This latter contrivance, however, did not last long ; it became too conspicuous and dangerous for use.
A report creeps into camp that Johnston is coming with fifty thousand men to raise the siege, but I do not believe it. We have often heard that Richmond had fallen, but it continues within the confederate lines. If the army of the Potomac does not soon take it, Grant will march us there and seize the prize from them.
Colonel Lyons.
Fort Donelson, June 9, 1863.—All quiet on the Cumberland. It is raining some tonight. Mr. Hillman, a wealthy iron manufacturer on the river below Canton, stays with us tonight. My duties keep me very busy nearly all the time.
The Nevada arrived today, bringing back Dr. Horton, Bardwell and Haley. Haley is much better. His family are seventy or eighty miles above Cairo. Captain McConnell has received his commission as Colonel of the 71st Ohio. The officers of the 83d have their commissions also.
Major Bond’s expedition returned with between fifty and one hundred horses and mules.
