Friday, 29th—It is quite cool and cloudy, with some rain this afternoon. The Ohio river is rising fast. The veterans keep arriving daily at Cairo. The Seventeenth Army Corps is being reorganized as fast as possible and sent up the Tennessee river and landed at Clifton, and is then to march across to Huntsville, Alabama. Our mustering rolls are being made out and we are to be mustered in tomorrow. I received my discharge from the old service, dated December 31, 1863, and sent the certificate home for father to keep till I return.
Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry
Thursday, 28th—It is cloudy and misty, and suffocating smoke is settling over our camp at times—and there is no end of mud. There is no news of any importance and we lay in camp all day, with no drill or dress parade. We are expecting orders to board the transports for Huntsville, Alabama. I went down town this afternoon to purchase a few articles. Things are awfully dear here. The soldiers are all supplying themselves with stationery and little articles needed on a long campaign.
A Regiment: A body of men, either horse, foot or artillery, commanded by a colonel and consisting of a number of companies, usually from eight to twelve.
A Reserve: A select body of troops in the rear of an army, reserved to sustain the other lines as occasion may require.
—A. G. Downing.
Wednesday, 27th—It rained all day and there is no end of mud in our camp, which is on very low ground. Cairo is improving very fast, a great many buildings having been erected since this war broke out. The veterans still keep coming in on every train; the Eighth Iowa arrived today. About two thousand troops went aboard the transports for Huntsville, Alabama. .[1] We will be glad when we get orders to leave this mudhole.
[1] Clifton, Tennessee.—A. G. D.
Tuesday, 26th—We stopped at Centralia this morning for breakfast, and arrived at Cairo about 5 o’clock in the evening. Our regiment received new tents, and marching up the Ohio, we went with our non-veteran comrades into camp just above Cairo. There are about twenty thousand troops in camp at this place, and a large expedition is being fitted out here, to start in a few days, but there is no certainty as to where it is going.[1] Most of the Seventeenth Army Corps is camped here awaiting orders. It is being reorganized and fitted out with Springfield rifles and cartridge boxes.
[1] The expedition was fitted out for the campaign against Atlanta, under the command of General Sherman.—A. G. D.
Monday, 25th—And still it is raining! Reveille sounded at 5 o’clock this morning and we strapped on our knapsacks and all accouterments, and at 7 o’clock marched to the station, where we boarded the cars and started for Cairo.
We bade old Iowa farewell, perhaps never to return, for in the course of the coming events it is improbable that all will get back, but if the Lord is willing, I hope that we may be spared to return again. Crossing the Mississippi at 8 o’clock, we arrived at La Salle about noon and changed cars—exchanged fine coaches on the Rock Island for rather poor ones over the Illinois Central. Leaving La Salle at 3 o’clock we passed through Bloomington at dark, soon after which many of us took berths for the night. This morning just before leaving Davenport, I sent $50.00, my bounty money, to father by Solomon Lichtenwalter, who had come to Davenport to see us off. I then borrowed $5.00 of Thomas Armstrong, to run me till next pay day.
Sunday, 24th—It is raining again—there is nothing but rain and mud. Company B is now in camp and we received our pay today, including $50.00 of the new bounty. I got $63.00 in all. We received orders to be ready to move in the morning at 6 o’clock, and go to Cairo, Illinois. It rained all day and so we had to stay in camp. We had preaching here this afternoon. I had a couple of likenesses taken yesterday and today I am sending them away.
“Disappointment is the common lot of man.”
Saturday, 23d—Company E reported for duty this morning, and in addition ten recruits. Our regiment has more than one hundred recruits. We signed the pay rolls this forenoon, and were expecting to receive our pay, one month’s, but as Company B has not yet arrived in camp, the paymaster withheld the pay. I swapped watches with Henry Clark, trading my cylinder escapement watch for his American lever watch, and gave $10.00 to boot. The boys still keep straggling into camp, and all who have reported are in high spirits and glad to return after their thirty-day furlough.
Friday, 22d—I started with Uncle John this morning for Davenport, but one of his neighbors, Mr. Lathrop, soon overtook us and as he had to go to town anyway, I rode with him and Uncle John returned home. I reached Davenport by noon and went to the Davis House for my dinner, after which I called for my knapsack and accouterments and made a bee-line for Camp McClellan. Eight companies of the Eleventh Iowa have already reported and it is expected that we shall leave for the South in a few days. I went down town and got my new watch repaired— costing $2.00—and purchased a few necessary articles, such as a diary, pocket dictionary, stationery, etc., costing in all $3.15.
Thursday, 21st—This is a warm, pleasant day and I bade farewell to my home folks and friends and started back to the army, my thirty-day furlough being almost up. I went on horseback, brother John going along as far as Allen’s Grove, to Uncle John Moore’s to remain over night, while John returned home, taking back the horse which I rode. Though the spring has been very late, the farmers here have all their small grain in and it is starting fine. The country around Allen’s Grove is very nice farming land; it is rolling, with plenty of timber and close to a good market; it is becoming very thickly settled. Scott county, Iowa.
Wednesday, 20th—I remained at Mr. Sparks’s over night and coming home this morning stopped at the postoffice. I got a letter from Thomas R. McConnoll, my bunk-mate and one of the non-veterans whom I left at Vicksburg. The non-veterans are all at Cairo now awaiting our return.
