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

Saturday, 19th—All is quiet around Vicksburg, and the weather is quite mild and pleasant, though quite cold at night. Our camp was cleaned up for inspection. I was out on picket again, though on higher ground than the previous time out.

Friday, 18th—No news. Our camps are good and there will be no suffering since we have plenty of wood for fuel. The boys feel quite lively staying in camp so long at one time, but I think a march would do us all some good.

Thursday, 17th—It cleared off and has turned quite cold, consequently the boys not on duty keep pretty close to the fires in their tents. There are no “chuck luck” banks in operation now —it is too cold, and then the boys’ money is all gone.

Wednesday, 16th—It rained nearly all day, commencing about 1 o’clock in the night. I being on picket had a hard night of it, for the water at our post in the bottom stood about a foot deep. It was a fearful night to be out on picket; one could not even find protection standing, let alone lying down.

Tuesday, 15th—Quite cool this morning, with a high wind all day. Quite a number of the Eleventh Iowa have re-enlisted, though only eighteen of our company.

Monday, 14th—A pleasant day and all is quiet. This is washday in camp. But since there are so many negro women here, thankful for the job, and who do it so cheaply, most of the boys hire their clothes washed. I got my week’s washing done for twenty-five cents. In the early morning we see dozens of negro women going to the springs, each with a tub of soiled clothes on her head and a pail in each hand, singing “the day ob jubilee hab come.” In the evening they return with the clean clothes in the same fashion, many of them singing some quaint negro melody.

Sunday, 13th—We were relieved from picket and arrived in camp about noon. For a wonder we did not have inspection of any kind on this, the Lord’s Day. It rained some this morning, but turned off quite clear in the afternoon.

Saturday, 12th—It came the Eleventh Iowa’s turn to go on reserve picket, down in the river bottom. It is a fine place for a reserve post, plenty of wood to burn these rather cold nights.

Friday, 11th—The Eleventh had regimental inspection with accouterments and full dress. The boys are continuing to re-enlist for three years or during the war. Officers from the corps headquarters are out among the different regiments urging reenlistments. They argue that the war will be over anyway by the time the first three-year service shall have expired, and they might as well avail themselves of the extra bounty. Then, too, they say, “What a fine thing it would be to be called a veteran of the war!”