Saturday, 23d — We started this morning at daylight and marched five miles to General McPherson’s headquarters at the center of the army. Here we lay until 4 o’clock in the afternoon, when we marched back to our old place on the extreme left. The rebels again commenced to shell us, but the shells went over our heads. The Eleventh Iowa went on picket. Our men are shelling the rebels from all sides, and they are falling back behind their fortifications. When passing the headquarters of the Seventeenth Army Corps today, I saw a most dreadful sight at the field hospital ; there was a pile, all that a six-mule team could haul, of legs and arms thrown from the amputating tables in a shed nearby, where the wounded were being cared for.
Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry
Friday, 22d — This morning we moved out a short distance from our bivouac and formed a line of battle. The rebels commenced throwing shells at us, and continued it all day; but as their guns were aimed too high, our greatest danger was from the falling limbs of trees hit by their shells. Four companies, including Company E, were sent out on the skirmish line. Company B had one man killed 1 and one wounded. We withdrew after dark and moved five miles farther on toward the right wing of the army and bivouacked in a cottonfield for the night. We were in heavy timber all day, which with the rough land, all hills and gullies, afforded us some protection. We are on the extreme left of Grant’s army, which almost encircles Vicksburg.
Thursday, 21st — Early this morning, at 6 o’clock, we moved up the river and entering the Yazoo river we reached Haines’s Bluff, where we landed and stacked arms. Here we remained several hours awaiting orders. General Sherman has just taken Haines’s Bluff and now is uniting with General Grant’s forces in surrounding Vicksburg. At 4 o’clock we again took boat, returning down the river to Young’s Point, where we landed, and marching across the point again took the boats. We passed on down the river below Vicksburg to Warrington, Mississippi, where we landed, and marching out about five miles, went into camp for the night.
Wednesday, 20th — This morning found us going up the river, when about 10 o’clock we landed three miles below Vicksburg. The rebels commenced throwing shells our way and we dropped down the river to a point six miles below the city. But at 4 o’clock we returned to the place we had reached in the morning, and landing on the west bank marched across the point of land just opposite Vicksburg. Here we boarded the boats again and awaited orders. The mortar boats are throwing shells into the town. Our armies about Vicksburg have taken a great many prisoners. It is reported that our men have taken Haines’s Bluff, and that General Grant has commenced action all the way around his line of battle.
Tuesday, 19th — All is quiet here at Grand Gulf. We heard some heavy cannonading up at Vicksburg. The Third Brigade of General Lauman’s Division arrived this afternoon, and about 10 o’clock our brigade (the Third of the Sixth Division) and the Third Brigade of Lauman’s received orders to embark at once for Vicksburg. The Eleventh and the Thirteenth got on board the “Queen Forest.”
Monday, 18th — A despatch from the front informs us that General Grant has taken the railroad bridge across the Big Black river in the rear of Vicksburg. The troops also took some prisoners. The Eleventh Iowa, accompanied by a gunboat, went on a scout up the Big Black river to destroy a bridge which the rebels had built in the last few days. This river empties into the Mississippi a short distance above our camp.
Sunday, 17th — There was some very heavy cannonading out at the front today, and word came that a battle was fought at a place called Champion Hills, with heavy loss on both sides. The rebels are falling back towards Vicksburg. The river is falling and troops are still arriving. General Lauman’s Division arrived last night.
Saturday, 16th—The weather has been quite warm for several days. Troops are arriving every day and some of them are going to the front. It is reported that our men are shelling the rebels at Vicksburg and are getting no reply. We received a dispatch from General Grant this afternoon, saying that his head-quarters is in the State House at Jackson, Mississippi. The troops are in fine spirits.
Friday, 15th—News came again that Richmond has been taken, and that all of General Lee’s supplies are cut off. The Third Brigade of General Blair’s Division landed at this place today and went into bivouac. A gunboat came up the river from Port Hudson. Reports are coming in that General Grant is routing the rebels wherever he comes upon them in force. There are some prisoners and wounded being brought in from the front. The wounded are taken to the hospital and the prisoners to the North.
Thursday, 14th—News came today that Richmond was taken. I took a walk and reviewed the rebels’ works about here. They were strongly fortified with heavy ordnance on the high bluff, about two hundred feet above water, with the river for a distance of two miles running straight to the bluff. This made it a very dangerous place for our gunboats to approach. But after two days’ shelling, our gunboats with two or three transports succeeded in running the blockade and landing below the fort.[1] The river coming with such force is fast washing away the bank and we hope that we may soon move from this place. The Third Brigade of Blair’s Division arrived late last night.
[1] At the time of the capture the first troops marched down and crossed the river onto high ground some two miles below, while our main army came Into the rear of the enemy, who were compelled to surrender, leaving all their heavy guns.—A. G. D.
