Sunday, 3d—News came that our army took five hundred prisoners at Grand Gulf. General Steele’s Division passed here today. There is an Iowa brigade in it, consisting of the Fourth, Twenty-sixth, Thirtieth and Thirty-first Infantry. The men all look fine and there are none from the brigade in the hospital.
Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry
Saturday, 2d—The weather has been warm and quite pleasant for several days and the roads are drying fast. Things are very quiet here. Colonel Hall is now in command of our brigade. We have drill twice a day, though this afternoon there was none, in order to give the boys time to wash their clothes and clean up for inspection. I received $5.00 from Captain McLoney, for the month of April, as cook for the officers’ mess.
Friday, 1st—News came that General Sherman has again made an attack on Haines’s Bluff, the same as last fall when the plan failed because General Grant failed to co-operate with him. The plan is to be tried again this spring. A large ammunition train passed through here for Carthage, Louisiana. General Crocker left the command of our brigade, to take command of the Seventh Division of the Seventeenth Army Corps. The boys are all sorry to see him leave.
Thursday, 30th—Our provision train returned from the landing today. There was some very heavy cannonading at Grand Gulf today, where it is reported that the rebels are strongly fortified. Some of our transports ran the blockade at Vicksburg last night. The Eleventh Iowa was mustered for pay today. The sergeant-major reports the regiment as having five hundred and fifty men fit for duty.
Wednesday, 29th—The teams all went back to the landing this morning for provisions and the boys cleaned up our camping ground. We have first-rate grub now, hard crackers, sowbelly, green tea, besides fresh beef every fifth day. We draw full rations every five days when in camp, and every three days when on the march. The boys live fine. I wrote a couple of letters today.
Tuesday, 28th—It cleared off this morning and we left Richmond at 10 o’clock, marched nine miles and went into camp on Holmes’s plantation, about eight miles from the Mississippi and due west from Vicksburg. We took possession of all the vacant houses and sheds on the plantation. The roads are very muddy and many of the trains got stalled. Some of the wagons loaded with ammunition sank down to the axles and much time and labor were consumed in getting them out. There was some fighting at Grand Gulf today.
Monday, 27th—It rained all day and we marched into Richmond early this morning, taking shelter in cotton sheds, vacant houses, and any shed that would turn water. The Third Brigade is quartered in gin houses and negro shacks. White and I had a fine bed to sleep in last night. The land here is so nearly on the dead level, that it is almost impossible to keep out of mud and water, but we have plenty of cotton for bedding.
Sunday, 26th—We struck our tents this morning at 5 o’clock and loaded them on the boat and at 2 p. m. with knapsack on took up our march. By night we were within one mile of Richmond, Louisiana, on the railroad running from Vicksburg to Monroe, Louisiana, where we bivouacked for the night.
Friday, 24th—We are now in camp twenty miles above Vicksburg. Received orders to clean up our camp ground and to have company drill forenoon and afternoon. A large detail was put to work and when the camp was put in order we had our regular drills, one hour each time. A large fleet of troops came down the river this morning.
