Thursday, 12th—A dreadful rain during the night flooded our beautiful camp on Sparrow’s lawn. The ground being so nearly level, it will take some time for the water to run off. It cleared off in the afternoon and it is nice and warm. The grass and trees are beginning to look green; peach trees are in full bloom. I wrote a letter to brother John.
Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry
Wednesday,11th—A large detail from our brigade began work on the canal from the Mississippi river to Lake Providence. About three hundred negroes are working on it. The canal is being cut twenty rods wide and when completed will be three-quarters of a mile long with a fall of twenty feet. I paid out thirty cents for some necessary articles, and also loaned thirty cents to Clark.
Tuesday, 10th—This is a clear, warm day. We disembarked early this morning and marching out about one mile from the river to Sparrow’s plantation, we pitched our tents on the large lawn of the plantation house, bordering the lake. Mr. Sparrow, the owner, is a congressman in the rebel congress, and he and his family having gone away, left their negroes in charge of the plantation. Our colonel has established his headquarters in the plantation house. The First Kansas out on scout duty today got into a skirmish with the rebels and lost two men killed and eight wounded.
Monday, 9th—We left for Lake Providence, seventy-five miles above Vicksburg, at 10 o’clock this morning, and reached our destination at dark. There were six transports and one gunboat in our fleet. We found the First Brigade of our division already here and at work cutting the levee.
Sunday, 8th—Orders came for the detail of men to quit the work of repairing the levee and for our entire division immediately to embark on the transports. The Eleventh and Thirteenth Regiments went on board the “Empress” and loaded all their supplies after night; at the last moment the Tenth Ohio was ordered to take passage with us.
Saturday, 7th—While waiting for orders, I went down to a daguerreotype gallery1 and had my likeness taken. The water is still rising and the report in camp is that our division is to proceed up the river to Lake Providence, Louisiana, and cut the levee to let the water of the Mississippi through to the lake from which it would be carried into the Red river.
1 Among the numerous “camp-followers” was also to be found the picture man.—Ed.
Friday, 6th—We hear that we are to move up the river to an island where General McPherson’s command is. About one hundred transports with troops aboard are tied up along the levee on the Louisiana side, awaiting orders to go up the river, while still others are being loaded. The plan is to go into camp at different points to do garrison duty, making it safer for fleets to pass at certain points.
Thursday, 5th—Weather pleasant. I was detailed to go out on picket, but the order was countermanded. There is some talk of our leaving the place. It is reported in camp that on account of the flood the work on the canal had to be given up, and that an effort would be made to turn the current of the river through the canal, thus letting the river cut it.
Wednesday, 4th—Rain all day, and the whole country is being flooded over. General Grant has sent five or six expeditions along the river to find some way to move the army on to higher ground in the rear of Vicksburg, and also to solve the problem of getting our fleet and gunboats past the rebels’ batteries with out running the risk of having them destroyed. I wrote a letter to John D. Moore, Inland, Iowa.
Tuesday, 3d—Cloudy and cold. The levee is the only thing of interest and importance. We are still at work on the levee, but the water is almost to the top now, and it is breaking at so many points that the land on both sides of the river is being flooded. Our camps will have to be moved to higher ground farther from the river. Some of the camps are already being moved. I bought a supply of bread today for a dollar.
