Thursday, January 26, 2017

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Friday, April 7, 1865

Had bad cold & did not rest any too well last night did not get up until called to breakfast. sky has the appearance of rain. I go to the camp of our teams in the rear to draw clothing for the co, send it over by Bowman & go on to the Commissary to get some grub for our mess see a train starting to Steele who is said to have taken Blakely destroying with his artillery every house but one, he can not hold his army in the town on account of the Reb iron clads shelling him out. A sergent from Steeles comd. says the Mobile paper states their loss the 1st day we came in here at 400 killed & wounded, estimates our loss at double that when in fact it was not over 100 begins to rain while I am at the com. 1 stop at camp of teams to talk to Capt & wait for the rain to cease Capt is getting along finely & expects to be for duty within a week, he tells me of one of the 35th Wis who had his leg blown off by the explosion of a torpedo in the road not far from his camp, ceases raining & I retire to camp at 11 o clock, after dinner issue the clothing & then work on our bomb-proofs except about an hour from 1.30 to 2.30 while it was raining, heavy detail for picket from our regt. co I is out tonight for a reserve & a detail of 2 com. off & 69 men in front with orders to advance the line. Each man takes a spade. At, 11 P. M. heavy firing on the Right of Smiths corp small arms used much there are a great many reports flying about camp, of which the following are some, & I cant say they are true or false. Faragut has arrived & taken comd of the fleet. a chain of 78 torpedos was taken up. a mine is nearly completed under the forts.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 585

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