The 2d Brigade starts at 7 A. M. with 4 days rations &
in light marching order are accompanied by one battery of 6 guns & 30 empty
wagons, about an hour after was surprised to see the whole column returning to
camp. I learn the cause to be that at the picket post was met a Liuet & 15
men with a flag of truce who reports that there is a cessation of hostilities
in this Department for 30 days he had with him an order purporting to be from
Genl Dick Taylor with his name attached forbidding any demonstrations of
hostilities for 30 days. The Div Adjt goes out to see him and asks by whose
authority he comes with a flag of truce to our lines, says by no other
authority than his own. The Adjt tells him to get inside of his own lines as
speedily as possible & not to come again without clothed with proper
authority. This is talk, but there is other talk no more reasonable. That the
flag brought a sealed dispatch which was sent to Mobile unbroken, there being
no other boats here the Octorara (Gunboat) was dispatched immediately. I think
there is more of it than the authorites would wish the soldier to know, for
there must be something important or the brigade would not have turned back
neither would the Octorara the only Gunboat here have been sent to Mobile. I
spend the forenoon reading, about noon Mr. Rush is in & brings our mess
some pickles, he says that he saw a Capt Foster just from Mobile yesterday
morning who says there is an armistice of 30 days & that Genls Granger
& Taylor have been in conference at 8 mile creek near Whistler for some 4
days, P. M. spend napping. After supper Lt Laughridgc & self take a walk to
the river, take a boat ride in a canoe returning towards camp stop at Lt Corys
quarters, are soon joined by Maj Boydston. Spend about an hour here smoking
& talking. The Maj tells us that it is a truth strange as it may seem that
the pickets of both armies occupy Citroville amicably & the Reb army are
repairing the R. R. from C — to Meridian, & our army repairing it from C —
to Mobile, also thinks the paroles are made out & signed by this time for
all of Taylors men, weather warm dust almost in tolerable, & fleas “thicker
than the hair on a dogs back” as Brass band serenades Brig Hd. Qtrs, tonight.
SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa
Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923,
p. 597-8
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