Diary of Gideon Welles: Tuesday, January 9, 1866

The Freedmen's Bureau wants three boats which are on the Tombigbee. They were blockade-runners which were ordered to be turned over to the Navy, but they are not naval captures. The Freedmen's Bureau has no funds. This is an indirect way of obtaining means, as wrong as the Bureau scheme itself. I think it would be better to go direct to Congress for money. If, however, the President rescinds the order turning over those boats, the Navy Department cannot interfere or object. The boats are strictly abandoned property and fall within the scope of the Treasury. The last three days have been severely cold.

SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 2: April 1, 1864 — December 31, 1866, p. 413

Diary of 1st Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Saturday, May 13, 1865

Confined to camp all day on act. of my leg. No news of any kind in but rumored that Jeff Davis is across the Missippi, One Regt go on the cars to Meridian today. (The 43d Ind, I believe), a steamboat took fire at the wharf & burned today, yesterday at the dinner table at the Battle House it so happened that a federal officer sat between two confed officers, pie was placed on the table on plates one to each man, one of the Jonnies who I suppose had been a long time without such luxuries having eaten all on his plate spoke to the other, saying “If you are not going to eat all your pie pass it to me.” The other Mr. Jonnie seems had us deep an affection for the good things as his comrade & instead of handing his own pie handed that of the Federal officer, who said not a word at the table of the insult, but dinner over as the Co. was going down stairs the federal officer struck the Reb a blow that laid him out in a state “Hors du combat,” I guess the Jonnies will learn that the Yankees know which party holds the highest cards. The excellent treatment they receive makes them bold & insolent. The Reb Gunboats arrived out of the Tombigbee last night. Times are dull & nothing doing of interest, Mr. Teft formerly a plasterer at Pelia, was all day in our camp with a portable museum, leg well enough to take a short walk this evening.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 601