Steamboat Diana, 70
miles from Vicksburg,
September 30, 1863.
We left Vicksburg in advance of the rest of the fleet at 8
o'clock this a. m. I am officer of the day and have found a good deal to do.
Our regiment and the 40th Illinois are both on board and we are somewhat
crowded. Gen. W. S. Smith and our division commander reached Vicksburg just
before we left. The boat he came down on, the Robert Campbell, was burned about
50 miles above Vicksburg, and from 30 to 60 persons lost. The general and
Colonel Hicks, our brigade commander, both escaped by swimming. General Smith
says that a number of boats have been burned within two weeks by Rebel
incendiaries and agents, the object being, by destroying our transportation, to
make it impossible to reinforce Rosecrans from Grant's army. General Smith is
not yet with us, and we think he will not follow if we go to Chattanooga, for
he was once under Rosecrans, and they had some serious difficulty. If he does
retain command of the division we will probably stop at some point on the M.
and C. railroad again. We all think a great deal of Smith, but would ten times
rather lose him than have to, on his account, again go to guarding railroads.
It has rained steadily for the last 48 hours, not very fast, but everything
uncovered is thoroughly soaked. My company was first stationed on the berth
deck, but when steam was raised it [became] so hot that I took them up on the
hurricane deck where, though they have to stand the rain, it will certainly be
better for them than breathing the hot steam.
SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an
Illinois Soldier, p. 194
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