Warm and rainy this
morning. We struck out tents, fell in about daylight and marched through to
Holly Springs, where we saw the effects of the late raid.
A long ambulance
train, a large hotel and one whole block was burned, also the whole of the
large arsenal building which we had prepared and were using for a hospital, the
large depot and all the supplies that were in it, two or three engines and a
long train of cars. When the magazines exploded it jarred out nearly all of the
window glass in that part of the town. We camped on the north side in a
beautiful grove. As soon as camp was laid off we killed one of our oxen which
had labored so faithfully in hauling our knapsacks here, and drew one more
day's rations to finish out our four days. The boys have taken the mills into
their own hands and are shelling and grinding corn, what they should have done
long ago, live off the country. They tell us that we are the first regiment of
the first brigade, sixth division (Gen. Arthur's) of Grant's department. There
has been no time to parole the sick.
SOURCE: Seth James
Wells, The Siege of Vicksburg: From the Diary of Seth J. Wells,
Including Weeks of Preparation and of Occupation After the Surrender, p. 23
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