Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, December 21, 1862

At day break we loosed cable & started. 1½ Oc we got to Cairo reported & I had a good chat with my old neighbours Genl Tuttle¹ & Capt James Sample. 3 Oc left & 5½ we landed at Columbus. Capt Fee & Orderly Spooner & I got the countersign & visited the batterys & Brestworks &c, had an Introduction by our Col to Genl Davies commanding them, they are expecting an attact tomorrow at 11 Oc night we called our regiment up formed them in line and gave them each 40 rounds of catrages, they laid on their arms till morning 11 AM Wm Pearkins preached for us and at 3PM Walker preached for us

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¹ James M. Tuttle was born in Noble County, Ohio, September 24, 1823, removed to Farmington, Iowa, in 1846, was a merchant, was sheriff of Van Buren County 1856-57, and treasurer and recorder 1838-61. He went out in May, 1861, as lieutenant colonel of the Second Iowa Infantry, was promoted to colonel September 6, 1861, to brigadier general June 6, 1862, and resigned June 14, 1864. He then removed to Des Mo'nes and engaged in real estate business, and later in pork packing. He was the Democratic candidate for governor in 1863, and for Congress in 1866. He was a representative in the General Assembly in 1872 and again in 1881. He was department commander of the Grand Army of Iowa in 1887. In 1886 Governor Larrabee appointed him a member of the lowa Soldiers Home Commission, and he was chairman of the commission when the home was built. His death occurred in Des Moines October 24, 1892.

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, pp. 99-100