Diary of Private Daniel L. Ambrose: Friday, February 6, 1863

This morning the boys are compelled to wend their way to the woods to obtain fuel. It remains extremely cold. Hark! what do we hear? Marching orders with three days rations, says one. Back to the Davenport Mills, can it be possible? Yes! cries the orderly, we will start at 1 o'clock. Twenty miles to go to night, and load one hundred teams with lumber; rather a hard task says one, but we suppose it is honest. The drums beat; and with our equipments, rations, &c., strapped to our backs, we move out from Corinth. We are soon joined by the Ninth Illinois and Sixty-sixth Indiana; the Ninth takes the advance, the Sixty-sixth the center, and the Seventh the rear. After going a short distance we get into the wagons and ride; the roads are desperate; but on we go slash! slash! through the wilderness of pines. Along the road we meet families, men, women and little children wending their way to Corinth to seek protection under the old flag. We arrive at the mills at 1 o'clock A. M. After stacking our guns we proceed to make some coffee, and after drinking it we all lie down to obtain a few hours of sleep, but soon “rub dub, rub dub” goes the drum, the soldiers give a groan and then commence railing out upon the drummer for waking them so soon, but there is no use of whining-up we must get and that “instanter,” as we are promised the advance back to Corinth. The teams are now all loaded. The Seventh feel slighted in not being called upon for their services. The teams are soon moving, the Seventh taking the advance; but before going far we are halted by the Colonel of the Sixty-sixth Indiana, commanding forces, and informed that he had promised the Sixty-sixth the advance. Captain Lawyer is then ordered to march with the Seventh in the center. We move on briskly and arrive in camp 5 o'clock P. M.

SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 141-2

69th Indiana Infantry

Organized at Richmond, Ind., and mustered in August 19, 1862. Left State for Lexington, Ky., August 20. Attached to Manson's Brigade, Army of Kentucky, Dept. of the Ohio. Battle of Richmond, Ky., August 30. Regiment captured August 30; paroled and sent to Indianapolis, Ind. Reorganizing at Indianapolis till November 27, 1862. Left State for Memphis, Tenn., November 27, 1862. Attached to 1st Brigade, 9th Division, Right Wing 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Sherman's Yazoo Expedition, to January, 1863. 1st Brigade, 9th Division, 13th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to July, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 13th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to August, 1863, and Dept. of the Gulf to March, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 13th Army Corps, to June, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to December, 1864. District of Southern Alabama, Dept. of the Gulf, December, 1864. 3rd Brigade, Reserve Corps. Military Division West Mississippi, to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Reserve Corps, Military Division West Mississippi, February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 13th Army Corps (New), Military Division West Mississippi, to July, 1865.

SERVICE. – Sherman's Yazoo Expedition December 20, 1862, to January 3, 1863. Chickasaw Bayou December 26-28. Chickasaw Bluff December 29. Expedition to Arkansas Post, Ark., January 3-10, 1863. Assault and capture of Fort Hindman, Arkansas Post, January 10-11. Moved to Young's Point, La., January 17, and duty there till March 8. Moved to Milliken's Bend, La., March 8, and duty there till April 25. Roundaway Bayou, Richmond, March 31. Operations from Milliken's Bend to New Carthage March 31-April 17. James' Plantation, near New Carthage, April 6. Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf April 25-30. Battle of Port Gibson May 1. Battle of Champion's Hill May 16. Big Black Bridge May 17. Siege of Vicksburg May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4-10. Near Clinton July 8. Near Jackson July 9. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. Moved to New Orleans, La., August 13. Duty at Carrollton, Brashear City and Berwick till October. Western Louisiana "Teche" Campaign October 3-November 30. Ordered to Algiers December 13, thence moved to Texas December 18. Duty at Matagorda Bay and Indianola till February, 1864, and at Matagorda Island till April 19. Moved to New Orleans, thence to Alexandria, La., April 19-27. Red River Campaign April 27-May 22, Actions at Alexandria April 29 and May 2 to 9. Graham's Plantation May 5. Retreat to Morganza May 13-20. Duty at Morganza till December. Expedition to the Atchafalaya May 30-June 6. Expedition to mouth of White River and St. Charles, Ark., September 13-20. Moved to Dauphin Island, Mobile Bay, December 7. Granger's Pascagoula Expedition December 14, 1864, to January 1, 1865. Duty at Pascagoula till January 31. Consolidated to a Battalion of 4 Companies January 22. Moved to Barrancas, Fla., January 31; thence to Pensacola, Fla., March 14. Steele's march through Florida to Mobile March 20-April 1.  Occupation of Pollard March 26. Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely April 1-9. Assault and capture of Fort Blakely April 9. March to Montgomery and Selma April 13-22. Return to Mobile May 3 and duty there till July. Mustered out July 5, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 77 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 248 Enlisted men by disease. Total 331.

SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the 3, p. Rebellion, Part 1144-5