Diary of Private Seth J. Wells: November 20, 1862

Col. Stevenson made a few remarks to us this morning after drill. He is good natured and jolly, and a fine speaker. He gave us great praise and said he had the 7th Missouri, 8th and 63rd Illinois, with the pick of another five or six regiments, among them ours. He took us and placed us on the right of his brigade in preference to any other.

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. 13

7th Missouri Infantry.

Organized at St. Louis, Mo., June, 1861. Attached to Booneville, Mo., to September, 1861. Fremont's Army of the West to February, 1862. Lexington, Mo., Dept. of the Missouri, to July, 1862. Unattached, Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., Army of the Tennessee, to September, 1862. 4th Brigade, 1st Division, District of Jackson, Tenn., to November, 1862. 4th Brigade, 3rd Division, Left Wing 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 17th Army Corps. to April, 1864. Maltby's Brigade, District of Vicksburg, Miss., to June, 1864. 1st Brigade, District of Memphis, Tenn., 16th Army Corps, to August, 1864 (Veterans). 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to December, 1864.

SERVICE.—Moved to Booneville, Mo., July 1-4, 1861, thence to Rolla August 30 and to Syracuse, Mo., October 5-10. Fremont's Campaign against Springfield October 21-November 2. Moved to Sedalia November 10-14, thence to Otterville December and duty there till February, 1862. Expedition to Blue Springs January 20-February 3, 1862 (Cos. "B," "F" and "H" detached from Regiment November 21, 1861, and ordered to Kansas City. Rejoined Regiment at Lexington, Mo., February, 1862.) Moved to Lexington, Mo., February 3-10, 1862, and duty there till May 9. Reconnoissance from Greenville February 23-24 (Co. "H"). Skirmish at Mingo Creek, near St. Francisville, February 24 (Co. "H"). Moved to Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., May 9-14, and guard and fatigue duty there till August 15. Moved to Jackson, Tenn., August 15-29, and duty there till October. Medon Station, Mississippi Central Railroad, August 31. Chewalla and Big Hill October 5. Medon Station October 10. Moved to Corinth with McPherson and to Jackson October 14. To Lagrange November 2. Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign November 2, 1862, to January 10, 1863. At Memphis, Tenn., January 17-February 21. Moved to Lake Providence, La., February 21, and duty there till April. Moved to Milliken's Bend, La., April 12. Passage of Vicksburg batteries April 22 (Detachment). Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf April 25-39. Battle of Port Gibson May 1. Bayou Pierrie May 2. Battles of Raymond May 12. Champion's Hill May 16. Big Black River Bridge May 17. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. Surrender of Vicksburg July 4. Provost duty there till June, 1864. Stevenson's Expedition from Vicksburg to Monroe, La., August 20-September 2, 1863. Expedition toward Canton October 14-22. Bogue Chitto Creek October 17. Expedition from Vicksburg to Sunnyside Landing, Ark., January 10-16, 1864. Meridian Campaign February 3-March 2. Clinton February 5. Veterans on furlough March to May. Non-Veterans mustered out June 14, 1864. Veterans at Memphis, Tenn., and Vicksburg, Miss., till July 29. Moved to Morganza, La., July 29 and duty there till September 3. Moved to mouth of White River, Ark., September 3-8 and duty there till October 18. Movement to Memphis and return October 18-30. Moved to Duvall's Bluff, Ark., November 9, thence to Memphis, Tenn., November 28. Consolidated with 11th Regiment Missouri Infantry December 17, 1864.

Regiment lost during service 4 Officers and 52 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 128 Enlisted men by disease. Total 186.

Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Part 3, p. 1325-6

Diary of 5th Sergeant Osborn H. Oldroyd: May 22, 1863

Mortar from the river in front. “During the siege

of Vicksburg, sixteen thousand shells were thrown

from the mortar gunboats, and naval batteries

into the city."—Hamersly. 

Last night mortar-shells, fired from the boats on the river in front of the city across Point Louisiana, fell thick over all parts of Vicksburg, and at three o'clock this morning every cannon along our line belched its shot at the enemy. Nothing could be heard at the time but the thundering of great guns—one hundred cannons sent crashing into the town —parrot, shrapnell, cannister, grape and solid shot—until it seemed impossible that anything could withstand such a fearful hailstorm. It was indeed a terrible spectacle—awfully grand.

At ten o'clock we had orders to advance. The boys were expecting the order and were busy divesting themselves of watches, rings, pictures and other keepsakes, which were being placed in the custody of the cooks, who were not expected to go into action. I never saw such a scene before, nor do I ever want to see it again. The instructions left with the keepsakes were varied. For instance, “This watch I want you to send to my father if I never return”—“I am going to Vicksburg, and if I do not get back just send these little trifles home, will you?”—proper addresses for the sending of the articles being left with them. Not a bit of sadness or fear appears in the talk or faces of the boys, but they thought it timely and proper to dispose of what they had accordingly. This was done while we awaited orders, which (it last came in earnest, and in obedience to them we moved up and took our place in the rifle pits within a hundred yards of Fort Hill, where we had orders to keep a diligent watch, and to tire at the first head that dared to show itself. The air was so thick with the smoke of cannon that we could hardly see a hundred yards before us. The line to our right and left was completely hidden from view except as revealed by the flash of guns, and the occasional bursting of shells through the dense clouds. About eleven o'clock came a signal for the entire line to charge upon the works of the enemy. Our boys were all ready, and in an instant leaped forward to find victory or defeat. The seventh Missouri took the lead with ladders which they placed against the fort, and then gave way for others to scale them. Those who climbed to the top of the fort met cold steel, and, when at length it was found impossible to enter the fort that way, the command was given to fall back, which was done under a perfect hail of lead from the enemy. The rebels, in their excitement and haste to fire at our retreating force, thrust their heads a little too high above their cover,—an advantage we were quick to seize with well aimed volleys. In this charge a severe loss was met by our division, and nothing gained. What success was met by the rest of the line I can not say, but I hope it was better than ours. Thus ended another day of bloody fight in vain, except for an increase of the knowledge which has been steadily growing lately, that a regular siege will be required to take Vicksburg. This day will be eventful on the page of history, for its duties have been severe, and many a brave patriot bit the dust under the storm of deadly fire that assailed us.

SOURCE: Osborn Hamiline Oldroyd, A Soldier's Story of the Siege of Vicksburg, p. 31-2

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Monday, August 31, 1863

We left Heff river and marched through to Bayou Mason, eighteen miles, and stopped for the night. While marching today some of us heard the report of a rifle, and we learned that a member of the Seventh Missouri had committed suicide by shooting himself. He stepped out of rank into the brush and putting the muzzle of his gun under his chin, touched off the trigger with his toe and blew his head off. We were mustered for pay upon reaching Bayou Mason.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 139

Thirty-Five Pounds of Chains

A fellow citizen sends us for publication a couple of letters from the Jefferson (Pa.) Star written by a worthy citizens of the county in which that paper is printed, giving his reasons for being under arrest.  The second letter, which we omit, states that Mr. Jenks is no longer under arrest, but is in command of a company and doing good service for the Union.  The gist of the matter is that the Major Leffingwell alluded to so honorably in this connection, is none other than Judge Leffingwell, of Clinton county, Iowa, well known for his strong pro-slavery sentiments.  Like every conscientious Democrat, who has enlisted in defense of his country in her hour of peril, he has had his eyes opened to the enormity of slavery and now refuses to lift a hand in furtherance of the cause of all our national troubles.  Good for the Judge! May he return home thoroughly reformed:

LEXINGTON, MO., Feb. 28, 1862.

DEAR BROTHER: You will, no doubt, be surprised to learn that I am under arrest.  The reasons are as follows:  Yesterday I was informed that there was a negro in irons about three miles from town.  Last night I called at the house, accompanied by a few of my own men.  I found the negro with chains on him weighing thirty-five pounds!  I brought him into camp; Lieut. Burdell, a sergeant of Company B, and myself, took the chains off him.  Col. Stephenson of the Seventh Missouri, ordered Major Leffingwell to arrest me.  This he refused to do, but said he would call me in, which he did, and the following conversation took place:

Colonel – “Lieut. Jenks, did you go to the country, get a negro and bring him into the camp last night?”

Answer – “I did.”

Colonel – “Are you aware that you have violated an order of Gen. Halledk?”

Answer – “I am not, Sir.”

Colonel – “By whose order did you act?”

Answer – “I acted on my own responsibility, and by order of suffering humanity.”

Colonel – “You will return the negro immediately.”

Answer – “Colonel, that is impossible; I do not know where he is.”

Colonel – “you may then consider yourself under arrest – bring me your saber.”

Answer – “Very well, sir.”

So I am arrested for daring to take the chains off a human being – a man who has a soul like our own.  He was chained because he dared to attempt to escape from the hellish bondage in which he was held.  This man had done what he could for the Union cause in the battles at this place.  Now, brother, I feel that I have done right in the sight of Heaven, and with the blessing of heaven, I fear not what man can do with me.

Your brother,

JAMES D. JENKS.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, May 14, 1862, p. 2

St. Louis News.

ST. LOUIS. – Feb. 20. – Dispatches were received to-day to hurry repairs on the gun boat Lexington, and intimating that the evacuation of Columbus was the cause for the extra haste.

It appears that after all, very few wounded from the Fort Donelson fight will come here.  The Sanitary Commission sends its President, James E. Yeatmen, down the river this evening with extra hospital supplies, contributed under a supposition that the wounded were coming here early this morning.

The Steamers White Could, Empress and Emma Duncan, arrived here with three thousand prisoners from Ft. Donelson.  They landed at Bloody Island and leave immediately for Indianapolis and Chicago.  They came under guard of the 20^th Ohio and the 19^th Illinois.  They are a shabby lot of prisoners, no better clothed than the butternut prisoners who have been taken in Missouri.

The following named prisoners of war arrived last night by the Pacific Railroad from Sedalia in custody of Capt. Thompkin’s 8^th Iowa Infantry: Brigadier General Price, Col, Dorsey, Col. Cross and Captain Jude, of Maj. Gen. Price’s staff; also C. J. Cunningham, Stephen F. Roberts, L. D. Sloss, Daniel C. Rodman, Harman Smith, Franklin Motz, Wm. Ranney, H. A. Massey, and O. J. Ross.

Gen. Halleck has commuted the sentence of the bridge burners, and ordered as follows: – In consideration of recent victories won by Federal forces and of rapidly increasing loyalty of the citizens of Missouri who for a time forgot their duty to their flag and country, sentence of J. O. Tompkins, W. Forshey, J. Patton, T. M. Smith, S. Scott, G. H. Cunningham, P. B Crowder and G. M. Pulliam, heretofore condemned to death, to be provisionally mitigated to close confinement in the military prison at Alton.  If rebel spies again destroy Railroad bridges and telegraph lines and thus render it necessary for us to make severe examples, the original sentences against these men will be carried into execution.

No further assessments will be levied or collected from any one who will now take the prescribed oath of allegiance.

Boards of Commissioners will be appointed to examine cases of prisoners of war who apply to take the oath of allegiance, and on their recommendation orders will be issued from these headquarters for their release.

A letter from Lexington reports the 2d battalion of the 2^nd Iowa cavalry, Col. Botly, and the 7^th Missouri regiment of infantry, quietly stationed there.

Three companies of the Missouri 7^th, on the march from Warrenton, overtook some rebels en route for Price and in the chase ensuing shot one of them, whereupon the rest surrendered.  One prisoner is a notorious character named Hill, who robbed  some of Mulligan’s men after the surrender of Lexington.

Letters from Springfield state that refugee families are returning.

Gen. Ed. Price and the rebel Colonels captured at Warsaw by a detachment of the 1^st Iowa Cavalry, under Capt. Thompson, and Co. A, of the 8^th Iowa Infantry.  Gen. Price walked around to-day on parole.  All the others left for Alton.

The Mississippi prisoners to-day were told that they were going to Lincoln’s Wigwam at Chicago, which incensed them highly, though hundreds were glad to hear of it.  Some of the prisoners deny that over 3,000 prisoners were captured.  Considerable trading took place at the steamboat landing in Confederate scrip and shinplasters.

Col. Fitz Henry Warren of the 1^st Iowa Cavalry, who was under arrest, has been released, and resumed command of the Regiment.  Charges frivolous as they were, have been denied by every officer of the command, and the Major who made them has been requested to resign.

The rebel Surgeons captured by Gen.’s Sigel and Curits below Springfield, have been allowed their liberty in accordance with Gen. Halleck’s orders proposing to exempt Surgeons from the ordinary penalties of prisoners of war.

A tug boat has gone to Cairo, to tow the Essex to this point.  He is to be lengthened fifty feet, and her boiler dropped below the waterline. – Preparations are making to expedite matters as fast as possible.

A report was brought to head-quarters by a pretended refugee, who escaped from Columbus Tuesday night and reached Cape Girardeau yesterday morning, to the effect that Columbus and not been evacuated.

The 22d Missouri Infantry left for the seat of war to-day.

A mule dealer named Deith, was arrested to-day for defrauding the Government.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, February 22, 1862, p. 3