Diary of Private Seth J. Wells, December 18, 1862

We arrived at the Tallahatchie Bottoms about noon. Bissell's engineer regiment is encamped here. It has just finished the railroad bridge over the river and the cars now pass on to Oxford in advance. There was a clearing with two redoubts which we passed before entering the woody bottoms of the Tallahatchie. The teams were halted and we slung our knapsacks and carried them over the marshy bottoms. We had advanced but a short distance when the formidable earthworks which the Rebs had erected, loomed up before our eyes. When we once more struck terra firma we were halted, unslung our knaps, and when the teams came up, packed them on the wagons. I started on and entered the camp of the 12th Ind. Volunteers. Found the old members of Co. E. divided among two companies—F and I, both gotten up at Warsaw. We arrived at Abbyville in the middle of the forenoon. The country between LaGrange and Abbyville is rough and hilly.

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. 18-9

Gen. Pope’s Canal – Gen Halleck assumes command, &c.

ST. LOUIS, April 9. – Gen. Pope’s Official report says that the canal across the Peninsula at New Madrid, through which four steamers and several barges were taken, is twelve miles long, six miles of which were through heavy timber, which ad to be sawed off by hand – feet under water.  This great and laborious undertaking originated with Schuyler Hamilton, and the work was performed by Col. Bissell’s Engineer regiment.

Gen. Halleck and portion of staff left for Tennessee river this afternoon, and will immediately assume command in the field.

(Democrat’s special.)

The rebels were pursued by eight thousand of our cavalry.

Rebel prisoners state that Beauregard made a speech to his troops before entering the fight, saying that he would water his horse in Tennessee river or in hell; that the fight before them was hell unless successful.

– Published in the Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 12, 1862, p. 3

ST. LOUIS, April 9 [1862].

Gen. Pope’s official report says that the canal cut across the Peninsula at New Madrid, through which four steamers and barges were taken, is 12 miles long, six miles of which were through heavy timber, which had been sawed off by hand several feet under water.  The idea of this great and laborious undertaking originated with Gen. Schuyler Hamilton, and the work performed by Col. Bissell, engineer Missouri regiment.

Gen. Halleck and a portion of his staff left for Tennessee river this p. m., and will assume command in the field.

The Democrat’s special states that the rebels were pursued by 8,000 of our cavalry.  A rebel prisoner states that Gen. Beauregard made a speech to his troops before entering upon the fight, saying that he would water his horse in the Tennessee river or in h-ll; that the fight before them was h-ll unless successful.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, April 11, 1862, p. 2

25th Missouri Infantry

Organized as 13th Missouri Infantry June, 1861. Designation changed to 25th Missouri September, 1861. Attached to Dept. of Missouri to March, 1862. 1st Brigade, 6th Division, Army of the Tennessee, to July, 1862, 1st Brigade, 6th Division, District of Corinth, Miss., to September, 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, District of Southeast Missouri, Dept. of Missouri, to March, 1863. District of Northwest Missouri to June, 1863. New Madrid, Mo., District of Columbus, Ky., 6th Division, 16th Army Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee, to February, 1864.

SERVICE.--Duty in Missouri till March, 1862. Ordered to Pittsburg Landing, Tenn. Battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6-7. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Duty at Corinth, Miss., building fortifications till September. Ordered to St. Louis, Mo., thence to Pilot Knob and Patterson, Mo. Duty in Southeast Missouri till March, 1863. Moved to Iron Mountain, thence to St. Joseph, Mo., and operating against guerrillas in Northwest Missouri till June. Ordered to New Madrid, Mo., and garrison duty there and reconstructing fortifications till February, 1864. Consolidated with Bissell's Engineer Regiment of the West to form 1st Missouri Engineers February 17, 1864. (See 1st Engineers.)

Regiment lost during service 6 Officers and 51 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 112 Enlisted men by disease. Total 172.

SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Part 3, p. 1332

Sick And Wounded At Cincinnati

The Steamer Silver Moon arrived at Cincinnati on Saturday, with a number of Sick and wounded soldiers from Pittsburg Landing, Hamburgh and Savannah.  The following is a list of those of Iowa.

15^th Iowa – A. J. Danson, Co. C.

16^th Iowa – Charles Bunce, Co. C.

2d Iowa Cavalry – Adjutant’s Orderly, Ludwig Cabell; N. H. E. Morris, Co. K, John A. Hull, Co. C, Benj. F. Snyder, Co. A, Jonathan D. Havens Co. B.

Bissell’s Engineers – James Smith.

The following wounded soldiers arrived at Cincinnati on Friday Last, on the Steamer Glendale, from Pittsburgh Landing.

5^th Iowa – Serfee Africannis

2d Iowa – Wm. Reed, Co. K; A. L. Saum, Co. K; Jo Ault, Co. H.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 17, 1862, p. 2