Rained very hard during the night, hearing that during the
night a boat had come in Luiet Laughridge & I go to the landing. find no
boat; cross the bayou & gather a mess of blackberries, dewberries &
huckleberries, was on our way back when we see coming down the river the Reb
steamer “Jeff Davis” by the time we readied the landing the boat was tieing up
we went on board & saw the effect of a shell which had burst in her cabin
this while we were besieging Spanish fort. She is quite a nice boat. Took a
ride on her from the landing up to the wood yard, & learned from a capt
aboard that there were 19 transports & 3 Gunboats to come down & that
they would be arriving until tomorrow evening, on my way to camp Lt. Cooper
told me the Regt was detailed for fatigue, reached camp at 10 Regt detailed to
wood boats. While we load the Jeff Davis these transports & the Gunboat —
Ram, “Baltic” come down, the Baltic bring with her their torpedo beat, a
strange looking affair small & nearly entirely under water. The Regt woods
the Jeff Davis, Magnolia & another boat no name on, & are relieved for
dinner, after dinner march back, the gunboats Morgan & Nashville have
arrived & lie anchored in the stream the Reb flag flying on the Nashville.
Every boat carried a white flag. The “Southern Republic” a double cabined
concern, one of the largest class of transports lies at the wood yard. The Regt
was relieved & sent to camp without working, soon after getting back rec
orders to hold everything in readiness to embark at a minutes warning, waited
all P. M. no further orders. after Supper Capt Rankin Luit Harter & self go
to the landing see several other boats which had arrived amongst them the
Reindeer, Watson, & Admiral, begin to rain hurry to camp, get a little wet
but reach quarters in time to miss the hard rain which fell for about an hour,
during which time a train of some 20 wagons come in loaded with resin 10 bbls
to each wagon, Spend the evening writing & killing fleas.
SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa
Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923,
p. 599
