The long expected opening in the levee was made this evening, amid the shouts and cheers of the two divisions. The water was let through in two places, each about two feet wide. The heavy clay banks melted away rapidly. Along in the night we heard heavy cannonading.
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. 45
Loudon, Tenn. We left Knoxville yesterday at 3 a. m. and
took up our line of march for Kingston, forty miles distant, expecting to make
it in three days. We took it leisurely and halted at 1 o'clock for dinner,
having made twelve miles. We rested two hours and dined on hardtack and coffee.
In the afternoon we marched six miles further and encamped for the night. The
weather is delightful and roads good, which makes eighteen miles a day only
gentle exercise. Very much depends on this. It is more tiresome to march ten
miles when the roads are wet and slippery than twice that distance when dry and
firm. We had hardly arrived in camp before the report of a dozen rifles told us
the work of slaughter had begun.
Before dark good,
fat beef was issued, and we supped on coffee, hardtack and beef. We have drawn
nothing else, except sugar, since leaving Crab Orchard, and now we are getting
only half rations of coffee and sugar. This morning we were aroused at 3
o'clock, two hours earlier than the usual time when on the march, but we
"tumbled out," made coffee, fried beef, ate our breakfast, dried and
rolled up our tents and blankets, and at 4 o'clock were ready for business. At
5 o'clock the bugle sounded "fall in," and in fifteen minutes the
whole division was in motion. But not toward Kingston. I soon learned that
Colonel Wolford was in a "fix," and we were on the way to help him
out. Cannonading could be heard in the direction of Loudon Bridge, which served
as a stimulant, and away we dashed, making fifteen miles by 11 o'clock. We
were now within two miles of the bridge, and halted in a piece of timber. Here
we learned that the crisis had passed, and Colonel Leisure told us to make
ourselves comfortable as possible until morning.
Loudon bridge
crosses the Holston a short distance above its junction with the Clinch. These
two form the Tennessee. The railroad from Bristol to Loudon is entirely in our
possession. From this place to Cleveland the rebels have small forces at
different points. We have strong fortifications on this side the river,
occupied by the Twenty-third Corps, who have just completed a pontoon bridge.
Wolford, with a brigade of cavalry and mounted infantry crossed this bridge,
advanced about six miles and began to fortify. One regiment was sent out to
look for the enemy. Forage being scarce and hard to get, another was sent off
with a train to gather forage. Just at this critical moment, when he was least
prepared, the Rebels threw a force of five thousand troops between him and the
bridge, thus cutting off his retreat, and summoned him to surrender. To oppose
them Wolford had two regiments of cavalry, a battery of six pieces, but no
ammunition. What was to be done surrender? His case looked desperate; some
might have considered it hopeless; but "Wolf" was only indignant. He
bared his teeth and growled, "What! me surrender? Why, man, I'm here to
fight. Go back and tell your people I'll call on them directly." He spiked
his useless cannon and abandoned them; put himself at the head of his brave
followers and hurls them like an avalanche upon the enemy's center; cuts
his way through their line, taking ninety prisoners, reached the bridge with
little loss, while our artillery on this side made pursuit impossible. This
took place yesterday. This morning, having been reinforced, he crossed the
river to offer them battle. He found them but two miles away, and immediately
engaged them. When we arrived here the roar of artillery could be distinctly
heard, but gradually it grew faint and fainter, until at sundown it had died
away in the distance.
SOURCE: David
Lane, A Soldier's Diary: The Story of a Volunteer,
1862-1865, pp. 108-10
The usual
cannonading; trench work and mining going on. Had a splendid rain on the 10th
which was enjoyed by all. Weather cool and pleasant.
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, p. 18
Drawn up in line of
battle at 4 o'clock this morning. Heavy cannonading along our whole line of
works. I presume if there had been any chance for a charge we could have had
it. Firing continued about an hour. A rebel deserter was brought into our lines
yesterday and gave some information which may have caused the firing.
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, p. 18
A brisk cannonade,
kept up since daylight from our side, without response from the enemy. By six
o'clock P. M. the enemy fired three times at Carlile's battery. Heavy
picket firing at ten o'clock in the night.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, pp. 39-40
At the front. We
were relieved at nine o'clock A. M., by Battery B. News arrived of McDowell's
occupation of Fredericksburg. Heavy cannonade in the night.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 40
Battery No. 8. We
were relieved in the morning by Battery B. Heavy cannonading in the night.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light
Artillery, p. 41
Mustered for three
months' pay. Started from Myersville at ten A.M. Marched to Hanover, and went
into camp at half-past four, where we saw a lot of dead horses. There had been
a cavalry fight. Marched ten miles. Started again at half-past seven, and marched
to within three miles of Gettysburg, Penn., and went into camp at twelve
o'clock at night. Heard cannonading all day.
SOURCE: John Lord
Parker, Henry Wilson's Regiment: History of the Twenty-second
Massachusetts Infantry, the Second Company Sharpshooters and the Third Light
Battery, in the War of the Rebellion, p. 277
This morning about
six o'clock there was heavy cannonading towards the Rappahanock. It is now
after nine o'clock and the firing still continues. We have just received orders
to form and are now resting in line ready to move at the word of command.
Perhaps I may see my first battle today or to-morrow—will it be the last?
SOURCE: John Camden
West, A Texan in Search of a Fight: Being the Diary and Letters of a
Private Soldier in Hood’s Texas Brigade, p. 59
This is a beautiful
day. I am quite stiff and sore from the effects of my walk. There was a detail
from the sixth division this morning, mounted on mules and sent out in the
northwestern direction upon a scout. Corp. Si. Livingston and Privates Briton
and Schultz represented Co. K, 17th Ill. They went about sixteen miles to a little
town called Richmond, where they found a detachment of the enemy, but owing to
a large bayou, our boys could not get at them, and had to leave them in
possession of the place. We heard heavy cannonading this morning. The Rebs had
undertaken to cross with about five hundred head of cattle, but slipped up on
it, and they fell into our hands.
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, pp.
34-5
Heavy cannonading
all along the whole line. The Rebs reply but feebly; they will not have much
chance to rest.
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, p. 17
Tremendous
cannonading early this morning. I have never heard anything to equal it. It
seems to be Grant's tactics to keep the Rebs busy all the time. There must have
been over a hundred guns firing at once.
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, p. 17
Marched at daybreak. Cannonading going on in front of Yorktown. General McClellan passed the line amidst great cheering of the troops. Strong intrenchments were found near Howard's Mills. At six o'clock P. М. we went to camp three miles from Yorktown.
SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 37
Cannonading heard
toward Warrenton, in the afternoon.
SOURCE: John Lord
Parker, Henry Wilson's Regiment: History of the Twenty-second
Massachusetts Infantry, the Second Company Sharpshooters and the Third Light
Battery, in the War of the Rebellion, p. 275
was a pritty one
indeed and thar was a very hevy canonading cept up all day sum whar between
Culpeper and Windchester and we had orders to cook rashions and expected to be
cauld on evry minnet but was not
SOURCE: Bartlett
Yancey Malone, The Diary of Bartlett Yancey Malone, p. 26
we was marched
around to the left of our armey and was expecting to have to fight every minnet
but did not for thar was no fiting don except the pickets and cannonading
SOURCE: Bartlett
Yancey Malone, The Diary of Bartlett Yancey Malone, p. 26
was cloudy and cool but no rain And thir was hevy canonading down on the Potomac to day
SOURCE: Bartlett Yancey Malone, The Diary of Bartlett
Yancey Malone, p. 13
When we had marched seven miles we heard cannonading. The enemy is trying to cross the river at Jacob's Ford, but our boys kept them back. We laid in breastworks of our own make until the 27th.
SOURCE: Louis Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 52
Ours again to-day, but not as hard as before, but heavy enough. The cannonading is getting heavier.
SOURCE: Louis Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 54
This morning, at
daybreak, cannonading was heard by us from General Pettigrew's line, which is
on our left flank. We immediately fell into line of battle, our artillery
opened fire, then we infantry advanced our line on the Yankees. We halted in an
old field and had for a breastwork a rail fence. We fought for four hours—hot
at times. We had a number killed and wounded. The enemy fell back on their
stronghold-Newbern. This battle is called the Battle of Deep Gully, as it was
fought on that stream. We then took up our march again for Kinston. We got
eleven miles and halted for the night. Our company was the rear guard of the
brigade.
