Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, May 22, 1863

A day long to be remembered by those who participated in the events I now write about. We all knew we were to assault the rebel works, and that there would be bloody work. The day was a beautiful one, but very warm. We got breakfast early, and shortly word came that the assault would be made at two o'clock promptly, but that we would move at ten o'clock to take our positions. The ground had been reconnoitered as best it could by General Ransom and the field officers of the brigade the night previous. Early in the morning General Ransom and staff took seats near our quarters, where we had a good position, to see the rebel works. We talked and chatted, and Colonel Wright had a splendid field glass, and Ransom remarked jocosely: "Colonel, if you are killed I want you to leave that glass to me." "All right," said he, but I remarked: "Stop, Colonel, you forget you left that to your boy when you made your will at Memphis." "That is so," replied Wright. Poor fellow, a few hours afterwards he was carried off the field badly wounded. I climbed a large tree to get as good a view as possible, and reported to Ransom that they had no interior works but a single line of fortification. When 10 o'clock came we fell into line and the regiment counted; we numbered four hundred men. At the word "forward" we started in two ranks down the ravine and commenced to climb up the ascent on the other side, Company A in the advance. It was hard work climbing over and under the trees that the Rebs had cut down to impede our advance. We got within thirty yards of their works, creeping on our hands and knees, when four of Company Co A were shot, two killed in instantly. Corporal Nelson and Private Harding, and Corporal Heberlin and Private Kassill mortally wounded; both died at night—four as good men as ever drew breath. We were ordered to change our position, and in doing so a lieutenant left his sword near the spot where the men were killed. I climbed up and got it for him and sent it to him with my compliments; got into our new position and waited for the word. Generals Giles A Smith and Ransom and other officers got together in the ravine and arranged their watches and how they should start. At last, at two o'clock promptly, the word came to "go." Up we started and rushed ahead with a yell, and were greeted with a most wondrous volley. Our colors were planted about fifteen feet from the ditch, but we could not go forward, the fire was too severe, men could not live; we laid down and only the wounded fell back, while shot and shell from the right and left and our own batteries in the rear, whose shell fell short, did terrific work. Men fell "like leaves in wintry weather." Colonel Wright was carried off the field terribly wounded, Colonel Starring incapacitated by a sunstroke, when the command of the regiment fell upon myself. General Ransom tried to have us go forward, but we could not do it. At last he gave the word to get back into the ravine, which we did, marching off as quietly as on dress parade, carrying the wounded with us, but leaving the dead. We reformed and then waited for further command, as we expected to make another charge, but thank heaven, orders came only to move up to our former position and hold the ground, which we did, and remained until midnight, when we were ordered back to our camp. What a night! Such a night I never spent before. About dusk there was quite a panic, but fortunately it was checked. The stench was horrible. Many of the men from being completely worn out fell asleep, but I could not close my eyes. None knew but what the Rebs might sally out, but they were only too glad, I guess, to stay where they were, having repulsed us. I cannot go into the details of the charge, but it was horrible, bloody work. Our loss in twenty minutes was one hundred and ten killed and wounded. Such was the 22d of May, 1863.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 16

Major-General William T. Sherman to Lieutenant Colonel John A. Rawlins, June 17, 1863

HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS,        

Camp on Walnut Hills, June, 17, 1863.

Lieut. Col. JOHN A. RAWLINS,
        Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the Tennessee:

SIR: On my return last evening from an inspection of the new works at Snyder's Bluff, General Blair, who commands the Second Division of my corps, called my attention to the inclosed publication in the Memphis Evening Bulletin of June 13, instant, entitled “Congratulatory Order of General McClernand,” with a request that I should notice it, lest the statements of fact and inference contained therein might receive credence from an excited public. It certainly gives me no pleasure or satisfaction to notice such a catalogue of nonsense—such an effusion of vain-glory and hypocrisy; nor can I believe General McClernand ever published such an order officially to his corps. I know too well that the brave and intelligent soldiers and officers who compose that corps will not be humbugged by such stuff.

If the order be a genuine production and not a forgery, it is manifestly addressed not to an army, but to a constituency in Illinois, far distant from the scene of the events attempted to be described, who might innocently be induced to think General McClernand the sagacious leader and bold hero he so complacently paints himself; but it is barely possible the order is a genuine one, and was actually read to the regiments of the Thirteenth Army Corps, in which case a copy must have been sent to your office for the information of the commanding general.

I beg to call his attention to the requirements of General Orders, No. 151, of 1862, which actually forbids the publication of all official letters and reports, and requires the name of the writer to be laid before the President of the United States for dismissal. The document under question is not technically a letter or report, and though styled an order, is not an order. It orders nothing, but is in the nature of an address to soldiers, manifestly designed for publication for ulterior political purposes. It perverts the truth to the ends of flattery and self-glorification, and contains many untruths, among which is one of monstrous falsehood. It substantially accuses General McPherson and myself with disobeying the orders of General Grant in not assaulting on May 19 and 22, and allowing on the latter day the enemy to mass his forces against the Thirteenth Army Corps alone. General McPherson is fully able to answer for himself, and for the Fifteenth Army Corps I answer that on May 19 and 22 it attacked furiously, at three distinct points, the enemy's works, at the very hour and minute fixed in General Grant's written orders; that on both days we planted our colors on the exterior slope and kept them there till nightfall; that from the first hour of investment of Vicksburg until now my corps has at all times been far in advance of General McClernand's; that the general-in-chief, by personal inspection, knows this truth; that tens of thousands of living witnesses beheld and participated in the attack; that General Grant visited me during both assaults and saw for himself, and is far better qualified to judge whether his orders were obeyed than General McClernand, who was nearly 3 miles off; that General McClernand never saw my lines; that he then knew, and still knows, nothing about them, and that from his position he had no means of knowing what occurred on this front. Not only were the assaults made at the time and place and in the manner prescribed in General Grant's written orders, but about 3 p.m., five hours after the assault on the 22d began, when my storming party lay against the exterior slope of the bastion on my front, and Blair's whole division was deployed close up to the parapet, ready to spring to the assault, and all my field artillery were in good position for the work, General Grant showed me a note from General McClernand, that moment handed him by an orderly, to the effect that had carried three of the enemy's forts, and that the flag of the Union waved over the stronghold of Vicksburg, asking that the enemy should be pressed at all points lest he should concentrate on him. Not dreaming that a major-general would at such a critical moment make a mere buncombe communication, I instantly ordered Giles A. Smith's and Mower's brigades to renew the assault under cover of Blair's division and the artillery, deployed as before described, and sent an aide to General Steele, about a mile to my right, to convey the same mischievous message, whereby we lost, needlessly, many of our best officers and men.

I would never have revealed so unwelcome a truth had General MCClernand, in his process of self-flattery, confined himself to facts in the reach of his own observation, and not gone out of the way to charge others for results which he seems not to comprehend. In cases of repulse and failure, congratulatory addresses by subordinate commanders are not common, and are only resorted to by weak and vain men to shift the burden of responsibility from their own to the shoulders of others. I never make a practice of speaking or writing of others, but during our assault of the 19th several of my brigade commanders were under the impression that McClernand's corps did not even attempt an assault.

In the congratulatory order I remark great silence on the subject. Merely to satisfy inquiring parties, I should like to know if McClernand's corps did or did not assault at 2 p.m. of May 19, as ordered. I do not believe it did, and I think General McClernand responsible.

With these remarks I leave the matter where it properly belongs, in the hands of the commanding general, who knows his plans and orders, sees with an eye single to success and his country's honor, and not from the narrow and contracted circle of a subordinate commander, who exaggerates the importance of the events that fall under his immediate notice, and is filled with an itching desire for "fame not earned."

With great respect, your obedient servant,

W. T. SHERMAN,        

Major-General, Commanding.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 24, Part 1 (Serial No. 36), p. 162-3

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: May 30, 1863

The newspapers have a dispatch, to-day, from Jackson, Miss., which says the enemy have fallen back from the position lately occupied by them in front of Vicksburg. It adds, that they will be forced to retire to the Big Black River, for want of water. Gen. G. A. Smith, who is here, and who resigned because he was not made lieutenant-general instead of Pemberton, says he “don't know how to read this dispatch.” Nevertheless, it is generally believed, and affords much relief to those who appreciate the importance of Vicksburg.

Mr. Botts was offered $500 in Confederate States notes, the other day, for a horse. He said he would sell him for $250 in gold, but would not receive Confederate notes, as the South would certainly be conquered, and it was merely a question of time. This information was communicated to the Secretary of War to-day, but he will attach no importance to it.

Among the papers sent in by the President, to-day, was a communication from Gov. Vance, of North Carolina, inclosing a letter from Augustus S. Montgomery, of Washington City, to Major Gen. Foster, Newbern, N. C., found in a steamer, captured the other day by our forces, in Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, It informed Gen. F. that a plan of servile insurrection had been adopted, and urged his co-operation. All the Yankee generals in the South would co-operate: they were to send smart negroes from the camps among the slaves, with instructions to rise simultaneously at night of the 1st August. They were to seize and destroy all railroad bridges, cut the telegraph wires, etc., and then retire into the swamps, concealing themselves until relieved by Federal troops. It is said they were to be ordered to shed no blood, except in self-defense, and they were not to destroy more private g property than should be unavoidable. The writer said the corn would be in the roasting-ear, and the hogs would be running at large, so that the slaves could easily find subsistence.

The President thanked Gov. Vance for this information, and said our generals would be made acquainted with this scheme; and he commended the matter to the special attention of the Secretary of War, who sent it to Gen. Lee.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 336-7

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: November 17, 1862

A profound sensation has been produced in the outside world by the resignation of Mr. Randolph; and most of the people and the press seem inclined to denounce the President, for they know not what. In this matter the President is not to blame; but the Secretary has acted either a very foolish or a very desperate part. It appears that he wrote a note in reply to the last letter of the President, stating that as no discretion was allowed him in such matters as were referred to by the President, he begged respectfully to tender his resignation. The President responded, briefly, that inasmuch as the Secretary declined acting any longer as one of his constitutional advisers, and also declined a personal conference, no alternative remained but to accept his resignation.

Randolph's friends would make it appear that he resigned in consequence of being restricted in his action; but he knows very well that the latitude allowed him became less and less circumscribed; and that, hitherto, he was well content to operate within the prescribed limits. Therefore, if it was not a silly caprice, it was a deliberate purpose, to escape a cloud of odium he knew must sooner or later burst around him.

A letter from Gen. Magruder, dated 10th inst., at Jackson, Mississippi, intimates that we shall lose Holly Springs. He has also been in Mobile, and doubts whether that city can be successfully defended by Gen. Forney, whose liver is diseased, and memory impaired. He recommends that Brig.-Gen. Whiting be promoted, and assigned to the command in place of Forney, relieved.

A letter from Gen. Whiting, near Wilmington, dated 13th. inst., expresses serious apprehensions whether that place can be held against a determined attack, unless a supporting force of 10,000 men be sent there immediately. It is in the command of Major-Gen. G. A. Smith.

More propositions to ship cotton in exchange for the supplies needed by the country. The President has no objection to accepting them all, provided the cotton don't go to any of the enemy's ports. How can it be possible to avoid this liability, if the cotton be shipped from the Mississippi River?

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 190-1

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Friday, February 3, 1865

It rained quietly nearly all day, and we remained in camp until 1 p. m., when we received marching orders. Our division under General Giles E. Smith then made ready to wade and swim the river midway between the two bridges. The river is one and one-fourth miles wide, having at least one hundred and thirty-three different channels or branches, from two to four feet deep. It took us an hour and a half to cross over, General Smith leading on foot, for no horse could go across. We were not allowed to talk or let our accouterments make any noise. We found the rebel pickets on the opposite side, but they fired only a single shot each and made for tall timber. We remained here on guard. The First and Third Divisions crossed the river above us and also drove in the rebel pickets.¹ Our teams and batteries were left in the rear.

_______________

¹ Our division, after successfully crossing the river, effected a lodgment on the main Charleston road Just before the arrival of eight regiments which had been sent up to make good the enemy's position at this bridge.—A. G. D.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 250

Colonel Thomas Kilby Smith to Elizabeth Budd Smith, June 30, 1863

Headquarters Dept. Of The Tennessee,

Camp Opposite Vicksburg, June 30, 1863.

My Dear Wife:

You are mistaken in supposing I had a new command given me. I explained the matter to mother in a former letter — a temporary detail as president of a court which ceased when the court adjourned. I have since, however, been employed upon most important business which has kept me from my regiment. This morning I shall go down to Port Hudson in a steamboat to confer with General Banks upon official business. I am glad you liked my report. I wrote it very hurriedly on the battlefield, in pencil, and in something over two hours, and have not seen it since, so I can hardly judge how it read. The country will hardly ever get the true history of the assault of the 19th, because it is the interest of the whole army, except the small portion, two thirds of one tenth, to suppress it. Thus there are ten divisions of infantry; but one of these divisions obeyed the order to charge, and of that division but one whole brigade, my own, went in, with two regiments from Ewing, and one from Giles Smith. I enclose a slip which is partly truthful in other matters and worth reading, and in which an allusion is made to what the opinion of the rebel officers was of that charge. They have spoken of it very often, and I assure you it was a most gallant, daring action. The conflict is raging here all the time, we think it hardly possible Vicksburg can hold out much longer, though they fight with perfect desperation and probably will fight to the last. Still there is an end to all things and there must some time be an end to this siege — only patience is left to us. You must not be alarmed for me. I have been in many dangers and always preserved. My life may yet be of some service to my country or my family.

I made General Grant a present of one of my saddle horses the other day, a splendid piebald gelding, that I think is worth a thousand dollars. He was a horse that I captured at Arkansas Post with his rider, a Texan officer, and since that time I have been carefully training him. He is very large and spotted white and black with a noble carriage and easy gait. Grant fell in love with him a long time ago, and talked so much about him that I gave him. He always rides him, although he has other fine horses.

I shall hope in my next letter to be able to give you something of interest connected with General Banks's army and its operations.

SOURCE: Walter George Smith, Life and letters of Thomas Kilby Smith, p. 314-5

Justin C. Kennedy, Lt. Col. Commanding, 13th Iowa Infantry to Nathaniel B. Baker, Adjutant General of Iowa, April 27, 1865

Head Quarters 13^th Iowa Inf. Vet. Vol.

Near Raleigh, N.C. April 27, 1865

N. B. Baker

Adjt. Genl. of Iowa

Sir,

I have been shown the report of Col. Geo. A. Stone, 25^th Iowa Vol. Comdg. 3^rd Brig. 1^st Div. 15^th A. C. published in the Mt. Pleasant “Home Journal” of April 14, 1865. Of the part taken by them in the capture of Columbia, S. C. in which appears the following sentence: “Preceding to the State House with Captain Pratt I planted the first United States flag on that building.” Begging Col. Stones pardon, I am obliged to say he did no such a thing. I planted the first United States flag on the capital building of South Carolina myself. A detachment of my regiment the 13^th Iowa Vet. Vol. Inf. with Lieutenants Goodsell and McArthur of Genl. Belknap’s Staff were the first to into Columbia, S.C on the morning of February 17, 1865 and the colors of the 13^th Iowa were hoisted over the capital building from half to three-fourths of an hour before Col. Stones Brigade reached the building and I defy contradiction to that fact.

For further proof, I respectfully refer you to the report of Brigadier General Wm. W. Belknap, commanding Iowa Brigade of the 17^th Army Corps. for the part they acted in the memorable campaign of the Carolina’s. Also, the congratulatory letter of Brvt. Maj. Genl. Giles A. Smith to General Belknap for the capture of Columbia, which was published in the Army and Navy Journal of April 8, 1865 – and his official note to Maj. Genl. Blair of Feb. 17, 1865 which said:

“The colors of the 13^th Iowa were suspended over the capital at eleven o’clock this forenoon. National salute is now being fired by Captain Clayton 1^st Minnesota Battery to commemorate this event.”

I have these statements and particularly refer you to these official documents out of justice to the brave men of my regiment. They crossed Congaree River, a swift and turbulent stream opposite the city, in flat boats not to get ahead of anyone for the detachment that first crossed and entered Columbia, were entirely ignorant of the approach of the 15^th Corps. The hazardous undertaking was accomplished merely as an act of duty for we thought Columbia could be captured in that way.

I am, General,

very respectfully

your Obt. Servt.,

J. C. Kennedy

Lt. Col. Comdg. 13^th Iowa Infy.

13^th

Raleigh N. C.

Apr 27/65

Lt. Col. J. C. Kennedy

States that Col Stone of the 25^th Iowa is mistaken in saying that he was the first to plant the stars and stripes on the capitol at Columbia S. C.

Filed May 26 1865

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