Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Tuesday, March 21, 1865

Rains hard all night. Grond [sic] flat & all drawn out of bed Rains all A. M. 1st Brig 2Div starts out early men pull the batteries through. Some Rebs seen yesterday, one Brig reported within 3 miles (?) train did not get through, heavy detail out cording the road & building a bridge washed away by last nights rain heavy cannonading on the Bay. all P. M. Bertrams Brigade gets through to Fish river & find 1 Div of Smiths corps there, we have good fires of resin

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 579

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Sunday, March 26, 1865

Nothing unusual last night. I am relieved at 6. A. M. & marched the pickets to the Regt. which is on the road at 6.45, at which time the train is getting up. The troops move out on 3 roads. Bertrams Brigade on the left, Smiths Corps on the right & Grangers corps in the centre, as we march through the camp ground of 16th Corps am surprised at the completness & extent of the breastwork constructed by them last night. At 12. M. our advance is fixed on by a Reb Picket post, on a hill on which the corps halts & goes into camp at 7, good running water near. We fortify immediately. A negro comes in who reports having seen Steeles army near Blakely, we are tonight within 2 miles of Spanish Fort a strong position on top of a hill mounting 16 heavy guns besides other bateries about it, the 3 columns fire each a signal gun on their camp ground to denote their situation.     this is responded by the Gunboats, in the Bay. Expect to invest Spanish Fort tomorrow. It is rumored that Bertram captured by surprise battery of 6 guns. (doubtful)

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 580

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Monday, March 27, 1865

The whole command stood to arms from revelie until daybreak.     troops in the rifle pits too.     at 9.15 the column moves out at 10. we are in line of battle & the artillery opens on the forts of which we discover 3. Bertram brought his brigade up to our camp at daylight but was ordered back double quick, he had taken out of the road 15 torpedos, an orderly had been killed by the explosion of one last night, begins to sprinkle at 10. & P. M. rains quite hard. Our batteries keep up a steady firing to get the range & get a reply but the enemy replies but little. The skirmish line pushes up to within 150 yds of the Reb works and keep them well down behind them, it is reported that Smith who has closed in on the right had captured a rebel ammunition train. Regts are camped at dark in hollows behind hills protecting them from the fire of the enemy, large working parties are out all night building breastworks & strong skirmish line is kept out to protect them. I hear of 3 men killed & some 10 wounded. The Bay in front of the Fort is said to be litterally sown with torpedos & this Fort is said to be the Key of Mobile protecting one of the main channells of the Bay

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, pp. 580-1