Heard of the death of our brave Lieutenant Colonel Wright at his home in Chicago. At an election of officers I was elected to fill his place but cannot be commissioned for some time.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 21
Broke camp today having received orders to march some fifteen miles in the country and guard a lot of cotton. I was glad of the change as camp life was getting tedious. Men are glad to get out, as they call it, for a lark.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 21
Returned to our old quarters, the cotton being all teamed into Natchez and safely received. I had a pleasant time and met some very pleasant people in the country. Heard of the death of my partner in business, John Bennett, which will necessitate my going home for a while. Have made application for a leave of absence.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 21
Leaving Natchez for Chicago. I will not attempt to write anything of my visit home as it cannot be of any interest to any one.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 21
Leaving for the regiment tonight via St. Louis. During my
stay in the North I have through the kindness of my old and valued friend,
Keller Leet, now a captain on General Grant's staff and who has charge of the
office in Washington, been ordered on to Washington and after spending a
couple of days there was permitted to visit the headquarters of the army
at Cedar Point. I visited Fortress Monroe and found General John Tanner, a
valued friend, lying very ill at the hospital here, so ill that his life was
despaired of. Met some army friends quartered in Fortress Monroe and had the
opportunity of thoroughly inspecting the works. After spending a day here, took
a steamer for City Point, General Grant's headquarters, where I met several intimate
friends. My observations were that the men of the Potomac Army were better fed
then our western men, they being nearer the base of supplies and having the
whole East through the Sanitary and Christian Commissions to provide for them.
Still I do not complain as they doubtless have had hard fare, at times, as we
had.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, pp. 21-2
Arrived at Memphis last night. My trip down the Mississippi river has been exceedingly tedious, the steamboat tying up almost every night on account of low water. Had pleasant companions, among them was Captain Bowers of General Grant's staff.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 22
Arrived last night "at home," I may say, for where the 72d Illinois is, there is my home for the present. Found the regiment encamped on the bluffs at Natchez and the rumor is that we will move back to Vicksburg. I regret this as I have made several pleasant acquaintances among the people of Natchez and have been the recipient of a great deal of their hospitality. Many pleasant reminiscences will ever be connected with my stay here, but they will do to tell and not to write.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 22
Left Nachez this afternoon for Vicksburg. Had the band play "The girl I left behind me" and many personal regrets were expressed by citizens that we had to leave, although they were candid enough to say that they wished all Union troops would leave.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 22
Arrived at Vicksburg, disembarked and bivouacked for the night on the levee.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 22
VICKSBURG, Miss., Moved camp to the Baldwin's Ferry Road. I was detailed on general court martial for the corps. I do not like this as it will keep me from active duty.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 22
We are at present in the 2d Brigade, 1st Division, 17th Army Corps, General McPherson commanding corps, McArthur's division and Kilby Smith's brigade.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 22
General Dennis relieved General Smith as commander of the brigade. The court martial has been organized and comprises the following officers: Colonels Belknap, Potts, Sanders, Brook, Major Foster, Captain Robinson, Lieutenant Colonel Ed. Cooke, Lieutenant Colonel Smith, myself, Captain John Pullen, Judge Advocate.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 22
Regiment still at Vicksburg. During the past two months there has been nothing of particular interest occurring. I have been on daily duty on the court martial and have tried deserters, cotton stealers, officers of all grades for almost for every conceivable offense and have had to vote at times where duty overbalanced mercy. The weather has been lovely. We have had one daily dress parade and guard mounting, which I have tried to make as interesting as possible by having the brigade band play for us (in addition to the regiment's drum corps), the men always looking neat and clean and their interest kept up by the crowds that would attend the show. This kind of duty does not suit me and I have made several applications for duty at the front, but I was not permitted to leave the regiment.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 22
Had a terrible storm
of wind and rain. Moved our camp to a bluff overlooking the Mississippi river.
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, p. 20
Weather very hot.
Our men and Rebs mingle fairly together; they frequent our camps, eat with our
boys.
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, p. 20
McPherson's army
corps guard this place (Vicksburg) while Sherman has gone after the rebel
General Joe Johnston who is reported as being in the neighborhood of Jackson,
Mississippi, with an army. The prisoners here are to be paroled and sent into
the Confederacy. My time is taken up with visiting points of interest,
particularly the caves in the sides of the hills where the citizens took refuge
when they had a bombardment and where many of them slept at night. Many houses
show the marks of shells, some being completely riddled, yet I am surprised to
see so little damage is done. Some of the caves were made very comfortable,
people living in them almost altogether during the whole siege.
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, p. 20
Received orders
today to embark for Natchez. Ransom's brigade is ordered there. March to levee
and embark on board steamer "Lancaster No. 4."
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, p. 20
Left for Natchez at
4 a. m. Quite a fleet of boats. I understand our object is to capture large
droves of cattle that the Confederates have been moving across the country from
Texas and crossing Natchez. Arrived about 4 o'clock p. m. Our trip down was a
pleasant one, the plantations along the river not being destroyed like those
above Vicksburg. We disembarked immediately upon our arrival and marched on to
the bluff were we bivouacked for the night. The good people of this place were
very much surprised and disgusted at the idea of their city being occupied by
the Federals. It is a beautiful place and as yet there has been no distructions
of property. I received orders to take four companies of the regiment and cross
the river at midnight.
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, p. 20
This has certainly
been one of the most exciting days I have spent in the service. We crossed the
river on a transport to the Louisana shore and commenced our march at 4 a. m.
My orders were to capture all the horses, mules and cattle I could, together
with all arms and amunition. The country is a beautiful one, splendid
plantations just blooming with cotton, the first I have ever seen in such an
early stage. I mounted my men as fast as I could. The march was a perfect
ovation from the darkies who first time in their lives saw Yankee soldiers and
knew they were free; they rushed to the road, fell on their knees praying with
all the fervor and feeling of their race. "Glory be to God, freedom's come
at last," etc., etc. They brought us fruits of the finest kind, butter,
milk, eggs, chickens, in fact all they could get so happy to know they were now
free. Captain Whittle with a few men pushed in advance of the main body and
captured a large lot of guns and ammunition, pressed a number of teams into
service, brought back what he could and destroyed the balance. Lieutenant Mason
was sent off on another road and captured an old planter who was just starting
for Texas with all his slaves, mules, horses and wagons; in fact would have
gone in five minutes more but those five minutes were fatal to him. He had to
turn his face the other way; his negroes were nearly crazy, so glad were they
to escape. We marched about fifteen miles into the country and then, as
ordered, started back on our march toward the river. Such a sight as met my
gaze. All along the road were the negroes with their families, household goods,
everything they could gather in the short time, piled up in their immense cotton
wagons as high as they could get them. There must have been thousands, no end
to the children; such a happy set of beings I never saw before. They were to
use their own words, "Going to freedom." They knew nothing else,
cared for nothing else, they were now free, what they had looked forward for,
for years, had come upon them in a moment, nothing could induce them to stay on
their plantations. I told them our provisions were short; they cared not, they
could find something to eat, they cared not if they died, they were now free;
they sang and danced, kissed each other and all the extravagant demonstrations
of joy you can imagine were carried on. We marched to within five miles of the
river at dusk when we encamped for the night. We took supper in the house of an
overseer of Colonel Davis' plantation, who was boasting that his darkies would
not leave him, when all at once one of the men came and whispered something; he
jumped out of his chair and exclaimed "Good God, you don't say so, are
they all going?" "Yes," says the darky "All going, Massa,
and so is I," and he darted out of the room. Our officers could not but
help laughing, and the oaths of the overseer were frightful. At night all was
quiet but the singing of the darkies, which music was certainly remarkable for
the joyous tunes and remarkable words.
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, pp. 20-1
Returned to Natchez
and reported to General Ransom, who was delighted with the result of our
expedition.
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, p. 21
