Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, March 2, 1863

We struck tents yesterday morning and marched into Memphis, bivouacked on the wharf until dark and then embarked on board the steamer "Platte Valley." We will not leave until the whole division (Quimby's), has embarked. Our destination is Lake Providence. Fortunately we are the only regiment on board and are comfortably fixed. Was assigned to my duties as major. Our steamer went five miles below Memphis for wood. River very high and overflowing the country in many places. Raining hard every few days. Marching will be difficult.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 9

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, March 9, 1863

On board transport "Platte Valley." We left Memphis on the 3rd as we supposed for Lake Providence, but when we got within twenty-five miles of that place orders came for us to disembark at General Woodfall's plantation and march through the country to Red River. After we had disembarked and taken everything off the boats, General Quimby and staff, together with the brigade commander, went out to reconnoiter the country and found it all under water and overflowed; they tried several directions, and some of the staff rode some miles from the river, but found it impossible to march more than a mile or so. We are encamped in a graveyard and my bunk is a flat tombstone; the men sleep on top of the graves to keep them out of the water. The division is encamped along the levee, as it is the only place that is dry. The whole division remained in camp on the plantation while General Quimby went down to Lake Providence for further orders. He returned on the night of the 6th with orders to re-embark on board the same transport and steam up the river for Helena. I understand that our destination from Helena is to go through the Yazoo Pass from the Mississippi to the Yazoo River, then down the river to the rear of Vicksburg and try to cut the railroad leading from Jackson to Vicksburg. Our pilots say it is impossible and impracticable, but we are bound to try. The Yazoo is considered one of the most sickly regions in the South. Its name signifies "River of Death," but I trust the high state of water may relieve it of its unhealthy propensities and spare us our men. We were glad we had not to undertake our march, as it would have resulted in using our men for no purpose, as progress would have been next to impossible. I rode out myself to see what the country was like and got mired several times. Once I thought I should have to abandon my horse, but after hard work he succeeded in extricating himself. Had he not been so powerful I fear he would have had to succumb. On Sunday, the 8th, we had religious service on board the transport in the cabin; there was a general attendance. Captain Whittle of G Company is the leading spirit with the chaplain in all religious services. He is a brave, good man.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 9

Brigadier-General Elias S. Dennis to Lieutenant-Colonel John A. Rawlins, June 13, 1863

HDQRS. DISTRICT OF NORTHEASTERN LOUISIANA,        

Young's Point, La., June 13, 1863.

COLONEL: I have the honor to inform you that an attack was made on Lake Providence, La., June 9, 1863, by a rebel force of about 600 strong—the Thirteenth Texas Infantry [Cavalry] and 200 mounted men of the Thirteenth Louisiana Battalion. They were met by two companies of the First Kansas Mounted Infantry, 6 miles from town, and skirmishing kept up until the rebel force reached Bayou Tensas, 1 mile from town, where they were met by General Reid's entire force, about 800 strong, including 300 of the [Eighth] Louisiana Regiment, African descent, under Colonel [Hiram] Scofield.

The mounted companies fell back behind the bayou, destroying the bridge, when the enemy formed in line of battle, advanced their skirmishers to the bayou, and planted a 6-pounder so as to command the bridge, which they attempted to reconstruct, but were prevented by our skirmishers. A heavy force of skirmishers was then sent forward to meet their whole line on the bayou, and, after a brisk fire of an hour and a half, the rebels retreated (it being dark) to Floyd, leaving only a small force near the bayou. General Reid then withdrew the skirmishers and ordered the Eighth Louisiana in line of battle up to the bayou. They fired four volleys into the rebels, which forced them to retire.

The entire force of the enemy was commanded by Colonel [Frank A.] Bartlett, of the Thirteenth Louisiana Battalion, who has for some time past been stationed west of Bayou Macon.

The only mischief done by the enemy, so far as heard from, is the destruction of a cotton-gin at Spencer's plantation.

We have 1 man wounded. The enemy's loss is 2 killed and 5 wounded.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, yours, &c.,

ELIAS S. DENNIS,        

Brigadier-Genera1.

Lieut. Col. JOHN A. RAWLINS,
        Assistant Adjutant-General.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 24, Part 2 (Serial No. 37), p. 448-9

Colonel Hiram Scofield* to Asst. Adjt., District of Northeastern Louisiana, July 19,1863

[July 19,1863]

Enclosed you will please find the statements of officers of this Regmient [sic] with regard to a matter the investigation of which has been made ordered by Maj Genl Grant—I refer to the charge of the exercise of undue means to on the part of an officer of this Regmient to procure recruits from the 'Duncan Plantations' In justice to the officer—now deceased having lost his life from wounds received in defence of his country—it is due me to say there was no better officer in the regiment & his personal appearance and known character in the Regmient would go far to disprove any charge of the kind I was with the Regmient at or about the time the recruits were received into the Regmient— concerning the means of getting which there is complaint—no complaints were made to me as it would seem to me there would have been had they (men) been forced into the regmient against their will—for the men were always very free to lay all their complaints before me The negro race—as every one acquainted with it knows—has very strong attachments for family—and a negro will risk his liberty and life for his family—The men now connected with this Regmient are absent from their families and are feeling very desirous of seeing them as they have been unable to do for since the Regmient left Lake Providence—the result is that they will resort to almost any means to get back to see them and in my opinion this motive went far to cause them to make the declarations they did as to their being forced into the service[.]

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* Of the 8th Louisiana Volunteer Infantry of African Descent.

SOURCE: John Y. Simon, Editor, The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, Volume 9, p. 40

Diary of Gideon Welles: Wednesday, February 18, 1863

Have a long dispatch from Admiral Porter relative to operations on the Mississippi, a cut at the Delta between Helena and the Yazoo on the east, and at Lake Providence into Tensas on the west.

SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 1: 1861 – March 30, 1864, p. 238

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Monday, August 24, 1863

Spending the night here we started early this morning and moved on to Bayou Mason only seven miles further on. Here we remained during the balance of the day and for the night. There being no bridge, we had to wade the bayou to enter the town. Our cavalry routed about one hundred and fifty of the rebels in a camp on the west bank of the bayou. Most of our way today was shaded by forest trees. The country here is low and heavily timbered with cypress and the ground is covered with masses of palm leaf. We noticed driftwood high up in the trees, some forty or fifty feet, and were told by the natives that it was carried there last winter when the "Yanks" cut the levee up at Lake Providence, flooding the whole country. So we were permitted to see some of the results of our attempt at directing the waters of the Mississippi.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 137