Diary of 5th Sergeant Osborn H. Oldroyd: May 18, 1863

Sherman's men inflating rubber pontoon on which to cross Big Black River.

The army last night made pontoons, on which this morning the Black River has been crossed. McClernand is on the left, McPherson in the center, and Sherman on the right. In this position the three great corps will move to Vicksburg by different roads. We are nearing the doomed city, and are now on the lookout for fun.

As we crossed the river and marched up the bank, a brass band stood playing national airs. O, how proud we felt as we marched through the rebel works, and up to the muzzles of the abandoned guns that had been planted to stay our progress. Every man felt the combined Confederate army could not keep us out of Vicksburg. It was a grand sight, the long lines of infantry moving over the pontoons, and winding their way up the bluffs, with flags flying in the breeze, and the morning sun glancing upon the guns as they lay across the shoulders of the boys. Cheer after cheer went up in welcome and triumph from the thousands who had already crossed and stood in waiting lines upon the bluff above. This is supposed to be the last halting place before we knock for admittance at our goal—the boosted Gibraltar of the west.

Our division has made a long march to-day, and we have bivouaced for the night without supper, and with no prospect of breakfast, for our rations have been entirely exhausted. Murmurings and complaints are loud and deep, and the swearing fully up to the army standard. General Leggett walked into our camp, and in his usual happy way inquired, “Well, boys, have you had your supper?” “No, General, we have not had any.” “Well, boys, I have not had any either, and we shall probably have to fight for our breakfast.” “Very well, General; guess we can stand it as well as you,” came the ready answer from a score of us, and resignation settled back upon the features of tired and hungry, but unsubdued, patriot soldiers.

“You may study the hopeful, bright brows of these men,

Who have marched all day over hill and through glen,

Half clad and unfed; but who is it will dare

Claim to find on those faces one trace of despair?”

SOURCE: Osborn Hamiline Oldroyd, A Soldier's Story of the Siege of Vicksburg, p. 26-7

Diary of Corporal Alexander G. Downing: Thursday, June 23, 1864

We were up all night throwing up breastworks, finishing them about noon today. The rebels opened up their battery on Little Kenesaw mountain, but did no harm. General Leggett on the right made a demonstration before the rebel lines, but was not engaged and soon fell back again.¹ All is quiet on the right. The Sixteenth Corps was ordered out on an expedition with fifteen days' rations, but we do not know their destination. We received orders to be ready to march at a moment's warning, with two days' rations. William Cross of Company E returned from the hospital after an absence of ten months.

_______________

¹ I remember quite distinctly seeing General Sherman with his staff officers riding along our lines, taking in the lay of the country. They had just passed by where I was stationed, when they halted near one of our batteries and began using their field glasses, taking a view of the enemy's lines. At that same time a Confederate general with his staff rode out of the timber upon an open knoll to take a view of our lines with their glasses. This was too good a chance for our battery, so the gunners, taking good aim, fired five or six shots at the mark, and one of them hit and killed the Confederate general, who the signal corps reported was a General Pope. Our signal corps had learned the signs of the Confederate signal service and at once reported the facts. The Confederates claimed that General Sherman himself had aimed the shot which killed their general, but such is not the case. — A. G. D.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 200

Diary of Corporal Alexander G. Downing: Thursday, June 16, 1864

Skirmishing commenced again early this morning. The rebel batteries off on the left would fire a round or two and just as soon as our guns would open on them they would stop firing. General Leggett's Division on the left drove the rebels back about a mile, and there was some very heavy cannonading in the afternoon on the right, where it is reported that General Thomas made a charge on the rebels' left, around the rear and got possession of Pine Hills. It was reported that at one point a rebel regiment, the Forty-third Mississippi, was ordered to make a charge on our lines and when they started their colonel ordered them to reverse arms, and they came marching right into our lines, surrendering themselves as prisoners of war. While our men were making demonstrations all along the line yesterday, about one thousand rebels were taken prisoners, some of them surrendering without firing a gun. They said that there was a great discontent in the ranks of their army around Atlanta: that they were tired of continually falling back, and that many had come to the conclusion that the war on their part could be nothing else than a failure. Company E is lying quiet today. The rough treatment we experienced yesterday was a hard blow to the company, for the loss of nine men from one company in a skirmish line, in less than four hours, does not often happen.¹

_______________

¹ Our losses were as follows: William Alexander, killed; Lieutenant Alfred Carey, mortally wounded; John Zitler, a thumb shot off; Thomas R. McConnell, a minie ball passed through thigh; John Ford, LeRoy Douglas, George G. Main and John Albin, slightly wounded. James Martin, it was thought at the time, had been taken prisoner, but on the fifth day after the skirmish his body was found by an Ohio regiment, lying with the bodies of two Confederate soldiers. They had made Martin a prisoner, it seems, but before they could get to the rear with him, a shell from one of our batteries exploded over them, killing all three. Then, as they were considerably back from our lines, the body was not found until the enemy had fallen back and our army had advanced; besides, our brigade in the meantime had moved two miles to the left.

Martin had both legs cut off by the shell. A captain from the Ohio regiment which had found his body, brought his silver watch, Bible, some letters and other articles found on his person, and turned them over to our captain, informing him how Martin, in all probability, lost his life. — A. G. D.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 197-8

Diary of Private Alexander G. Downing: Friday, February 5, 1864

We left our bivouac this morning at 8 o'clock and moved forward about fifteen miles. General Liggett's Division was assigned the advance today, while our brigade was taken from the supply train and placed immediately in Liggett's rear. General Hurlbut's Division is on a road just off to our left. There was some skirmishing, though with little loss to either side. We drove the rebels out of Clinton this morning and at dark routed them from Jackson, capturing one piece of artillery and some prisoners. We did not get into bivouac until 10 o'clock.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 166