Brigadier-General Ulysses S. Grant to Brigadier-General George W. Cullum, February 15, 1862

Head Quarters, Army in the Field

Camp Near Fort Donelson, Feb.y 15th 1862

GEN. G. W. CULLUM

CHIIEF OF STAFF, DEPT. OF THE MO.

CAIRO ILL.

GEN.

I hope you will direct Capt. Turnley to forward the transportation belonging to the troops here as rapidly as possible.  It is now almost impossible to get supplies from the landing to where our troops are.

We will soon want ammunition for our 10 & 20 pound Parrot guns; already require it for the 24 pound howitzers. and

I have directed my ordnance officer to keep a constant watch upon the supply of ammunition and take steps in time to avoid a deficiency.

Appearances now indicate that we will have a protracted siege here.  The ground is very broken and the fallen timber extending far out from the breast works I fear the result of attempting to carry the place by storm and with raw troops.  I feel great confidance however of ultimately reducing the place.  As yet I have had no batteries thrown up hoping with the aid of the Gunboats to obviate the necessity.  The present high water has prevented my extending the right to the river.  Col. Webster is now making a reconnoissance with the view of sending a force above the town of Dover to occupy the river bank.

Please inform Gen. Halleck the substance of this.

Respectfully

your obt. svt.

U. S. GRANT

Brig. Gen.

SOURCE: John Y. Simon & William M. Ferraro, Editors, The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, Volume 4: January 8-March 31, 1862, p. 212-3

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: August 23, 1863

Dispatches from Charleston, yesterday, brought the melancholy intelligence that Fort Sumter is but little more than a pile of rubbish. The fall of this fort caused my wife a hearty cry — and she cried when Beauregard reduced it in 1861: not because he did it, but because it was the initiation of a terrible war. She hoped that the separation would be permitted to pass without bloodshed.

To-day we have a dispatch from Beauregard, stating the extraordinary fact that the enemy's batteries, since the demolition of Sumter, have thrown shell, from their Parrott guns, into the city — a distance of five and a half miles! This decides the fate of Charleston; for they are making regular approaches to batteries Wagner and Gregg, which, of course, will fall. The other batteries Beauregard provided to render the upper end of the island untenable, cannot withstand, I fear, the enginery of the enemy.

If the government had sent the long-range guns of large caliber when so urgently called for by Beauregard, and if it had not sent away the best troops against the remonstrances of Beauregard, the people are saying, no lodgment could have been made on Morris Island by the enemy, and Sumter and Charleston would have been saved for at least another year.

At all events, it is quite probable, now, that all the forts and cities on the seaboard (Mobile, Savannah, Wilmington, Richmond) must succumb to the mighty engines of the enemy; and our gunboats, built and in process of completion, will be lost. Richmond, it is apprehended, must fall when the enemy again approaches within four or five miles of it; and Wilmington can be taken from the rear, as well as by water, for no forts can withstand the Parrott guns.

Then there will be an end of blockade-running; and we must flee to the mountains, and such interior fastnesses as will be impracticable for the use of these long-range guns. Man must confront man in the deadly conflict, and the war can be protracted until the government of the North passes out of the hands of the Abolitionists. We shall suffer immensely; but in the end we shall be free.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p. 22-3

Diary of Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Sunday, March 29, 1863

Last night Lieutenant Austin came into camp with thirty-three men and two guns; a ten-pound Parrott and a three-inch Rebel gun captured by Colonel Crook at Lewisburg last summer. Cleared off cold last night; a strong northwest wind all night and today; bitterly cold. No fun in tent life in such weather. Rumors of the fight at Hurricane Bridge represent the Rebels as Jenkins' men, four hundred to seven hundred strong.

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 399

Abraham Lincoln to Major-General George B. McClellan, May 1, 1862

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

Washington, May 1, 1862.

Major-General McCLELLAN:

Your call for Parrott guns from Washington alarms me, chiefly because it argues indefinite procrastination. Is anything to be done?

A. LINCOLN.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 11, Part 3 (Serial No. 14), p. 130

Major-General George B. McClellan to Abraham Lincoln, May 1, 1862

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

Camp Winfield Scott, May 1, 1862 — 9.30 p.m.

His Excellency the PRESIDENT, Washington, D.C.:

I asked for the Parrott guns from Washington for the reason that some expected had been two weeks nearly on the way, and could not be heard from. They arrived last night. My arrangements had been made for them, and I thought time might be saved by getting others from Washington. My object was to hasten, not procrastinate. All is being done that human labor can accomplish.*

G. B. McCLELLAN,

Major-General.

_______________

* This in reply to Lincoln's dispatch of May 1, Vol. XI, Part III, p. 130.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 51, Part 1 (Serial No. 107), p. 589

Diary of John Hay: February 2, 1864

The enemy's fire was getting pretty warm. They had the range perfectly; most of the shell burst in or over the works; but the men were so well protected that all the time we were there but three were hit, and they were said to be imprudent. The men dodged and broke to cover at the flashing of the enemy's battery, but the officers exposed themselves with perfect insouciance.

The shells had singular voices. Some screamed frightfully; some had a regular musical note like Chu-chu-weechu-weechu-brrr; and each of the fragments a wicked little whistle of its own. Many struck in the black, marshy mud behind us, burying themselves, and casting a malodorous shower into the air. Others burrowed in the sand. One struck the face of Chatfield, while I was standing on the parapet, with a heavy thud, and in a moment afterward threw a cloud of sand into the air. I often saw in the air a shell bursting, — fierce, jagged white lines darting out first, like javelins — then the flowering of the awful bud into full bloom, — all in the dead silence of the upper air; — the crack and the whistle of the fragments.

Col. Drayton took us to see the great 300 pounder Parrot. At a very little distance, an ugly-looking hole where a shell had just burst; — beside the gun traces in the sand of hasty trampling and wagon-wheels; — dark stains soaking into the sand; — a poor fellow had just had his leg taken off by a piece of a shell.

I saw them putting a crushed and mangled mass into an ambulance. He was still and pale. The driver started off at a merry trot. A captain said: — “D[amn] you, drive that thing slower!”

Two or three young fellows were playing with their horses in the parade. The horses joining in the fun threw riders over their heads and started off.

The ill-starred boat got badly pounded, her machinery and works battered in. She seemed sinking before we left. The navy were off nearly two miles, but still made passable shooting. Their ricochet shots, however, were generally failures.

With a good glass we could see a good many anxious spectators on the rebel side.

Chatfield to boat, 2,600 yards.

Wagner to boat 3,000 yards

Monitors, 2 miles.

We walked back on the beach to Wagner. A shell exploded close behind us. I made a bad dodge. Walked all over Wagner and got a sympathetic view of the whole affair.

SOURCES: Clara B. Hay, Letters of John Hay and Extracts from Diary, Volume 1, p. 160-2

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Tuesday, April 4, 1865

Mail was to leave the camp at 12 today; sat down to write a letter before I was ½ through was detailed to take charge of a squad of 30 men with spades for fatigue & report with them at Div Hd. qtrs. I reported with the detail at 11. A. M. some mistake had been made with reference to the detail as the A. A. G. expicted my detail to have axes. waited with the men until he rode to Brig. Hd. qtrs to ascertain how the mistake had occurred, he returned at 12, M. & ordered me to report at a two gun battery. on the left & near Spanish fort. I found the battery & put the men to work to finish it. The 1st Ind heavy Artilery mount 2 30 lb Parrots here while we are at work. These guns are intended to play on the Rebel water battery which annoys us more than all their other guns, while we were at work a staff officer rode around giving orders for all the batteries around the whole line to open out at 5 P. M. & fire 40 ronds to each gun, with intervals of 3 mins. finished the battery a little before 4. but had to hold the detail to tear down a breastwork in front of it which was to come down just before time to open out, at 20 mins before 5 Capt of Battery ordered the work down, men all worked lively as there was danger of the Rebs firing on the party, two men having been wounded here yesterday. Just 3 mins before 5 finished that job & falling the men in started for camp about ¾ mile distant & if the Rebs replied to our batteries in point blank range, had not advanced from the battery more than 200 yds until the whole part of our line was ablaze, walked fast to camp. Rebs did not reply & no accidents occurred. after arrived in camp the Jonnies lifted a few shot over, they tried to sharpshoot our gunners from their fort & sent the balls uncomfortably close. The 33d Mo. & 35th Iowa & 12th Iowa moved in this evening again to our camp our Brig is ordered to the left to fill the places of these Regts. At 8. P. M. fall in & move in the darkness with a little sprinkle of rain 1 mile to the left of our camp, find very poor quarters, lie down almost anywhere for the night.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 583-4

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Tuesday, March 28, 1865

Working parties return at daylight at which time the ball opens again The Enemy were reinforcing last night from Mobile, a little bolder & give us a shell occasionally & quite a no of minnie balls fly over our heads, one of the 35th Iowa is killed in camp near us while packing his Knapsacks At 9.30 Cos. "G" & "B" ordered out as sharpshooters & skirmishers had to advance 100 yds through fallen timber exposed to the fire of the enemy, while advancing, Martin Walraven was wounded in the right fore arm. gain our position within 100 yds of the Fort & throw up earth works to protect us, were relieved at 3.30 by co K, in coming away John Mety, is wounded in the left shoulder & Jo. Dungan in the back passing into the thigh, K Co is to stay until morning. Our Gunboats get up close enough to lift a few shells into the main fort this P. M. When this is seen the boys raise a shout for we all depend a great deal on the Monitors. All the Regts build earthworks from 6 to 10 ft. high to camp behind, 1 man of the 50th Ind Killed by a shell while in camp some guns in our camp broken by a shell. The 1st Ind heavy artillery is reported to have arrived at the landing with 72. Mortors & heavy Parrot guns. It is rumored that our gunboats sunk one & disabled one transport for the enemy. 4 rockets sent up from the fort & it is rumored that the Infty is being transported to Mobile.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 581

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Friday, March 31, 1865

Rested tolerably last night, At 8. A M. The batteries open on the Forts & keep up a vigorous shelling for 3 hours. P. M. the felled timber front of the forts where our skirmish line is gets on fire. Rebs open on them with shell & small arms. Could not see how the skirmishers could stand the heat & firing but they did it nobly, firing became so heavy at 6. P. M. the men were ordered to arms Co G. was ordered to the forward rifle pits to reinforce Co. B as a support to the skirmishers, Capt Ledyard was on duty as Brig off of the day, which left me in comd of the co. I took them down on the double quick although almost too week to stand. The bullets whistled thick arond but no one was struck. At 11. P. M. the heavy firing ceased & I reed orders to keep my co in the pits all night. I hear of several men being killed but none from our Regt, hear a report that on our right Smith with some of the heavy Parrots disables one of the Enemy's gunboat & drives another off 2 miles, one battery of heavy guns on our left is silenced by the fire save the main Fort. It is rumored that Thomas has made connection with Steele. The Gunboats advance slowly taking out the torpedos, advanced about 100 yds and that Genl Maury commands at Mobile & Genl Gibson at Spanish Fort. We rec mail today one from cous John who is with Thomas & says under date of 10th Feb that the comd was preparing for an expedition against Mobile.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 582