Started out at eight
A.M. Crossed the river on a pontoon-bridge, marched through the city, and went
into battery six hundred yards from the enemy. There was a line of battle in
every street in the city, which were strewn with broken furniture, together
with a number of dead rebels.
SOURCE: John Lord
Parker, Henry Wilson's Regiment: History of the Twenty-second
Massachusetts Infantry, the Second Company Sharpshooters and the Third Light
Battery, in the War of the Rebellion, p. 270
We proceed to the
Cape Fear river one mile below town where we remain until noon waiting for the
17th Army Corps to cross, after which General Corse leads his division upon the
long pontoon bridge. After crossing we move on and go into camp two miles from
the river.
SOURCE: abstracted
from Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois
Volunteer Infantry, p. 298-9
Yesterday morning
the brigade left Canton, heading northwest. We made twenty miles and encamped
for the night in a grove convenient to water, badly broken down by the march.
Our division is now composed of five or six brigades of infantry and cavalry,
under acting Major General Walker, and it is in fine fighting spirits. Nothing
of interest on the route yesterday, except the crossing of the Big Black on a
pontoon at 3 o'clock, P. M. To-day we have made about eight miles, and are now
halted in a hot lane awaiting orders. The Forty-first Tennessee is the advance
guard for the division. We have passed the little town of Benton, and are in
eight miles of Yazoo City; by day after to-morrow we expect to meet the enemy.
Besides our own, there are two other columns marching on the enemy, each said
to be fourteen thousand strong, the whole under command of General Joseph E.
Johnston. It is thought to be his intention to fall upon the enemy's rear at
three points, while the Vicksburg garrison assails from the front. I expect
some bloody work, but we are confident of the result.
SOURCE: Edwin L. Drake, Editor, The Annals of the Army of Tennessee and Early Western History, Vol. 1, p. 214-5
Left camp in the vicinity of Yazoo yesterday morning at daylight, and after a hard day's march nearly due south, arrived at the Big Black, which we crossed on a pontoon bridge last night at eight o'clock. This march of twenty-eight miles was the hardest yet made. We bivouaced on the south bank, and spent the rest of the night cooking rations, against leaving at daylight.
SOURCE: Edwin L. Drake, Editor, The Annals of the Army of Tennessee and Early Western History, Vol. 1, p. 215
Left camp at 6
o'clock. Roads in a terrible condition, mud knee deep, marching almost
impossible; artillery stuck in the road, wagons in every conceivable condition.
Crossed the Tallahatchie on a pontoon bridge of a very primitive build, being
composed of trees cut down fastened together with ropes and tied to the shore
with the ropes, small trees were laid crosswise and on this we crossed. The
rebels had quite a strong fort here which would have given us a great deal of
trouble, but Sherman's march on our flank forced Price to abandon it. The roads
on the south side were much better and after a wearisome march of sixteen miles
reached Oxford, Mississippi, at 8 o'clock p. m. I never was so tired and never
saw the men so worn out and fatigued as they were on this day's march. We were
kept over an hour before our camp was located and it seemed as if all dropped
to sleep at once. I could not but think of those at home who are all the time
condemning our generals and armies for not moving with greater rapidity, for
not making forced marches and following up the enemy, when they know nothing
about it. We made quite a parade going through Oxford as it is a place of
considerable importance. Flags were unfurled, bands struck up, bugles sounded,
and men for the time being forgot their fatigue and marched in good order.
Nothing like music to cheer up the men.
SOURCE: Joseph
Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph
Stockton, p. 5-6
Clear, and very cold. We lost
gun-boat Drewry yesterday in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the enemy's
pontoon bridge down the river. Fort Harrison was not taken as reported, nor is
it likely to be.
The rumor of an armistice
remains, nevertheless, and Mr. Blair dined with the President on Sunday, and
has had frequent interviews with him. This is published in the papers, and will
cause the President to be severely censured.
Congress failed to expel Mr.
Foote yesterday (he is off again), not having a two-thirds vote, but censured
him by a decided majority. What will it end in?
No successors yet announced
to Seddon and Campbell—Secretary and Assistant Secretary of War. Perhaps they
can be persuaded to remain.
After all, it appears that
our fleet did not return, but remains down the river; and as the enemy's
gun-boats have been mostly sent to North Carolina, Gen. Lee may give Grant some
trouble. If he destroys the bridges, the Federal troops on this side the river
will be cut off from their main army.
It is said the President has
signed the bill creating a commander-in-chief.
Rev. W. Spottswood Fontaine writes from Greensborough, N. C., that ——— reports that Senator Hunter is in favor of Virginia negotiating a separate peace with the United States, as the other States will probably abandon her to her fate, etc.
I saw Mr. Lyons to-day, who
told me Mr. Hunter dined with him yesterday, and that Gen. Lee took tea with
him last evening, and seemed in good spirits, hope, etc. Mr. Lyons thinks Gen.
Lee was always a thorough emancipationist. He owns no slaves. He (Mr. Lyons)
thinks that using the negroes in the war will be equivalent to universal
emancipation, that not a slave will remain after the President's idea (which he
don't seem to condemn) is expanded and reduced to practice. He favors sending
out a commissioner to Europe for aid, on the basis of emancipation, etc., as a
dernier ressort. He thinks our cause has received most injury from Congress, of
which he is no longer a member.
If it be really so, and if it
were generally known, that Gen. Lee is, and always has been opposed to slavery,
how soon would his great popularity vanish like the mist of the morning! Can it
be possible that he has influenced the President's mind on this subject? Did he
influence the mind of his father-in-law, G. W. Park Custis, to emancipate his
hundreds of slaves? Gen. Lee would have been heir to all, as his wife was an
only child. There's some mistake about it.
The Secretary of State (still
there!) informs the Secretary of War (still here!) that the gold he wrote about
to the President on the 18th inst. for Gen. Hardee and for Mr. Conrad, is ready
and subject to his order.
Four steamers have run into
Charleston with a large amount of commissary stores. This is providential.
SOURCE: John Beauchamp
Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate
States Capital, Volume 2, p. 397-8
We move early this morning and go as far as the Ocmulgee river, where we
go into camp. Two pontoon bridges are now being spanned across the river, one
for the teams and artillery, and the other for infantry. This evening Colonel
Perrin receives orders from General Corse to mount his regiment as fast as
stock can be captured. The order is received by the boys with great delight.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 279
Left here this
morning and passed through Fredericksburg. Crossed the Rappahannock on pontoon
bridges, and got to Belle Plain on the Potomac at 3 o'clock-nineteen miles
to-day. It rained all day, and it is very muddy.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 62
Left at 4 this morning, crossed the river on pontoon bridges. It commenced to hail and rain very hard, and kept it up for two hours. We got very wet. Halted at Cedar Run, marched ten miles, and stayed here until the 21st.
SOURCE: Louis Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 51
Orders read out to-day from our father, R. E. Lee, that we would fight the enemy once more on their own soil, as they were now in our front. That order got to them, and fulfilled its mission, as we were then on our way to the Potomac. They still thinking we could not cross the river, because the river was very high from the recent rains, and we had but one pontoon bridge. At 10 in the night we formed in line of battle, got to our position, when our regiment was ordered to support a battery. Laid on our arms all night.
SOURCE: Louis Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 39-40
No. 235.
Itinerary of the Army of Tennessee.1
November 14 to 20.—Army at Florence, Ala.
November 21.—Left Florence. Encamped to-night at Rawhide.
November 22.—Encamped to-night at the junction of the Waynesborough road with the old Nashville road.
November 23.—Encamped to-night at the iron-works, four miles from Waynesborough.
November 24.—Encamped to-night near Henryville.
November 25.—Moved to Mount Pleasant.
November 26.—Encamped to-night at Andrew Polk's.
November 27.—Crossed over to the Pulaski and Columbia pike and encamped.
November 28.—Part of the army entered Columbia this morning, which was evacuated last night.
November 29.—Army pursuing the enemy.
November 30.—Franklin was attacked at about 3 o'clock this evening. Fighting continued until about 9 o'clock at night. Thirteen general officers killed, wounded, or captured.
December 1.—Army entered Franklin, which was evacuated last night. Troops engaged to-day in burying the dead.
December 2.—Moved within four miles of Nashville and established our lines. Army headquarters at Colonel Overton's, on the Franklin pike.
December 3 to 14.—Army around Nashville. No fighting of importance. Forrest's cavalry and some infantry sent around to Murfreesborough. Some fighting around Murfreesborough, but no results. Two transports with some 300 mules captured on the Cumberland by Chalmers, but the boats were afterward recaptured.
December 15.—Enemy attacked and drove our left in some confusion. Johnson's division, of Lee's corps, and Stewart's corps gave way. Some guns captured by the enemy.
December 16.—Yankees charged our lines and were repulsed. About 3 o'clock the whole line gave way in confusion, losing guns and property, retreating in great disorder to Franklin.
December17.—Army falling back. Headquarters to-night near Spring Hill.
December 18.—Headquarters to-night at Columbia.
December 19.—Headquarters still at Columbia.
December 20.—Moved to Pulaski.
December 23.—Left Pulaski for Bainbridge.
December 24.—Some of the army reached Bainbridge to-day; the rest on the route.
December 25.—Army at and around Bainbridge.
December 26.—Pontoon bridge was completed today and the army commenced crossing. Headquarters at Bainbridge.
December 27.—Headquarters moved to Tuscumbia to-day.
December 28.—Headquarters at Tuscumbia.
December 29.—Moving on toward Corinth.
December 30.—Headquarters at Burnsville, Miss.
December 31.—Headquarters at Burnsville.
January 1, 1865.—Still at Burnsville.
1 Kept by Col. Edwin J. Harvie, assistant inspector-general, C. S. Army.
Everything
valuable to the Rebels has been destroyed, and we are about ready to push on to
Goldsboro. Fayetteville is about a 3,000 town, nearly all on one street. There
was a very fine United States Arsenal burned here, some 20 good buildings, all
of which are "gone up.” The rest of the town is old as the hills. We lay
on the river bank expecting to cross all last night, and finally reached the
bivouac three quarters of a mile from the river just as the troops on this side
were sounding the reveille. This is the 21st river we have pontooned since
leaving Scottsboro, May 1st, '64. It is more like the Tennessee than any other
stream we have crossed. We send from here all the negroes and white refugees
who have been following us, also a large train to Wilmington for supplies. The
number of negroes is estimated at 15,000. Nearly all the population of this
town will go inside our lines. It has rained all day and seems abominably gloomy.
Makes me wish for letters from home. Last night while we were standing around
fires by the river, some scoundrel went up to a negro not 75 yards from us, and
with one whack of a bowie knife, cut the contraband's head one third off,
killing him.
At Goldsboro,
we are promised a short rest. If it were not that the wagons are so nearly worn
out that they must be thoroughly repaired, I don't believe we would get it.
Well, time passes more swiftly in campaigning than in camp. Most of the army
are moved out.
SOURCE:
Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 361-2
Columbia, S. C., February 17th.
The 3d brigade of our division marched all night and worked all night before they could get a cable across the river to string the pontoons, and the bridge was not completed until 10 a. m. There was lively skirmishing all the time. Our division crossed first. The 3d brigade captured 30 Rebels near the crossing. The Mayor came out and surrendered the town to Colonel Stone, commanding our 3d brigade. The division marched through Main street to the Capitol. We were never so well received by citizens before, and the negroes seemed crazy with joy. We halted in the street a few minutes, and the boys loaded themselves with what they wanted. Whiskey and wine flowed like water, and the whole division is now drunk. This gobbling of things so, disgusts me much. I think the city should be burned, but would like to see it done decently.
SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 350
SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 335
HEADQUARTERS DEPT. AND ARMY of THE TENNESSEE.,
GoRDON, GA., November 23d, 1864.
Mayor General Osterhaus, Com'dg 15th
Corps:
I take sincere pleasure in congratulating the Brigade of General Walcutt, of General Wood's Division of the 15th Corps, on its complete sucess in the action of yesterday.
Officers from other commands who were looking on say that there never was a better brigade of soldiers.
I am exceedingly sorry that any of our brave men should fall, and for the suffering of the wounded, the thanks of the army are doubly due to them.
I tender my sympathy through you to the brave and excellent commander of the brigade, Brigadier General Walcutt.
It is hoped that his wound will not disable him.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
O. O. HOWARD,
Major General.
P. S. The loss of the enemy is estimated from 1,500 to 2,000 killed, wounded, and prisoners. O. O. H., M. G.
We lay in camp until 4 p.m., when we started, and after three miles of miserable pine swamp we crossed the Oconee on pontoons. It was dark, but I noticed that the current was rapid and the water looked deep.
