Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Wednesday, April 19, 1865

Revelie at 4. a. m. Div on the road at 6. Lt Cooper tells us our destination is the mouth of the Tombigbee distant about 30 miles. We leave the R. R. at Whistler. Find the marching hard although the Regt was in the advance. We travel about 11. miles & camp near a large & deep creek. Lt Loughridge & I go down to fish but after 3 hours faithful fishing returned to camp with nothing, just after dark hear one report of a cannon. See today the best looking rebel I ever, saw. he was a deserter & was marched by our Regt while we rested. a large close built & splendid looking man. Reported that 8 miles from this camp is a Reb force of 8000. & 12 miles is a U. S. Arsenal at Mt Vernon. The clk of Div Com. says that yesterday a fleet of Gun boats & Transports went up to the mouth of the Tombigby carrying 400.000 rations It is the talk that we will establish a base there & move next to Lt. Stephens, has been a very warm day.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 593

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Friday, April 21, 1865

Has been an unlucky day. begins to rain at 3. A. M. Revelie at 3:30 & Genl sounded at 4. The rain pouring down & no one having breakfast, fortunately our cook had coffee. It rained hard while we loaded the wagons. The Regt moved out at 5. rain slackes up. & we cross a swamp of a mile which much rain would render impassible, it was half knee deep of water as it was. at 6.20. We march through the Arsenal at Mt Vernon no town ½ doz houses within a mile or so, some of them very fine and nice flower gardens. The Arsenal was deserted is a much finer gronds & buildings than the Little Rock Arsenal & all in good repair, is enclosed by a thick wall of Brick 10 ft high. begins to rain as hard as I ever experienced as we pass through this Arsenal, & keeps it up almost incessantly until 2. P. M. creeks & sloughs from 2 to 3 ft deep & all have to wade. No dry feet in this army. The pine flats are covered with water 6 inches deep. Camp at 12. at Monroe-hubbah bluffs, on the Tombigbee R. I am detailed for picket. & by the time I am on post is 2. P. M. & the rain ceases, build up large fires & dry off. The 29th Iowa send in for rations from the Arsenal where they are left with one section (2 pieces) of artilery. I send to camp for my supper, & as soon as it is night make arrangements with the non commissioned offs. to run the guard & lie down for a nap & sleep.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, pp. 593-4

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Saturday, June 14, 1862

Our regiment* mounted and moved out toward Marietta, at which place they halted for the night.

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* As I was badly poisoned with poison oak vine I did not go on the above named scout, but remained with the wagons, which, for safety, were moved about seven miles nearer the railroad, where they remained until the 16th; then they were moved back and met the regiment near the old camp, half mile west of the Tombigbee.

About this time General Beauregard went to Bladen Springs, Alabama, on account of ill health, leaving General Bragg in command of the army, now in the vicinity of Tupelo, Mississippi, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 199

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Sunday, June 15, 1862

After moving on up within ten miles of Jacinto (about thirty from camps) Colonel Barteau learned that the Federals were at Marietta, in his rear. Thinking that they were attempting to cut him off, and if possible capture his whole regiment, he turned to the right, crossed the Tombigbee, and came down on the east side to Fulton, where he remained for the night. Colonel Barteau thus gave the Federals a complete dodge, and returned unmolested.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 200

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Monday, June 16, 1862

The regiment crossed the river and encamped half mile from it. They reported that the Federals were moving east toward Chattanooga in large force.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 200

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Tuesday, June 17, 1862

The regiment recrossed the river and encamped in sight of Fulton, in a beautiful bottom on the west side of town.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 200

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Saturday, June 21, 1862

A number of our regiment went to preaching in Fulton. News coming to church that the Federals were not far off, and moving in the direction of Fulton, we did not remain to hear that preacher bring his remarks to a close, but went to camps in haste to prepare to receive the enemy. However, in place of coming to Fulton, the Federals crossed Tombigbee some distance above Fulton, cutting off Major Morton's scout from camps.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 200

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock, Sunday, June 22, 1862

The Federal scout, said to be about one hundred and ten, turned, recrossed Tombigbee, and went back through Marietta. Morton returned to camps in the evening without having any collision with the enemy.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 201

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Sunday, June 8, 1862

After a march of about seventeen miles on the Fulton road, we camped within a few hundred yards of the Tombigbee River, near where Colonel Bennett's Battalion was camped.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 174

Diary of 2nd Sergeant Richard R. Hancock: Monday, June 9, 1862

We moved about two hundred yards and encamped on the bank of the Tombigbee. Our wagons were brought out to us, loaded with corn, provisions and cooking vessels. Our tents were left at the railroad. Our wagons had not been with us, except two nights at Booneville, since they left us at Jacinto (May 5th).

Fulton, the county seat of Itawamba County, was about one mile from our camp, on the east side of the Tombigbeę, and about twenty-one miles from Marietta.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 174-5

Diary of Gideon Welles: Tuesday, January 9, 1866

The Freedmen's Bureau wants three boats which are on the Tombigbee. They were blockade-runners which were ordered to be turned over to the Navy, but they are not naval captures. The Freedmen's Bureau has no funds. This is an indirect way of obtaining means, as wrong as the Bureau scheme itself. I think it would be better to go direct to Congress for money. If, however, the President rescinds the order turning over those boats, the Navy Department cannot interfere or object. The boats are strictly abandoned property and fall within the scope of the Treasury. The last three days have been severely cold.

SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 2: April 1, 1864 — December 31, 1866, p. 413

Diary of 1st Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Saturday, May 13, 1865

Confined to camp all day on act. of my leg. No news of any kind in but rumored that Jeff Davis is across the Missippi, One Regt go on the cars to Meridian today. (The 43d Ind, I believe), a steamboat took fire at the wharf & burned today, yesterday at the dinner table at the Battle House it so happened that a federal officer sat between two confed officers, pie was placed on the table on plates one to each man, one of the Jonnies who I suppose had been a long time without such luxuries having eaten all on his plate spoke to the other, saying “If you are not going to eat all your pie pass it to me.” The other Mr. Jonnie seems had us deep an affection for the good things as his comrade & instead of handing his own pie handed that of the Federal officer, who said not a word at the table of the insult, but dinner over as the Co. was going down stairs the federal officer struck the Reb a blow that laid him out in a state “Hors du combat,” I guess the Jonnies will learn that the Yankees know which party holds the highest cards. The excellent treatment they receive makes them bold & insolent. The Reb Gunboats arrived out of the Tombigbee last night. Times are dull & nothing doing of interest, Mr. Teft formerly a plasterer at Pelia, was all day in our camp with a portable museum, leg well enough to take a short walk this evening.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 601