Private John C. West to Mary Stark West, May 30, 1863

CAMP ON THE RAPIDAN,        

MAY 30TH, 1863.

MY PRECIOUS WIFE:

I write you a few lines by an Irishman who has just gotten a discharge from our regiment. I merely write to take the chance of letting you know that I am well and well satisfied. I am afraid that the Irishman will get drunk and lose this, so I have no heart to write you as fully as I would wish, besides I have only a few moments to write in.

We are five miles from the rest of the brigade on picket duty at Raccoon Ford. All of our company are doing well except Allen Killingsworth, who is sick at a private house about five miles off. He is getting better. I have written you a great many letters, and trust that this may reach you safely. Your daguerreotype is a great consolation to me; I look at it every day and remember the 49th Chapter and 11th verse of Jeremiah and feel satisfied, although a letter from home would be a great pleasure to me. I have nothing with me but the clothes on my back and a change of underclothing. I trust that our affairs may so result at Vicksburg as to leave the way open for you to make a visit to Columbia. I have laid out the plan for you in three or four letters. The principal features are for you not to go more than $500.00 in debt, and to leave the servants at home; to get a good escort to Jackson, and as much farther as you can, and then trust to conductors and your own good sense the rest of the way. You need not make or send anything to me as I am unable to march with it, and will have to throw it away. Mother gave me a nice pair of pants; they were cut out and made for $1.50. Lamar was taken prisoner and Gillespie Thornwell killed about three weeks ago. Lamar has been exchanged and is now with his command. Kiss the little darlings for me. I missed the pleasure of seeing Mac in Columbia; she had gone to Charleston. Tell the servants howdy for me, and tell them I say, obey you. Don't forget Stark's lessons.

Your husband, faithfully ever,

JOHN C. WEST.

SOURCE: John Camden West, A Texan in Search of a Fight: Being the Diary and Letters of a Private Soldier in Hood’s Texas Brigade, pp. 68-9

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, Monday, June 1, 1863

Weather very warm. Men engaged in building roads through the ravines to connect the different camps. Our rations are now all right, getting them by steamer from the North to Yazoo River, and then teaming them across Chickasaw Bayou to our camps. Men in good spirits and prefer the spade and pick to charging breastworks.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 17

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 2, 1863

A large fire in Vicksburg last night. An attack was made on our left, but easily repulsed.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 17

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 3, 1863

I was much interested today in watching a number of Indians that belong to the 14th Wisconsin, acting as sharpshooters. Every day the best shots are detailed to act as sharpshooters to keep the enemy from using their cannon on our working parties and the riflemen from picking the men off. These Indians had fixed their heads with leaves in such a way that you could not tell them. They would creep on their bellies a little distance, then keep quiet, then move ahead until they could get the position they were after, which was generally a log, behind which they could lie without very much exposure. They silenced the rebel cannon in front almost entirely.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 17

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 4, 1863

Messrs. Underwood and Seeley of the Chicago Board of Trade and Y. M. C. A., arrived from Chicago today. Visited the rifle pits with them. Battery A, Chicago Light Artillery, did some firing for them, throwing shells with great precision at the rebel works. A poor mule was killed at the distance of a mile by a shell.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 17

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 5, 1863

Siege life can be made monotonous or otherwise, as you wish. A visit to the outworks is always interesting, and to see the devices the men use in trying to get a Reb to put his head above their works, is very amusing. Holding their caps on the end of their guns or fixing a coat so that the arm can be seen, and the Reb, thinking it is a Yank, blazes away at him while our boys go for him.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 17

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 6, 1863

The navy have several mortar-boats in position on the Mississippi River, and it is a very interesting sight to watch their shells in the night time go sailing through the air, sometimes bursting way up high, and at other times just before reaching the ground. I never appreciated the words of our glorious National anthem until now, where it says, "And the bombs bursting in air," etc.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 17

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, Sunday, June 7, 1863

Had religious service today. Men are pious when danger threatens, but somewhat lax when it is passed.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 17

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 8-16, 1863

The usual cannonading; trench work and mining going on. Had a splendid rain on the 10th which was enjoyed by all. Weather cool and pleasant.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 18

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 17, 1863

The siege is progressing slowly but surely. We are making gradual approaches and are now within one hundred feet of the enemy's works. The work is done by the men rolling in front of them a large gabion filled with earth so as to keep the rebel sharp-shooters from picking them off. They then dig a trench throwing the dirt up on both sides; at times men are killed; one of our men, a sergeant in Co. B, has just been brought in killed in the advance rifle pit. He was shot through the head and killed instantly. Such an occurrence makes the men careful but they soon grow careless again. The Rebs are throwing shells into our camp, pieces fall in close proximity to our quarters. Their sharp-shooters are constantly on the watch for a chance to pick us off. I was riding along the other day to see the works on our left and stopped for a moment, when a bullet struck at the feet of my horse's front legs and in a second more two or three others in close proximity. I changed my position. No one can form any idea of the extent of their works, reaching a distance of eighteen miles, completely encircling Vicksburg. Quite a number of our wounded men have died since they have left to go North. The severity of the wounds is proven by the fact that there were over fifty amputations of arms and legs in our brigade alone.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 18

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 18-19, 1863

Nothing of importance or interest occurred.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 18

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 20, 1863

Drawn up in line of battle at 4 o'clock this morning. Heavy cannonading along our whole line of works. I presume if there had been any chance for a charge we could have had it. Firing continued about an hour. A rebel deserter was brought into our lines yesterday and gave some information which may have caused the firing.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 18

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 21, 1863

Paymaster Frazer paid the regiment to May 1. This made the men feel good and put us all in good humor with Uncle Sam. Sutlers are here now with the good things of this life in the way of canned fruits, cheese, butter, etc., etc., and are doing a thriving business. Many of the men send all the money they can spare to their families at home.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 18

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 22, 1863

Having had some business with the Colonel of the 12th Wisconsin which is stationed on our extreme right in Sherman's corps, and as near the river as we can get, he advised me to go over to where the gun boat Cincinnati was sunk in the Mississippi and from where you could get a splendid view of Vicksburg. He offered me his field glass and off I started. There was considerable danger in going as you have to cross an open plain which exposed you to the fire of the rebel sharp-shooters if you were on horseback, but if you went on foot the rifle pits protected you. I went on horseback and was fired at several times but escaped. I was fully repaid for my trouble and risk and staid over two hours. The Cincinnati was sunk by the rebel batteries and lies partly submerged near the shore. I went on board of her and while there a rebel shell struck the water about ten feet from the boat. Vicksburg was in full view; there laid the city to gain, and which thousands of lives had been sacrificed, and doubtless thousands more before we could capture it. I could see General Pemberton's, the rebel commander's headquarters, their hospitals, the court house and other public buildings, and had a full sight of their water batteries. I started back home fully satisfied with my visit, dined with the Colonel and started for camp at once.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 18

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 23-24, 1863

Weather very hot.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 18

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 25, 1863

For some time General Logan's division of McPherson's corps had been mining under the rebel Fort Hill, one of the most prominent works and one capable of doing us a good deal of mischief. It was decided to explode the mine today and if the breach was sufficient, to go in as far as possible. We were all drawn up in line of battle to assist Logan or make a diversion in his favor if need be while all the batteries were to open on the rebel works to keep them engaged. He had 2200 pounds of powder in barrels in the mine but their fort was a strong one being at least twenty-four feet thick, of clay and sand. About four o'clock the mine was fired and was in a measure a success. There was no noise but an immense cloud of dirt, interspersed with bodies of men, thrown high in the air. At the same time firing from batteries and rifle pits was tremendous. Our men—the 45th Illinois—rushed into the breach which was made, but a partition of earth some three or four feet thick was blown up, over which our men fought all afternoon and night. Numbers were killed and wounded on both sides, but they held their ground. At night our regiment was ordered out to the advance works in our front, and which was not more than 40 feet from their works, where we remained all night and had two men seriously wounded by their hand grenades. To rest was impossible, as shells from our own and rebel batteries passed over our heads every few minutes; sometimes the shells would explode prematurely and the pieces fly among us; our escape was miraculous. We were in direct range of the different batteries; for instance: There were batteries planted at four different corners and we are in the center and the firing at each other, beside the thousands of minie bullets striking all around us, can give one an idea of how we were situated. We (Ransom Brigade) are also mining a fort in our front and will soon have it done. We are some 30 feet under ground now.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, pp. 18-9

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, June 26-30, 1863

Everything quiet; the assault was not successful. Regiment went out on picket duty on the 29th; out for 24 hours. Nothing occurred.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 19

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, July 1, 1863

Regiment under arms all afternoon. Logan exploded another mine. He blew up quite a large portion of their works and a number of rebels—seven lit inside our lines dead; one darky was alive and says he was blown up three miles. No assault made. Our mine not yet ready. Everthing indicates another general assault soon. Rumor says it will be on the 4th of July. Weather exceedingly hot.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 19

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, July 2, 1863

Nothing of interest but all hard at work on their mines and approaches. We are now under their fort and within ten feet of their lines. We have two pieces of artillery which was carried by hand up to our fort which is only a few feet from theirs. All are now expecting to assault.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 19

Diary of Major Joseph Stockton, July 3, 1863

Great excitemenent. Rebels hung out flag of truce and General Grant has gone to meet General Pemberton. All are on the qui-vive to know what the terms are and if Grant will accept or if Pemberton will decline to accept Grant's; if so, look out for bloody work. Rumors are that Grant has given Pemberton until tomorrow to decide on his terms.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 19