Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, February 13, 1863

At 10 Oc one of our company was marched out between two of our soldiers with Bayonets fixed & in the center of our regment formed in a hollow square he was reprimanded as the centance of a Cort martial held yesterday directed, he was tryed & found guilty of stealing one pare of shoes from the Qr master, I drilled the Co & was on dres perade at 4 Oc PM I had the pleasure of a short interview afternoon with Genls Prentiss, Ross, Fisk & Washburn.

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 109

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, February 14, 1863

4 Oc we ware on Dress perade Genl Fisk was out to se I wrote a letter to my good Brother C E Yeager Keosauqua Iowa. eight full pages of foolscap

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 109

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, Sunday, February 15, 1863

10 Oc I spoke to the contrabands from 1st Epistle General of Peter 1st ch 24 & 25 v. Our Chaplain closed after me we had a good time services out dores 1 Oc I spoke to them from Rev 20th ch 12th v it was the funeral of a black man I presented the alter & over 30 came forward & many ware converted it was a time of great power Evening I spoke to them again out dores, from Matthew 11th 28 & 29 & 30 I invited mourners & near 40 came to the alter & many ware made happy in a Saviours Love, it was a time of great power the behaviour of the soldiers present was excellent, thank God. 4 Oc I was on Dress perade In the afternoon I took a little Boy & Girl Jessey Ann & John Turner Brother & sister, with straight hare & hazel eyes & skin nearly white, live specimens of the boasted institution of the south. I took them about amongst our officers & men, some of whom justify the cruel thing. These ware the chattles of John Woodburn of Madison Ia.¹² & his father old John Woodburn deceased the wench sais is father to the little boy & she sais he promised to free the child, but he was late slave to his half brother

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¹² "Ia." is the old abbreviation for Indiana,

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, pp. 109-10

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, February 16, 1863

9 Oc AM I reported at head quarters as officer of the day, attended guard mount & gave the necessary instructions to the Sergeants & Corporals 1 Oc I went down on the steamer Emma to see Cozen Albert Aflick Capt of Co A 12 Mo Inft had a short pleasant chat. I then went on to the steamer Imperial Head Quarters of this post, to see Genl Prentiss had a short interview with him & acomplished my mission. I then went to the provo Marshal attended to some buisness & then had an interview with Judge

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 110

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, February 17, 1863

9 Oc I attended guard mount & dismissed my old guard & delivered my report, I broke the crystle out of my watch & went to town through the raine & got one in, at 50 cts. 4 Oc we ware on dress perade. afternoon Capt Albert Aflick of Co A 12th Mo came up & was to se us on dress perade he speaks verry flattering of our Reg. he amused us with interesting incidents of their fighting, especilly of Pea Ridge, he only lost one man out of his Co at Vicksburg, he staid all night with us & shared my bunk with me. we had a pleasant time.

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 110

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, February 18, 1863

4 Oc we ware on dress perade there ware some Resolutions gotten up by the field Officers of the Iowa Reg at this place read & a vote taken on them, every commissioned officer voted for them & all the men of Our Reg except about ten & over half of them was in our Co Seargt A I Boston Corp's Lowery & Willis Higgenbothan Privates John R & William C Hodge, they are brothers. Phillips the Iowa Regts are all to vote on them & they are to be sent to Iowa papers to be published.¹³ Also an order by Genl Gorman against gambling by Officers or men & also an order by Genl Fisk for us to hold ourselves in rediness to march aboard the packets in short notice

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¹³ For text of these resolutions, see Burlington Hawkeye, March 2, 1863, p. 2, col. 5. (In the newspaper collection of the Historical, Memorial and Art Department of Iowa.)

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 110

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, February 19, 1863

I washed some & done a little tailoring in the way of mending some rents in my Cloths evening I attended meeting in our log Chapple the Chaplain of the 46th Iowa opened the exersizes he took no text, gave us a good talk he is an Old Baptist Brother. Rob is the name. Our Chaplain followed & commenced a general speaking we had a good time bless the good Lord Wm. Pearson Co K 29 Iowa Inftn died in hospital in Helena Arkansas I believe he was from Guthrie Co Iowa & is son of John Pearson & is remotely connected to me

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, pp. 110-1

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, February 20, 1863

Coz Albert Aflick & his Lieut Col came up & spent an hour with us, forenoon and insisted on Capt Fee & I going down & dining with them & to be Sociable at noon we went down on board the steamer Emma & partook heartily of their good things, Afternoon Albert came up & spent a social hour with us, after which I went to Genl Washburns head Quarters, next to Genl Rosses head quarters & then to Genl Fisks, head Quarters at 4 Oc we ware on Dress perade & Genl Fisk & Lady ware out to see us

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 111

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, February 21, 1863

Lieut Wm M McCreary came down this morning he has been absent from us since December We ware on Dress perade at 4 Oc in the raine & mud, there was heavy thunder & lightning this day I recd a letter from my Daughter & bless the Lord my son is recovering.

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 111

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, Sunday, February 22, 1863

This has been a day of thrilling interest to the soldiers here in Helena Arkansas, & I think to all the soldiers of the union this the birthday of Washington, How can traitors hold up their gilty heads this day. At 2 Oc a large asemblage of soldiers met in fort Curtis to have a patriotic religious time. Mrs Genl Fisk the only female that grased the meeting, took part in the singing. A J Kynett of Iowa opened the exersizes with an able prayer, M. H Hare read the 24th Psalm Genl Fisk then read som extracts from Washingtons Farewell address & his speeches & made some warm & apropriate remarks, then the Post Chaplain ——— Freeman gave us a warm exortation Genl Fisk then introduced Genl Prentiss to the audience & he gave us a spirited Patriotic speech & was often interupted by the roar of clapping hands, he promised to soon lead us to victory when a shout rent the air, next Col Bussey of the 3rd Iowa Cavelry made a telling speech & in keeping with those that proceded gave the northern toreys or copperheads some scatheing rebukes. the exersizes were closed with the Benediction by A J Kynett Secretary of the sanatary committy of Iowa ½ past 4 Oc we ware paid by Guverment pay masters for 27 days Oct 4th to 31st evening we had a patriotic love feast M H Hare opened Genl Fisk was with us & we had a good time of it.

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 111

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, February 23, 1863

We ware expecting orders all day, & about 9 Oc at night we received Orders to be ready to march or board the Moderator by 7 Oc in the morning. On dress perade there was orders read as to how we ware to do on the expedition I wrote a line to Adt Genl Baker, Davenport Iowa

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 111

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, February 24, 1863

At about 8 Oc our Co moved to the Boat Mariner & went on board Cos B. I. G. K. & E. the ballance of Our Reg went on board the Levina Logan & about 3 Oc we left the town of Helena Arkansas & started for the yazoo pass about 4 Oc we entered the pass a narrow shoot on the east side of the river making into the state of Mississippi just after you enter the pass a square angle makes to the left just after the angle is passed we go through the cut our boys made in the levey then the shoot is about 1½ miles long & but little wider than the boats, then, we enter moonn lake it is ½ to 1 mile wide by five miles long, it is beautifull but the ground is low, we tied up at the lower end of it for the night in front of a fine plantation a yard nicely set with evergreens, the mansion & niger quarters all about the same, poor things There is some 16 boats in all here 2 iron clads, Baron De Calb & ———— & some 4 or 5 of the mosketo fleet gun boats. I am Officer of the guard, the Chaplain & I room together. I was officer of the guard & relieved at 9 Oc

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, pp. 111-2