Civil War Notebook

Thursday, May 28, 2026

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Wednesday, March 22, 1865

Fine day; lay in camp all day quite a no of the men out to forage. see some Rebs. Capt sent back with detail for rations. Men pull the wagons. Evening Genls Granger & Veach have Hd Qtrs in our camp. Heavy artillery heard all day supposed by some to be Steele fighting Genls. Canby Smith & Osterhaus are at Fish river Foragers sees the ruins of a large turpentine factory. destroyed by fire about 2 weeks ago, which accounts for the big smokes we had noticed & find 100 prs good new drawers & 200 prs negro's cotton pants

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. 579

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Thursday, March 23, 1865

Revelie late, the Genl had blown in the 50th Ind & 7th Vermont before our revelie. Our Brigade gets up before our breakfast is over this was unexpected. Genl blows before the men have breakfast We are on the move at 7 hear the troops at Fish river are in line of battle expecting an attack move very slowly first 2 miles cording nearly all the road. latter part of the road pretty good & move right along. At 1. P. M. cross the river on the pontoons to the tune. "Out of the wilderness" or "Johny stole a ham." Was until 4. A. M. getting camped were on 3 different grounds before we got settled, one time tents were being pitched & supper preparing, several boats & gunboats lie in the river. This morning the pickets were driven in by a force variously estimated from 600 to 1000. 3 rebs killed 3 of ours wounded, the 4th Iowa & 32d Iowa are here with Smith 25000 men here now

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. 579

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Friday, March 24, 1865

Fatigue party goes out at 5. a. m. to unload boats. spend A. M. going to the Commissary for grub, and writing. P. M. go with Lt Loughridge to camp of 8th Iowa, while there this Regt rec's orders to be ready to march at daylight tomorrow morning with 4 days rations in their haver sacks. Genl Smiths whole corps rec's the same orders. We see post of the line of breastworks about this camp, which are good & strong & 9 miles in extent, seems as though these things come by magic, they rise so quick. Genl Veachs Div gets in this P. М.; After dark the train comes in, there is a big shout when the train crosses the pontoons. They lost by bushrangers 14 men drivers. & as many mules Lt Loughridge & I were out after Tattoo to learn the cause of the cheering when the train was coming in, & hear some sweet music in another Regt. Word in camp that in a skirmish 3 miles from camp this P. M. several men were wounded. 2 ambulance loads said to have come in.

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. 579-80

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Saturday, March 25, 1865

Genl Smiths corps commences moving at daylight; go out to see them pass; we rec orders to drill from 10. to 11. A. M. This order is countermanded & orders to be ready to move immediately. 5 days rations are issued to the men to be carried in the haver sacks. The 13th Corp begin to move at 1. P. M. at 3.30 Regt falls in line & moves out. march slow, and are to 9. P. M. getting to camp 5 miles from Fish river station. Saw where the trees were marked where the skirmish had occurred. I was detailed for picket as soon as I got to camp, had to go right out. The train sticks in the mud 3 miles back & our grub did not get up, boarded with the boys. Lt Hook Co C. detailed today as A. C. M. 3d Div. The following promotions in co "G" are announced today. Sergt A. Templeton to be 1st Sergt. Corp A. J. McCollum to be sergt. Privates W. H. Downing T. J. Vineyard. H. J. Vanderwan & J. Lemons to be Corporals, Corp W. Thomas at his own request is reduced to the ranks

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. 580

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Sunday, March 26, 1865

Nothing unusual last night. I am relieved at 6. A. M. & marched the pickets to the Regt. which is on the road at 6.45, at which time the train is getting up. The troops move out on 3 roads. Bertrams Brigade on the left, Smiths Corps on the right & Grangers corps in the centre, as we march through the camp ground of 16th Corps am surprised at the completness & extent of the breastwork constructed by them last night. At 12. M. our advance is fixed on by a Reb Picket post, on a hill on which the corps halts & goes into camp at 7, good running water near. We fortify immediately. A negro comes in who reports having seen Steeles army near Blakely, we are tonight within 2 miles of Spanish Fort a strong position on top of a hill mounting 16 heavy guns besides other bateries about it, the 3 columns fire each a signal gun on their camp ground to denote their situation. this is responded by the Gunboats, in the Bay. Expect to invest Spanish Fort tomorrow. It is rumored that Bertram captured by surprise battery of 6 guns. (doubtful)

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. 580

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Monday, March 27, 1865

The whole command stood to arms from revelie until daybreak. troops in the rifle pits too. at 9.15 the column moves out at 10. we are in line of battle & the artillery opens on the forts of which we discover 3. Bertram brought his brigade up to our camp at daylight but was ordered back double quick, he had taken out of the road 15 torpedos, an orderly had been killed by the explosion of one last night, begins to sprinkle at 10. & P. M. rains quite hard. Our batteries keep up a steady firing to get the range & get a reply but the enemy replies but little. The skirmish line pushes up to within 150 yds of the Reb works and keep them well down behind them, it is reported that Smith who has closed in on the right had captured a rebel ammunition train. Regts are camped at dark in hollows behind hills protecting them from the fire of the enemy, large working parties are out all night building breastworks & strong skirmish line is kept out to protect them. I hear of 3 men killed & some 10 wounded. The Bay in front of the Fort is said to be litterally sown with torpedos & this Fort is said to be the Key of Mobile protecting one of the main channells of the Bay

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. 580-1

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 400 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 Metz 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, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 581

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Wednesday, March 29, 1865

E. Co relieves K. before daylight. The enemy & our skirmishers talked all night. Rebs say their torpedos had sunk one of our Monitors & would sink the rest of them. Rains part of the day. We strengthen our protection. I learn that the Monitor which was sunk is the Milwakee she is not destroyed & will probably be raised soon. another the Osage was sunk today by a torpedo name Osage. The Pioneer Corps have taken out of the road 18 more torpedos made of 64 lb percussive shells, barely buried, the weight of a man on them will explode them. The Gunboatman have raised several from the Bay are out in skiffs hunting them. The enemy shell the skirmish line sharply all 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. 581

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Thursday, March 30, 1865

At 12. last night the Jonnies made a charge out of their forts on the skirmish line, draw it in on the left where the 7th Vermont was stationed, camps wise all around & on the alert. brisk firing for an hour, some rain falling about this time. At 3. A. M. co C. relieves Co E. on the skirmish line They come in all whole & were not drivn back. reported that about 30 of the 29th Iowa were gobbled by the 7th Vermont giving back & letting the Jonnies in their rear; The day passes so so. Artillery firing from both sides. Reb Mortar boats shell us considerably & heavy firing on the skirmish line all day, some of the heavy guns to be put in position tonight. This evening the reported capture of the men of the 29th is contradicted Co "C" is relieved after dark & bring off 3 prisoners with them, they were out sharp shooting & got to close They talk confidantly & say we can never take Mobile or Spanish Fort which by their act is manned by 6000 reinforcing every night, one Brigade of the 16th A. C. is sent off this P. M. as guard to supply train with rations for Genl Steele who is in the vicinity of Blakely & reports to Genl Canby that he can keep reinforcements from coming here by land or allow it. Genl C. says to allow it. (this is rumor) There is a telegraph from Genl Canbys Hd Qtrs to all the Div Hd Qtrs & to the landing at our new base about 4 miles from our position. The Rebels use heavier guns today. Have a chill this morning & feel quite ill all 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, pp. 581-2

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

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 recd 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, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 582

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, Saturday Morning, February 1, 1862

Our Regt. on Guard to day. Rec'd our Pay yesterday. Sixteenth Ills. arrived here last night. To day they have gone over to Birds Point. This evening we rec'd. marching orders, were countermanded however about 8 O'clock.