Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-06-19
OUR ARMY coRRE sPoNDENcE
Letter From the 10th Iowa.
CAMP ON SNYDER's BLUFF, MISS,

June Sd, 1868.
EDITOR JOURNAL: Having, after a long
and tedious march, come to . halt for the
purpose of recruiting tho exhausted energies
Of both man and beast, I take few moments
leisure time to inform you and the many
friends at home what the 10th regiment has
been doing since l last wrote to you. At
Waterfront Plantation We renamed some eight
or ten days, and then once more wendell our
way in southwesterly course for Carthage,
place known only by name as there is
nothing by which the passer-by could tell
that a town had ever existed there. Cross
ing the Bayou at the distance of mile, we
once more came in sight Of the Father Of
Waters" some forty miles below Vicksbur,.
Passing along down its right bank, using the
levee as a road, we camped for the night on
its bank ready to start early on the morning
of the 12th for Grand Gulf. On our way
this day we passed very large, fine mansion
house, which the Government had taken pos
session of for hospital purposes. 1t con-
tanned some $50 or 200 inmates wounded at
the battle at Port Gibson. During the march
of the 18th we passed over many very fine
plantations, all of which were planted in
corn as cotton would not do we'll to feed
rebel soldiers on. We halted at noon on
the plantation Of John R. Routh, said to be
one of the wealthiest planters in the State Of
Louisiana. Judging from the books and
other household appurtenances, he must have
been scion of "a belle France. His lands
were laid off with great taste, and everything
about his residence partook of comfort, con-
venence and luxury. A house especially for
o billiard room was erected. Fish-ponds were
in his yards, in which were specimens of the
goldfish which the boys tried to catch, but
they would not bite at Yankee bait. There
were three hot houses on the place, in one of
which was large orange tree, not yet in
bloom. In short, he had any and everything
that man could wish and money could buy.
But ruthless war has touched this pleasant
home and it is now mass of ruins even
the fence (the finest hedge ever saw was
not exempt from the flames. This planta
ton is located on lake st. Joseph, La, some
II miles back from the river. The land on
this side of the river is fiat and very good.
Leaving this plantation we marched some
IL miles further to the river and embarked
on transports for Grand Gulf, which we
reached at noon on the 18th. On the way
we passed many ruins of residences and cot
ton gins which had been DESTROYED by their
owners for fear they would fall into our
hands, thereby giving the impression to the
world that our soldiers do nothing but destroy
property. Grand Gulf was place of some
1900 or 1000 in population before it was
burned by Commodore Farragut. 1t is loca-
ted on the Mississippi on a piece of fat,
sandy land, about one mile long and 900
yards wide. 1t is surrounded by range Of
high precipitous hills, which, with the forti.
6cations built by the rebels. could defy the
attacks Of any army, no matter how strong,
if made from the front, but as our forces took
them in the rear they were not prepared fol-
them. The fight, however, was hard one
the Tuscumbia Zone of our gunboats) being
handled without gloves. The Notifications
are extensive, the main fort being on hill
with precipitous sides some one hundred
feet high, behind which is hill some two
hundred feet higher, on which the rebels had
one of their heaviest guns planted. Theil
rifle pits extended over half mile, from
which at intervals were cut trenches into the
hills through which they could retreat with
out being seen. On tho top of one of the
hills was graveyard, in which many Of the
tomb stones aod monuments were shattered
by the shell and shot thrown from the gun.
boats. There is hospital here also, con-
tanning a number of sick and wounded
soldiers of both secesh and Union armies
In one of the ravines running back from the
river, is NEGRO corral exclusively for the
female portion of the contrabands who are
taken or come into our lines. The men are
put into the LIST regiment Mississippi colored
infantry now being raised at the Gulf and
numbering already some four or five hundred
Few, If any of them can read. and the guards
have some trouble when an old fellow pre-
sents pass from his Captain to go to town
for some hing to eat which Uncle Sam does
not furnish. They are used to throwing u
breastworks or digging rife pits, threby re-
lieving the boys from much hard work these
hot days. They are very strict with each
other when on duty, much more so than oul
white soldiers. .,z
While here two or three Of Farragut's ocean
steamers came up, and were great curl
osity to some of the boys who had neve,
seen anything except Mississippi low press
ure steamboat. The name of one of them
was the Albatross, which had run the block
ade off Port Hudson.
Laying at this place some few days VIC
| WCAG OIuCICo " I1sSt I'll tGytOD VIA. "lltOu'
knapsacks. We accordingly, after marching
up and down the levee for some three or foul
hours after dark, embarked on board the
Silver Wave and started up the river. The
question ran from one to another, "Where
are we to land?' but no one appeared to be
able to answer the question. Arriving al
Hard Times Landing, we remained some few
hours and then steamed on up the river to
the mouth Of the big ditch, which 10 IS to
turn the channel of the river, but it didn't bv
a good deal. Here we disembarked and
marched across the neck to point opposite
the mouth Of Yazoo river, where we embarked
on board the Gladiator and started on trip
up the Yazoo, and finally landed at Haines'
Bluff. After landing we received orders to
re-embark and report at Young's Point. We
accordingly took the back track, landed and
again marched across the neck in plain sight
of the doomed city Of Vicksburg to the mouth
of the canal, then re embarked on board the
Wave once more, and in two hours found our.
selves at WarrentOn, seven miles by land be.
low the city. After disembarking we marched
three miles into the country and lay down
for the night on the road, expecting the next
day to see the fight at Vicksburg, which, up
| to this time, we had only heard.
On the morning of the 22d the 18th being
in advance, we threw out our skirmishers
and commenced moving forward. At about
9 o'clock in the forenoon the skirmishers OF
company K brought in some IL rebels who
were sent to the rear. The boys at this be-
gan to look as if they smelt fight here, and
were ready to be lead on. About 10 O'Clock
the regiment was divided, companies A, F,
D, I, G and X, going to the left, under com
mand of Capt. Smith of company A, and
companies B., c, E and H, going to the right,
under command of Maj. Purcell. On the
right, company B was thrown out to Skin
mlsh in advance while the battalion marched
through an almost impenetrable canebrake
some three-nuarters of a mile. and then