Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-07-30

iplece of woods infested with rebels
But we were allowed to go on without
any demonstrations on the part Of oul
"erring brethren" The boat that fol
lowed us was shot into and a number
on board killed and wounded. And sc
again, in returning, the boat which
was on escaped, while the very next
boat received fifteen six-pound balls.
So much for the
"Sweet little cherub that sits up aloft,
! And guards the life Of poor"-Pp!
If he'll come down, he shall have a
s"ifter at my expense.
June l2M.-Our boat stopped long
enough at Lake Providence to give
me an opportunity of viewing the vii
lage. 1t has once been a beautiful
place, the country around being re-
markable for it's richness. The houses
are all deserted, leaving the rich fur
niture and ornaments to be used and
abused by our soldiers. The 10th Wis.
is stationed at this place, and I saw a
number Of familiar faces, among them
that Of 1t. Col. Cassius Fairchild, who
had recently returned to his regiment,
from which he has been kept away over
year by an ugly wound received at
Shiloh.
We passed Milliken's Bend and
Young's Point, and moved up the dirty
4azoo, arriving at the landing about
six o'clock.
Saturday, June l3M.-I was now at
the place, variously called Chickasaw
Bayon, Chickasaw Bluff Station, Yazoo
Landing, &c, where the supplies for
nearly all of Grants immense army of
one hundred thousand men were land
ed. The river was lined, in manv
places two deep, with steamers, for hall
a mile, and the bank was dotted with
tents and swarmed with contrabands,
drivers and their teams consisting of a
wagon and either four or six mules, az
ranged in long trains. The activity,
hustle, confusion and dust of this place
defy descriptions The corps of pay
masters was ordered back to Memphis,
and was to leave that evening on the "J.
D. Perry" and had to 90 with it.
resolved to employ the day in going to
the front. | had no success in my en-
deavors to get transportation. Mules
there were in abundance, to be had for
the catching, but the wherewithal to
direct their motions and saddles were
wanting. | started on foot, and after
long, hot, dusty walk of what should
call fifteen miles, but which they insist
upon saying is only nine, Il guess they
figure on an air line and make no al
lowance for the hills of which the road
is a perpetual succession,) arrived at my
destination, the 23d Wis. Regt. Here
brother and many friends and ac-
quaintances welcomed me. Learned
here that the 18th Wis. was but three
or four miles distant, and this decided
me not to return to the Landing that
night, though this involved that 1 should
miss the boat on which l had engaged
passage to Memphis. Capt. W. W.
Botkin, of Co. G, 18th Wis, came over
in the evening. am happy to be able
to tell his friends in Wood Co. that he
is quite well. The report that he had
been transferred to a Cavalry Compa-
ny is untrue, though his well-known
ability as an equestrian gave it cred
ence!
Jmae l4M.-1 rode over to the 10Th
Wis. with w. w. B. and some others.
| found a number of the boys from
Grand Rapids who were well, with a
few exceptions. This Regiment was,
and had been for some time doing pick
ct and fatigue duty of the most arduous
and dangerous kind.
Jat,ee i5tb.-I rode back to the Land.
ing, where [ was informed that the
Paymasters had been ordered to re-
main and pay the army. AS Maj. Ten
ney's assignment included the 23d
Wis. and the other Regiments near it,
he decided to go over to that Rcgim ent
and put up tent. This we did on the
following day. 16th.-We arrived at
our destination about noon and devoted
the rest of the day to an examination
Of the objects of interest with which
we were surrounded. Passing up a
steep hill and through peach orchard,
the very one, | am persuaded from the
description, in which Grant and Penn
berton, something over two weeks after
wards, met to arrange the terms of sur
render, we found ourselves in a rifle
pit, from which could be seen the rebel
works for a considerable distance. The
caution which | received upon going
into the pit, not to get my head too far
above the earth which protected us from
the rebel sharp-shoeters, did not have a
tendency to increase the extent and
range of my observations very largely.
Neither is the firing of 20 pound
Parrot gun within four feet of one, ex-
actly the thing for the nerves of young
man aaa a strange place! The long line
ofheayy bastions opposit looked formid-
able indeed. The only access to them
generally was up steep ascent; and
when | learned that there was deep
ditch in front of the whole line, I could
easily see why the charge of the 22d of
May was unsuccessful. Such a place
surely could not be taken by charge,
save at the expense ofthousandso of lives.
The artillery was firing all the time, aud
every few minutes I could see a shot
strike IN the rebel earth works and
throw up great clouds of dust. The
rebels were working necessarily during
| the LIGHT to renair tho 1o,ooe AZ