The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1863-06-11
Camp near Vicksburg, Miss,
May %, 1863.

Dear Brother.
Since l last wrote YOU, We have been
on the marcn or fighting almost every
day. On the llth Logans division had
. sharp running & .,ht OF hours, and
our division came no in time to set the
ball rolling faster, when they retrea,ea
through Raymond toward Jackson.
Next morning our division and II, -
giment took the advance and skirmished
all day.
The next day Logan's turn was in
advance, when he started up a fight in
a heavy thunder shower about miles
from Jackson, and our division close at
his heels. Logan's division was posted
on the right, and Quircy's division on
the left, each brigade having its own
reserve, orr regiment being tn. reserve
on the extreme left, but tho hcayies.
fighting was done on the right and
center. Our first brigade suffered pretty
bad, but we routed then, and entered
Jackson the Capitol of Miss, at 81 p.
NJ. and hoisted tie stars and stripes on
The State House, (the place they have
made their brags it should never iloa,
AGAIN. and took possession. The less
in our brigade was small not more than
90 in killed i wounded, none in orr
regiment. The next morning we took
the back track towards Ncksburg and
marched 5 miles and found Huyey's &
Logan's divisions ho,lv engaged and
our brigade were orderedto the extreme
left to support Hovey, who had too
large force to contend with. The
24sh and 2a'h Iowa, having p pde a
charge, and were flankcd, while diving
the enemy efore them and got cross
fire on them, had to give way. and we
were just in time to save them. Our
brigade marched in on The double Quick
and formed The line under the hotties,
fire, | had ever seen. AT that time, and
as soon as Hovey had re.reatcd 10
orr rear, we poured in on them. Our
regiment being on the extreme left, we
hsli the line full huur, when finding
they had flankod anil nearly surrounded
our regiment, we marched: out by the
right flank in very good order, treing
rs we went and termed Il new line. y hich
we held | hour and 90 minutes more
until we had exhausted all our anuni
lion and the officers had emptiel ali the
boxes Of the dead and wounded, when
we were ordered off the field to re.
plen!sh. General Crocker commanded
our I'll, vision that day. praised the hii
gade highly and especially the 10Th
Iowa as having saved the day on The
LETT wing By the time we had rerlen
ishca our ammunition the enemy were en-
route for Vickshurg. Abont the mem.
bers Of Company G, ! must say I was
proud OF them, every man cool and up
to his work not sknlker or falterer but
every man there that was f. and some
that were not fit doing his duty. 1t would
be useless to single out the coolest and
bravest for it seemed to me thny were
all alike, all trying to do their best.
now GENE to the sad part Of the
tale.
Here comes the list Of the dead ami
wounded, which We published il tie
transcript last week XII
The whole loss in killed and wounded
on our side is not far from $500 aud
the rebel loss is about tie same and
since We have crossed the river the
number Of prisoners will exceed II 900
men, on the day Of the fight our rcgi
ment took 8 Colonies and about 400
men ard line officers.
The next day we started in pursui,
towards Vickshurg for We were now
uNIlS iueIu " l'e laSl Uilcn ana mar
chcd ) miles to Big Black river, were
Cars division drove them out of their
rifle pits and set them going across tie
line. The next day we built bridges Of
bales Of cotton and marched IS miles
the 10Th we marched 4 miles and form
ed a line Of battle taking our position in
the centre. Our division making the
line whole from Warrenton OH the Mis-
sissippi to the Yazoo near Haynes
Bluff, by looking at the map you will
see, we have rope all around them
without loop hole, and no way to get
out without cutting out.
On the goth the whole line advanced
J mile, to position on the side of the
hills out Q. the way Of their shells. 2lst
all advanced / Of mile and to within
500 yards oftheir works, where we had
to be careful not to expose .ourself, If
we did, stray rifle balls would stop us