Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-07-30
For the Reporter.
Pip's "Diary North and Southr'
Madison. July Goth. 1868,

from Cairo, wherein and whereby
Threatened further infections when
should get further into the land of cot
ton. But the fact that / was very busy
and not mercy for you, made me forege
my scheme of vengeance. [ have beer
to the spot towards which the eyes Of
of the whole civilized world have beer
turned for some months with eager in.
terest, and having now returned to my
home, propose to give you a shor,
sketch Of what [ have seen, in the hope
more particularly of conveying some
items Of information concerning that
siege which has terminated so glorious
ly in the taking Of Vicksburg. AS /
am necessarily the hero of my own mar
ration, the first person singular will be
often used, and [ hope that you have
enough capital Is to set up the letter
with
Ju7ae s.-Our boat remained at Cal
10 all day, and about dark took on
board the 5lst Penns. An cratic reg
lment, thIs;-one of the first that went
to W ashington to defend the capital, it
was sadly cut up at the first battle of
Bull Run. 1t returned then to it's own
State, where it was recruited to 1900
men, and sent thence with Burnside to
North Corolina. 1t returned in time
to participate in last summers cam
paign on the Potomac, and was en-
gagged in the bloody battle of Antietam
last September. IN the winter it went
to Kentucky, where it has served until
ordered to Vicksbuag with large part
of Burnside's troops. A little before
dark we started down, the rain falling
just enough to make our soldiers on the
upper deck uncomfortable.
June 9.-We passed Island No. 10
early this morning. tits barren look
ing spot, with nothing to attract atten-
ton except the tents of the soldiers
who were encamped on it and the gun
boat which is anchored close to it's
shore. The banks of the river from
Cairo down are, with some exceptions,
very unlnteresting, the villages which
you see marked on the map being moth
ing more than a few dirty houses, and
these generally deserted. I have rid
den four hundred miles on the river
without seeing white person on the
shore, except the bilious looking own
er of d woodpile. In the afternoon we
passed Fort Pillow, a set of earthworks
erected by the rebel General whose
name they bear. and which he was sub.
sequently induced to abandon.
June lO.-I found myself, on waking
up, at Memphis. Upon going ashore, I
learnt that the corps to which was at
tached had already gone down the river,
and that had to follow at once. had
but short time to look at the place,
enough however to see and admire the
beautiful park which is lasting credi:
to the taste of the city. In the center
of this park is the Jackson monument.
How we'll the words engraved on the
front of the base, "Frangas non fec
tas," ''you can break, you can no.
bend" describe the leading character
istic Of that hero. On one side of the
base is inscribed "The Federal Union,
it must be preserved" During the oc-
cupancy Of the city by the rabels the
W ord " Federal " was partially obliter-
ated. How much of the pure, unmixed
article of chilvalry it must have required
to do SO heroic a deed.
| engaged passage on the 'sJohn II.
Dickey," and at about 10 o'clock pro-
ceeded ON nay way to Vicksburg. AT
6 o'clock we reached Helena, a militia
ry post of Importance, but one which
has the reputation of being the head
quarters of the cotton speculations of
merceuary Generals. This, however,
has been at last stopped, and there is
no danger of any further operations of
this kind while Maj Gen. Prentiss COM
mands. About 8 o'clock as was about
to retire, our boat was hailed by a gun
boat, one of the officers of which came
aboard and Informed our Captain that
six thousand rebels under Price lined
the river on the Arkansas side with six
pieces of artillery. He very urgently
advised us to await the arrival Of more
steamers from above, that we might
have larger convoy. This plan, all
on board seemed willing to pursue, es-
peclally your correspondent, who. if it
had been left to him, would have ADOPT
ed it by a large majority. But Capt.
Mussulman was made of different stuff.
That the danger was great, was obvious;
but it was enough for him to know, on
the other hand, that his boat carried
stores of ammunition which the army
needed, and he insisted upon proceed
ing without delay. 1t was finally ar-
ranged that one, gunboat should ao
company US. | went to my berth. The
intelligence which I had Just heard
could hardly be expected to act as a
soporyfc, but succeeded in getting
asleep, not without a suspicion, how.
ever, that I might be awakened by :
cannon ball violating the privacy of nv
state room.
June 1lth.-When woke up. our
steamer was lying on the Arkansas side
at a gunboat station. I took a short
walk on the bank. The spot had eyi-
IDENTIFY been the camp of band of
guerillas, as various relicts of their or
gies, and the adjacent corral attested.
After remaining here until 10 O'Clock.
our Captain got the permission of the
naval officer commanding the gunboats
to proceed, and we moved down con-
voyod sfilI nv r,,nboot rHbo L.