The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-03-30
BY CAPT. REID, l5TH IOWA.

BY CAPT. REID, 15TH IOWA.
On February Sd our regiment q 5tl
Iowa marched from camp, one mil,
south of ticksburg, with the Sd brigad,
-l1th, 18Th, 18th and 10th Iowa-rep
resenting the lst division 17,h Arm,
Corps. The lst aud 2dd brigades LEFT
behind. Reached Big Black River Bridge
same day and camped all night. Tosi
no tents and but little baggage. Lef,
nine men OF my Company in camp
Corporal Heck, priva,es Hewitt. Ward
Fox and Joel Parker, detached; Woolo-
vous, Halverson, Homewcod and George
Haner sick. Gen. Tut,le's division al
Big Black, LETT there. Crocker's and
Leggett's divisions of 18th Army Corp.
went on expedition. February 4lh
marched TO Clinton, Kinds county,
Heavy skirmishing with rebel cavalry be.
tween Champion Hills aad Clinton. Ar
tillery firing from the epemy east Of Gin
ton. Killed one man, q new recruit oil
the l7th Illinois, and another wounded.
Saw two men Of 18th Ohio Infantry lying
dead just east Ut Bakers creek at DIR.
Damon's plantation. one with his head
blown Of, piece of skull nearly as large
Is my hand, still bloody. lying near the
gate by tie road side, brains and blood
spattered against the gass-posts. Fur
lher on | saw six dead rebels. A house
near the road had up hospital dag and
contained lot Of wounded.
The 10Th Army Corps. Gen. Hurlbut.
got to Clinton same day, BY another road
crossing Big Black at Messengers Ferry.
The rebel Generals Stephen D. Lee and
Jackson, Capt. Marvin of Gen Chamber g
staff told me, were talking together near
the College building, as our troops de-
ployed as skirmishers, aud advanced on
the town from the north side Col. Potts,
Brigadier of Leggett's division). Exam.
ined the 18th Illinois man before he was
buried. There was no abrasure of the
skin, nothing but large black mark or
bruise on bis neck, which was dislocated.
the surgeons said he had died from con.
cussion.
The enemy fred at us with his artillery
several times, while We halted near the
grave 5ard at Clinton, which was re-
turned, when be retreated. The Con-
federates were commanded BY Generals
S. D. Lee, Whitfield and Jackson, former
ly of the lst Tennessee cavalry, and Writ
Adams, once banker at Vicksburg-the
whole under Longstreet's command.
We continued our march towards Jack
son, striking across south of the main
travelled thoroughfare on a very bad.
muddy road, and. after night, reached the
main road running from Raymond. ard
bivoucked all night, one mile south of the
city, without blankets. as our teams were
delayed by the bad roads, and did not ge,
up till next morning.
The Alb Iowa cavalry had, after the
skirmish at Clinton, reached and occu-
pied Jackson before the enemy. capturing
two field pieces which had been partially
abandoned.
On the morning OF the 9th of February,
our regiment, being in the advance,
marched into Jackson--for which we fully
expected 6ght-with music, and ban
ners flying, peaceably and unmolested, and
halted on tile banks Of Pearl river till
nearly night. As We marched through
the city past the State house and Govern
or's mansion. (a fine, large, elegant build
ing. with massive columns, surrounded
by al iron paling fence, the extensive en-.
closure filed with beautiful shrubbery OF
evergreens, and little further on ss We
filed TO the right, we saw m entire block
of brick buildings in flames. At Clintoa
and jackson nearly al Of lhs nnocespiea
buildings. 20 far ~ my observation went,
were burned.
While We halted / took stroll ont
through part Of the city, talking with the
people. Nearly al the men found 70 Be
Irish. They showed me, without my
asking 1t, their protection papers" Is
British subjects, from. the British Consul
at Mobile, and told me, at every house
on one street, "here is one whole street
Of us all Irish, who have never been in
the war" Did they love Queen Victoria
or the British. Government Would they
toast the Queen at St. Patrick's dinner3)
They met US with smiles--oh such
smiling countenances--I was not little
amused at their profuse offers of some
thing to eat, and the soldiers "went in
right lively on the grub. The artillery
and cavalry were very busy in gobblino
up whisky and tobacco-the latter they
foand in large quantities--the whisky.
regular 'aishtling," Judging from its
ELECTS on them, warraatsd to kill st six
hundred yards.
las A big Gsrmas, : carpenter By trade,
who also had his papers from his Consul,