Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-07-23
FROM THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI.
The 4th at jeff. Davis House.
Correspondence of the state journal.

Y. >. >. MOUND OITf,
MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON, July 9Th.
1t has been some time since last wrote.
A complete dearth of anything interesting is
my excuse.
The guerriIlas have been and are now ac-
tive. but navigation has been but slightly
interrupted as yet. A small encampment on
the west side of the river at the foot of Hur-
ricane Island, was attacked few days since,
but although the force was small they re-
pulsed the enemy. The Mound City went
down and shelled the woods pretty thorough
ly. But they come in again the next day,
and as we could not lay by them they were
in an exceedingly precarious position, having
no means of crossing the river. Consequent
" Can't LangthrOm ordered the little steamer
Idaho to transport them to the east side of
the river The rebels Immediately occupied
the abandoned stOckade and the same evening
fred upon the Grey Eagle, without doing any
damage however. Well knowing they would
vamoose, should a gunbOat heave in sight,
our commander ordered hOwitzer to be Sc
eretly taken down to the foot of Hurricane
Island directly opposite the stockade and
wait until they should open again upon some
other boat But they either discovered the
move or concluded to leave the premises, and
after remaining there several days and not
seeing anything of them, the gun was again
brought on board.
And now l wish to give you little idea of
how we spent the glorious 4th in this land of
cinnamon seeds and sandy bottoms.
The day was ushered in at sunrise by a
rousing salute of 81 guns from the Mound
CITY. They we're no ear splitting six pOun-
ders, but full charged nine inch guns and 100
lbs. rifles fred at regular int rivals, their sui
len thunder reverberating for miles through
the forests on either side the river. A SINH
lar salute was fired at meridian and again
shutdown.
The arrangement was made to give all the
Ioyal people in the vicinity an opportunity of
celebrating the 4th at the residence of Mr..
Jefferson Davis, Esq, novel idea! Throughthe
exertions of several Yankee school marms,"
the house was tastefully decorated for the oc-
casiOn.
Over the gateway was festOened in ever
greens the word
ssWeIcome''
At the main entrance, the words
ssThis is the house that JET. built
Made every one at once feel at home.
Most appropriately placed near the back
door at the end of the spacious hall were the
words,
ssExit Traitor
of which it was remarked that the moral
was,
"Down with the traitor,
And up with the star =
The banquet was spread in the wide veran-
das and the tables gaOaned beneath their
weight Of good things. The cuisine had been
well attended to and there was no lack of
delicacies or substantials. About 10 a. M,
the steamer Ddlige1.t arrived from Vicksburg
with a merry party Of ladies and gentlemen
10 participate with us 1t would hardly be
proper to dignity the gathering as a celebra-
lion, and picnic would be better adapted,
therefore we will call it picnic on the 4th
of July at jeff Davis hO1se, Brially place,
his residence his plantation. Let the north
ern people for moment suppose what the
practical position of things must be, should
enemies be on that day revelling at the
house of Abraham Lincoln, at Springfield
The thought should inspire any Union man
with hope. was credibly informed that az
invitation was passed through the lines to be
forwarded to Old JEFF. to be present on the
occasion but his non-appearance was easily
accounted for.
The order Of exercises was as follows:
Prayer by Rev. Mr.. Livermore, of Wis
cOnsin.
Reading the Declaration-By DR.. Round
tree.
0ration-By Mr.. Livermore.
Next came copious shower of rain which
drove all in doors for a season.
Mrs. Francis Gage, of sanitary nOtOriety,
made very neat and appropriate speech.
A song was then sung with great gusto,
the words being composed for the occasion
and sung to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne,"
as follows:
THE HOUSE THAT JEFF. BUILT.
/.
How oft within these merry halls
The traitor Of the day,
Has heard ambitions trumpet calls,
Or dreamed Of wars array
Or of an Empire dreamed, whose base
Millions of blacks should be;
Aha before this days sweet face
Where can his visions be
II.
Those Empire dreams shall be fulfilled,
But not as rebels thought
Like water at the cistern spilled,
Their boasts shall come to naught.
From gulf TO lake, from sea to sea.
Behold cur country grand!
The very home CT Liberty
And guarded by her hand.
III.
WsreYel in his haus to-day
Next year where will he be
A dread account he has to pay;
May be there to see
And now for country, truth and right
Our heritage all tree,
Wen live ald die, wen sing and fight:
The Union three times three.
The song was followed by a grand charge
on the edibles, after which there came ire
mendous fire of cOrks, which was kept up
without intermission as long as we stayed.
And here we romped throughout those spa
eiOus and airy rooms where the great traitor
no doubt used to lounge on his open worked
Jivans with five or six hundred dollars worth
of little Niger standing by keeping fys off
him. while he Matched the plot of a country's
ruin But instead of seeing the consumma-