Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-02-21


I Division remaining soon down The
river again to the mouth Of q deep and
/ sluggish stream, on the east. But q
/ few miles now from ViCksburEh, but "a
/ 60 no further down slowly and silently
the boats turned from the river Of riV.
I eEs into the opening iu the east bank
4 and moved up the 1aZoO, the "E&tvsr Oi
Death, % and we'll may that brave army
I of Gen. Sherman ever remember it az
such. Soon we came up to the feet,
and hauled into shore in pleasant an
ticipatiou of good nights rest. Scare
ly had we touched the shore when We
were again, in obedience TO orders, ia
line upon the bank ready for marching,
the order countermanded, and back on
the boats in full certainty Of undi8-
turbed rest, to be the more bitterly dis
appointed. Our General plead and pro-
tested in vain, about night, orders again
and this time in bitter earnest, no one
unconscious Of the unpleasRutuess Of
the situation, except a drunken, stan
officer, sitting like an empty bag upon
his horse, a sensible animal wandering
around among the troops, seeking bet-
ter company. We marched on, and
marched on till I o'clock at night. biv-
ouacing in dense woods not penetrated
by the rays Of Southern sun, &C naeri-
dian height, on both sides, the bayous
Though pleasant and warm upon the
banks Of the river, yet here, dampness
and achillinesg that went to the very
marrow in our bones. The next day
moving 20 the front iR full view Of the
Walnut Hills just over which, In calm
repoBe was lying the "much coveted
city" Here some Of our boys had the
first sight Of the Johnuie's in the cane
brakes on Che opposite side Of the Chick
asaW bayou, and on tina hills. q novelty
then 90 great that they could not resist
the temptation Of banging away at
them, though far beyond range, Rnd
perfectly Indifferent 30 the harmless
sh OTIS. There we were, lying on our
arms. drenched with rains. chilled
through BY the dampneg5, and poisoned
by the malaria arising from those dead
ly sWamps and bayOuss in anxious wait
ing to hear the sound of Grants can
non from the east, but hearing only the
sound of trains as they bore reinforce
ment after reinforcement into the city,
till the rebels had many more men to
defend, than we had to attack their
works. So it continued for a week till
it was high time for us to leave, and
none knew it better than our indefatig-
able and able commander. The rebels
massed upon our right In strong force,
and the probabilities were, that ere the
next days sun had set the survivors Of
that fine little army would have march
ed into Vicksburg without arms or am
munition, instead of being on the boats
and moving safely up the Mississippi,
their backs turned upon the famous
city, leaving in disgust. Such would
have been our fate had we not been IA
Yored with a commander, second to
none in the world as a military chief
tain, and yet who for his WOnderOus
skill in resCuing his army, was no less
grossly than ignorantly, and to some
abused. Though safe from rebel clutch
ss, our army and especially our Brigade
was in q condition deplOraOI8 in the
with systems worn down and |
by the hard Tensas march /
into the fatal miasma of the l
JhickasaW bayou and surroundings I
now prostrated with Erysipelas, Pneu- !
mOnia and fever, each boat like q hoBpi- /
al boat. We went down the river a /
gay and enthusiastic army, all in good /
spirits and full Of interest, each boat |
OyOus with song and mirth, the shores /
'chOjng back that famous song 80 often 4
Jung, Were coming Father Abraham, \
hree hundred thousand more" We I
'etu rned a melancholy procession, our ]
,abins filled and guards lined with The i
lick and suffering, the rest disheartened \
md discouraged. At Lake Providence
md other points, the juvenile eOmmu-
lfty of rebels, more eager for 1nfOrma-
ion than is characteristic of that lati-
ude, enquiring anxiOuslY Of Us as to i
what was the news from Vicksburgh /? /
l0w's Vicksburgh and why don't you
20 to Vicksburgh 2" All of which was
veil enough perhaps, but rather aggra-
ra6ing at that time and not easily
)Orne. On we went up the river with
Ome hope of pleasant camp to rest
nd recruit our shattered forces, halt
ng upon the eastern shore, opposite to
What appeared to be simply an estuary.
loon crossing the river, entering the
mouth of White river, passing through
be cutoff into the dismal Arkausas.-I
evening found us near the famous Fort
1indman or Arkansas Post, heretofore
ut few knowing our destination, or
that there was such an OBJ
EructiOn. We disen1 barked, marched
n the river passing rebel ear6hWOrks
rom which the rebels had been driven
y the division of brave Gen. Sherman
rho, now like good and true soldier
1as doing his duty, though compelled
v an order as unjust as II was illtimed, {
) take the position of q subordinate
nder Gen. McCiernand, Gen. George
V. Morgan commanding the left wing
} which we belonged. We march
trough jungle and through dark
ess, and finally found our resting place
u the night, upon the bank Of the riY-
r, the gunboats lying below us the
rOods full Of Wearied soldiers sleep (
i Z
sst disturbed by the boom Of the heavy !
uns Of the Benton lying below us, the
arth trembling from the shock, the
scasiOnal reply from the Fort, q shell !
oW and then skipping through the !
-oods, and the sound of the rebels re-
airing their ironcoYeFed, but badly /
lattered classmates. The morning Of
le 11th day of January dawned, the
av we celebrate. On this day 1--WE years
20, the 96th Regiment was baptized in
lOod. The sun rose clearly and bright
2 upon masses Of troops, moving here
nd there, quietly to their positions,
bout to engage In battles dreadful Z
svelry. At tho edge Of the woods bor-
aring the wide open plateau before the
oTt, were lines Of Infantry, and COR {
on of Batteries, our regiment in the rear
{, and supporting a section Of the 18TH I
hiO Battery, com manded by the gall g
mt Lieut.. Rice The doomed Fort
as completely invested, not as in siege
ith earthWOrkS for the protection OF
le Batteries of siege guns and Field :
rtiIiery, with lines of trenches con- {
ected by the zigzag boyeaux-but by {
living, moving mass Of soldiery, and !
lat alone; the only dependence being in
he nerve and bravery of those Boys in Z
Iue. to charge across that oDen field 4
nder a CALLING and destructive IRE,
ON well constructed and regular
aston Fort with indented lines of rife q
It's, we'll extended, filed with brave &
nd des perate men: chiefly Texans, :
mong the bravest Of the rebel army. / !
IL was ready painful stiffness reigned
YER the whole scene, then was heard
le heavy boom from the gunbOats, Z
len cannon after cannon till every I
IN was belchiug forth destruction up z
n the rebel stronghold. G
Then shook the ground with thunder rtven,
nd louder than the bolts Of Heaven [
uick flashed the red artillery
Then the whistling Of bullets, the 4
licked zip Of solid shot, the shrek and +
rashing of the shells as they went oV- Z
our heads, and fell into our ranks,
scompanied by the shrieks of the man 2
led and dying that spot was conse-
-ated by the blood of comrades Of the q
ith; when we moved forward we left &
ehind US, the bleeding and lifeless re- i
lains of Sergeants High, Wilcox,
7igton and others, Co. Z being the
lief sufferer there. The CannOnad- 4
"a =