The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1892-01-20
War Time In Claiborne County.

/ I'm n recent issue Of the Washing
ton Tribune, Mr.. G. III. Hobbs, for
merly sergeant in the 99th Illinois
regiment, narrates his experience
during Gen. Grants Vicksburg cam
paign, including the military oper.
atiOns in Claiborne county. We re
produce part of this narrative as
being of interest Ia those Of our
readers who rememb. r that trying
period.
! As the gunbnats steamed over
from the Louisiana side. April 81.
1868. iii order to put ashore at Bru-
insburg the tronps destined for the
enterprise against NicSshurg, Mr..
Hobbs was impress c by the beauty
rf the Claiborne county highlands.
glorious In their dress Of mid spring
vrrdure. Tho banks" lac says
"wrre green with grass and waving
corn; not a place but seemed to
rest in perfect peace. | remember
floCk ot sheep that turned To
look at us from meadnw horse
that lifted up lis head from tho
pasture where he was grazing, shook
his name and gallrpcd Ia a safer
distance. Even a column of smoke,
thin and blue, that slowly crept
skyward from a far away chimney
was not lacSing TO make up a scene
of peace, not Of war.
"Tnere wasn't much Of Bruins
burg as / recall il. In fact / re-
member only one or two buildings
and a rail fence in the distance.
=. We pushed forward in grand
spirits, and toward early evening
re .ched the hills. and marched on
perhaps three miles further. Here
we halted. II was, Gen. Carr
writes, near the female seminary,
but / only remember 4 big brick
house. identifying it as one that we
had seen from the river, and that
some men were on the top of, evi-
IDENTIFY examining our feet. They
watched us and we watched them
till they disappeared, and, as the
negroes told us at the place, took
horses and galloped away. This
supposed seminary was the splen
did Daniell residence, burned down
in 1889, twelve miles from Port
Gibson, and three miles from The
river From { pace, having
halted in a quiet glen, soft with
green grass and abounding in beau
tiful trees, VIC sent back details for
ratiOns.
"At 0 o'clock that night we start
cd again, and, climbing a high hill, |
began our mach 20 Port Gibson
AS we passed a hut an old negro |
came out and gave us lis blessing. |
He was afraid, however, that few
of us would ever get back. "A
lot of men have come to
fight you, he said.
'"The dusky prophet had spoken |
his word, but il did not bring much |
to the soldiers. We NOV
ed forward with a buoyancy and |
which, with battle ahead, |
/ never saw equalled. The moon |
shone bright above Us, and the |
road was romantic in the extreme.
The rich greenness of the foliage |
on the great trees, through which,
here and there, down on the moss
grown earth, glanced the silvery |
rays of the moon, reminded as Of
descriptions Of fairy land.
a"The artillery wagons ratified for.
ward, and the tramp of many men
gave a dull but impressive sound. !
In many places the road seemed to
end abruptly, but when we reached
the point We found it turning at
right angles, going through narrow
valleys, sometimes through hills,
presenting the best Of opportunities
for defense, il the enemy had but
known OF our purpose. The move-
ment was a complete surprise.
son and on we passed, some