Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-01-17

hung the door to Lieut. Anderson's
desk. then walked around the boat.
| saw a great many bullet holes
through the boat which reminded me
of the dangerous times of the past,
and what might yet be in store for
us upon reaching our destination. /
could see other boats ahead of us,
lashed together, two by two, which
seemed to be the general mode of
travel. | suppose there was less dan
ger from guerrilla attacks when sew
eral boats were close together. Wrote
in my diary today. Also read some,
but it was too cold to take very much
comfort in reading or even in the
boat-ride. About noon we passed
Johnsonville, which had been burned
to the ground. 1t was done soon af-
ter our brigade left there the last of
November, by the rebels. We soon
passed Fort Henry. on our left, now
deserted and in ruins. 1t did not look
much like the forts we were building
at that time Fort Donelson is II
miles from Fort Henry, and on the
Cumberland river. In the afternoon
we passed the piers of the Louisville
e. Memphis railroad. The piers, sew
en- in number, stood about twenty feet
about the high water mark. The wa
ter was at this time quite high, COW
ering many islands in the river. The
banks Of the river are low and in
places are swampy. At night we
fried some meat by the engine fur
mace for supper. Just after dark we
met a fleet of boats going up the
river, twenty in number, and as we
saw their lights ahead it looked like
city or a camp. We soon went to
bed again in the gangway.
Wednesday, January 10, 1865.
We were up this morning at day
light and found that we had reached
Pudacah on the Ohio river, just be-
low the mouth of the Tennessee. Ar
rived here in the night and this morn
ing most of the troops left; also the
transfers, guards and mechanics,
and all those belonging to division
headquarters. Prospects of another
pleasant day, and seemingly little
warmer. A little after sunrise we
started up the Ohio river, and were
now alone. learned the names of
the following boats Of our fleet, viz:
Marmora, second division headquart-
ers; Havana, Tyrone, Leni Leota,
Coras, hospital boat; Decatur, Burd
Levi, Financier, Omaha, Palestine, A.
Baker, containing the 25th; Swallow,
headquarters of the first brigade;
Charmer, Alex. Speer, j. II. Baldwin,
Echo, Fanny Brandies and gunboats,
Nos. 10 and %. At eleven o'clock we
passed Smith Landing, at the mouth
of the Cumberland river, where we
stopped for a few moments, then
drew up by the side Of the LEM Leo
~ and tool ahnarI fba G~et IL
band. The banks of the Illinois
shore are swampy in many places.
The day was pleasant, but too cold to
take much comfort in riding. / spent
the day in looking around, reading
and writing. Soon after dark we
went to bed, near Casseyville.
Thursday, January 10, 1865.
A rather cold nights rest. We
morning we found ourselves along the
Iowa shore, which with it's level
fields, covered with tall cornstalks, |
and big cribs of corn, containing
from 5000 to 5000 bushels each, |
showed how rich the country was, and
that it's owners had not been idle the |
past season. We saw some steam |
corn-shellers at work.. and saw men |
sacking up the grain ready for gov
eminent USE Wrote letter home |
and mended my overalls. At noon we
reached Evansville, where we stop
ped to coal, lying there until 2:30 in |
the afternoon, when we again started. |
The 91st Indiana was raised at |
Evansville, but the boat carrying the
regiment did not stop at all, and
many of the boys in that regiment |
passed by in sight of home.