A Letter From Vicksburg

As a nice bookend to the Gettysburg letter, this one was sent from Vicksburg, Mississippi on July 10, 1863. It gives a Western flavor to July of '63. Written by Adjutant Edward P. Stanfield, 48th Indiana Volunteer Infantry to his brother Howard. He is in the process of paroling the numerous Confederate prisoners that Ulysses Grants Army of the Tennessee had penned up and finally captured at that important town. The letter contains some interesting details about the surrender and the make up of the rebel forces. Again this appears as it was written save for paragraph breaks. Illegible words appear in [], to the nearest guess by the transcriber. (The Picket)

Stanfield writes:

Head Quarters, 48th Indiana Vols

In Vicksburg, Miss. July 10th

Dear How,

I've just received your letter of the 30th inst. yesterday. Doubtless the good news of the capture of Vicksburg has reached you on this. We are greatly elated by our success especially so because it happened on the 4th. That fact is galling to the rebels. On the 3^rd about day light a flag of truce came out of their works and it soon was rumored that a negotiation was going on. Grant and Pemberton sat together under a peach tree and discussed the terms of surrender. Night closed in and nothing had been effected, for Pemberton tried to carry every thing with a high hand. His proposition was, to be permitted to march out of town with their colors, arms, etc. Grant would have nothing but an unconditional surrender. The night of the 3rd was so quiet and calm as if peace prevailed.

 

Artist rendering of the meeting published after the war.

Orders for the celebration of the 4th were issued. 34 rounds were to be fired by every battery in the line at [meridian] and 13 at sunrise. The rebels [dreaded] it and at day light they surrendered with the understanding that they would be paroled and sent home. Such an arrangement was much better than sending them North. Here it is six days since the surrender and the paroling isn't finished yet.

In the meantime the rebel soldiers dispirited and homesick have mingled freely with our men and been treated kindly by them. The effect has been wonderful. They have discovered that the Yankees are human beings and not the men they were represented to be. Two thirds of this rebel army is lost to the Secession cause. They will escape to their homes and defy the conscription. Hundreds of them are taking the oath of allegiance and going North. Many are escaping across the Mississippi river. I think Mr. Pemberton will have hard work to get such a large body of  un armed into a parole camp. When the paroling is finished they are all-- Pemberton at their head-- to march out. I suppose you know how many cannon and small arms we took. It is stated that there were here 50,000 stand of arms – which hadn't been taken out of the boxes – for Price's Army. These guns are perfectly new and hadn't been used. An order has yet been issued stating the number of prisoners but they are supposed to be 32,000 including sick and wounded. The history of the war cant show another such a success as this, from the beginning to the end.

 

As soon as Vicksburg fell six brigades, including ours were left here and the rest of the army under Sherman started across the Big Black for Jackson. I hear that there has been some little fighting with Johnston but it didn't amount to much as Johnston took good care to keep at a respectful distance. I expect we are in possession of Jackson by this time. We are rapidly repairing the railroad in that direction.

Among the rebels are a great many Indianians: Joshua Miller, son of the furniture Miller at South Bend is here. Alex La Pierre [?] our Serg't Major found a cousin and the Adjt. Of the 59th Indiana found his half brother.

[So your the world]-- I hope to get home sometime before Winter. Its about impossible for well man to get a leave. But I am bound to go before many months if I have to get “dismissed the service”. Capt Hart started day before yesterday. He was quite low and hardly fit to travel. The Colonel hasn't sent in his resignation and he will be out of the service in a few days I think.

Give my love to Ma and Eva and the young 'un,

Your affectionate brother

E.P. Stanfield [1]

The 48th was organized at Goshen, (Elkhart county) December 6, 1861. Up to the time of its participation around Vicksburg the regiment had been at the siege of Corinth, Battle of Iuka, Second Battle at Corinth, Jackson, Raymond and Champion Hill. During the siege of Vicksburg the regiment was part of the May 22 assault on the rebel works where they lost 38 men killed and wounded. [2] The men hailed mostly from the extreme northern end of the state, mostly from Elkhart, Jasper, and St. Joseph counties, with a fair sprinkling from Whitley, Marshall and Greene counties. It is this fact that makes Stanfield's discovery of “a great many Indianians among the rebs” so surprising, especially the man from South Bend.

I have always enjoyed old letters and diaries, and I really enjoy transcribing them. At times that task is quite difficult due to fading ink or the way the letters of alphabet were shaped in the 19th century as opposed to today’s standard. It is challenging at times but the value of the letter should not be overlooked. They often give us small details, such as the 50,000 muskets destined for Price's army, that may be brushed aside in more scholarly treatments of the events. In this case a fast check of the Official Records does not reveal anything about it. It does not mean that it is not true, but it does give a direction for further research. Although, in relating the musket story, it appears Stanfield is passing along second hand information. It does make sense though given Vicksburg's prominence as a shipping point.

I hope you have enjoyed the two letters posted here. More will come but I have no plans on becoming a transcribed letter blog. There will be just enough to be interesting without being tedious. That is unless my loyal readers request more. Then I will be happy to oblige!

The Picket

Sources

1- Indiana Historical Society, http://images.indianahistory.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/dc008&CISOPTR=364&REC=2 Transcribed from the original by Steven R. Gore

2- Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, volume 2, 1865. page 480 Google books at http://books.google.com/

Drawing Credit

Library of Congress, at http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/civwar/item/2003663125/ 

Bad Water

It is always interesting for me to research the American Civil War, and sometimes I find some of the neatest stuff. Take for example the following anecdotes, taken from “Reminiscences of the Civil War” compiled from diaries of men from the 103rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry, about the scarcity of drinking water:

The water of the Yazoo River is supposed to be the most unhealthy water in the United States. A steamboat captain has been heard to say; “If a man drinks the river water a week, he will have a sandbar in him half a mile long.” The inhabitants of that section of the country will under no circumstances drink or use in any way the well or spring water that may be found, but depend entirely on rainwater.

 The regiment had been attached to the IX Army Corps* of John G. Parke and sent to Haynes' (Haines') Bluff and Snyder's Bluff during the Vicksburg campaign, arriving at that place on the 11^th of June, 1863. After fortifying the bluffs, the regiment moved to Oak Ridge and fortified that place. It was here that the writer of this particular segment of reminiscences wrote:

“The trials and tribulations of the troops while in this part of the world can not be described.”

The Indian word “Yazoo”is said to mean “the river of death” or its equivalent. A camp kettle of water from what was thought to be a good spring from the bluffs would, if allowed to stand in the sun for an hour, have a deposit of some kind quite half an inch deep. We have since been astonished that the entire Command was not swept off the earth.

Many generals of both sides, in particular those that had served in the Mexican War, would take steps to insure good water supplies and keep those supplies untainted. They did not always succeed, but some at least made an effort. These instances do not point to poor camp placement or policing, but the men suffered from stomach problems while in the area of their operations which they would leave after the fall of Vicksburg. Of their time there the writer wrote:

 At Oak Ridge we had lived much better than while at the Bluffs, as wild blackberries were quite thick, and of the finest quality. Still many of the men were taken down with stomach troubles.

I wonder...

 One last story relating to water, at least for this post. After the 103^rd Illinois left Oak Ridge they went to the Black River (where they found more blackberries) and after a lightly contested crossing marched toward Jackson, Mississippi. Of the march on the 8^th of July the writer relates this story:

On this march we suffered greatly from want of water. Wells and cisterns having failed, we were compelled to use water from pools, (a great thunderstorm had drenched the area the night of the 6^th) in nearly all of which the Rebs had killed a mule or some other animal, so

that to use the water was victuals as well as drink.

I certainly hope this entry was made in jest!

Source

Retrieved from http://www.archive.org/details/reminiscencesofc00illi pages 14,15,17

*Note*

The 103^rd Illinois was a part of the 2^nd brigade, 1^st division, XVIth Army Corps prior to being attached to the IX Corps at the time of these incidents. They were brigaded with the 6^th Iowa, 40^th Illinois, 46^th Ohio, and 15^th Michigan.