July 7th, we marched as far as Clarenden, a distance of ten miles. We
crossed the river and went into camp in the town. We remained here
until the evening of the 9th. We got a dispatch that Curtis’ army had
made its way through to Helena.
We embarked on boats and at night ran back down the river. Our boat
ran on to a snag and almost sank, but we got it off and repaired
after quite a lot of work. On the 14th we landed at Helena again. We
found General Curtis’ command here. They had had a hard time marching
from Missouri down through Arkansas.
We stayed here drilling and doing camp duty until August 9th. We then
marched to Clarenden on White River, sixty miles distant, but found
no enemy. The weather was hot and the roads dusty, making a fearful
march. But nevertheless, we found plenty to eat on the way, such as
pork, chicken, honey and other good things. On the 19th we got back
to Helena, covered with sweat and dust. We looked more like the black
brigade than white folks.
August 27th, we got on board a boat and went thirty miles up the St.
Francis river, on a scout. We landed the boat, got off, and marched
through the canebrake seven miles. We found no enemy and returned
to our boat the “Hamilton Belle.” When we got on board we found her
loaded to the guard with cattle, cotton, sugar, pork, and all kinds
of forage picked up by the boys.
We started back to Helena, and landed a short distance from our camp
at 2 o’clock in the morning of the 28th. We had quite a time getting
our private forage ashore as the general, E. O. C. Ord, put a guard
at the staging and would not let the boys take anything with them off
of the boat. What they didn’t get off they rolled into the river.
September 4th, 1862, several companies of our regiment went on a
scout up the river after Bushwhackers. We went up to Chalk Bluffs,
below Memphis. We found no enemy and started back to Helena. We had
not gone far when a volley was fired into us by a force of mounted
rebels. Our boat in command of Lieutenant Colonel Barter, landed.
He ordered us off and out after them. After a run of three miles we
decided that we could not run down mounted rebels and make them fight.
We marched back to the boat and continued our return to Helena. We
landed there the evening of the 6th.
On the 16th, a detail got on a boat and went thirty miles up the
river, after a load of wood. On the 23rd, we had a sham battle. We
had quite a time at this and we then settled down to camp life. We
had brigade drill four hours each day from then until October 16th
when we got orders to go up White River.
We embarked on boats and went down to the mouth of the river, but the
water was so shallow that we could not get in at the mouth. We then
returned to Helena.
Our drill and picket duty was very heavy, as we had pickets on the
opposite side of the river. We were in all kinds of employment, some
peddling, some fishing, and some playing games. We had a general
routine of camp life.
November 20th, some of the 11th Indiana boys, while out foraging were
fired into by the rebels. One man was killed.
On the morning of the 28th, we got marching orders. We boarded a boat
and went to Delta, nine miles below. We got off of the boat and
marched out forty miles east, to the crossroads. We went into camp in
a bottom.
December 3rd, General Washburn with part of the command marched to
the railroad. Here they had a sharp skirmish with the enemy, losing
one piece of the 1st Indiana cavalry’s artillery. This was a draw
battle. We got plenty of pork and sweet potatoes on this march.
On the 5th we marched back to Coldwater. The next morning we began
our march at 4 o’clock. Sunday, the 7th, we marched three hours
before day. Half of the boys didn’t get their breakfasts that day. We
reached the river and got on the boats. We landed at Helena at 10 p. m.
On the 9th of December, General Gorman took command of the post, and
we had grand review. On the 11th we were reviewed by Generals Gorman
and Steel. About the 15th, some heavy rains fell, causing the sloughs
to rise, so that we had to haul the picket guards to their posts in
wagons.
On the 21st, General Sherman, with his army and a fleet of gunboats,
passed Helena. This army was on an expedition against Vicksburg.
On the 22nd, Lieutenant Colonel Barter was appointed Provost-marshal,
and the boys of Company B of our regiment were guards.
About the 25th, General Grant’s communications were cut off while
he was on an expedition against the rebels at Meridian. This caused
his failure to form a junction with Sherman at Vicksburg. Generals
Sherman and Smith with their forces charged Haines’ Bluffs. They were
repulsed with heavy loss.
Sherman was now reinforced by McClearnand. They went up the Arkansas
River and took the Arkansas Post, with six or seven thousand
prisoners and some heavy guns. Sherman captured more prisoners at
this place than he had lost at Vicksburg.
On the morning of January 11th, all of our troops at Helena under
Gorman, except one cavalry regiment, got on boats and went down to
the mouth of White River. We went up the river to St. Charles which
place the rebels had evacuated. On the 15th of January, 1863, a
seven-inch snow fell. The canebrakes and timber bent under their
heavy loads.
The heavy rains had overflowed the river and it was all over the
bottom land. This together with the snow made a very gloomy morning.
That night, the pickets had been sent out with orders not to kindle
any fires. Some of them were angry and set fire to some buildings,
thus causing some excitement in camp. The pickets were called in and
we got on the boat. We went up the river to Clarendon, and on the
evening of the 16th, we landed at Duvall’s Bluff. The rebels had just
evacuated this place. Our cavalry moved out after them and picked up
a few prisoners.
The rebels left two sixty-four pound guns in our possession. We
loaded these on to the boats. On the morning of the 17th, Colonel
Spicely, in command of the 24th and three gunboats, went to Desarc.
This is a beautiful little town. It is about as far up White River as
navigation is carried on.
We found many sick and wounded rebels here. Our officers paroled
them. There was also a great deal of small arms and ammunition here
which we took.
January 19th, all of the command moved to St. Charles. At night
several houses were set on fire, making quite an illumination. On the
21st we went down near Helena, but had to tie up on account of the
fog. On the morning of the 22nd, after a distance of 540 miles had
been traveled, we landed at Helena again.
The weather was cold and disagreeable, and we began building winter
quarters. There were to be sixteen men to a log cabin.
We remained here until the 18th of February. Our camp was then
overflowed and we moved back from the river. We went into camp on
higher camp ground.
The 19th we embarked on a boat and went down the river as far as Moon
Lake. Here the levee had been blown up, and every foot of the lowland
to Yazoo City, had been flooded. In early days this place had been
called Yazoo Pass, and boats had run along here. We crossed the lake
and marched five miles. We went into camp for the night.
On the 20th, we drew some cornmeal. This was quite a treat as we were
tired of hardtack. We found a mill, set her to going, and soon had
enough meal ground for a good corn cake. Some baked their cake in
half canteens, some on boards, and others rolled the dough on a stick
and held it near the fire until it baked.
A cold rain had set in making a very muddy and disagreeable time, but
we had to pull the heavy trees out of the pass, which the rebels had
felled to keep our boats from going through. We fastened two-inch
cables around the butts of the trees, and pulled them out, tops and
all. Several cables broke, throwing the boys twenty feet each way. We
finished cleaning out the pass on the second evening. We were wet and
muddy all over. The officers took pity on us and issued a thimbleful
of commissary whiskey to each man. Some of the boys paid twenty-five
cents a thimbleful for enough whiskey to make a good drink.
On the evening of the 22nd we got on the boat and went down to the
mouth of the pass. We found no more obstructions. When we got to
Coldwater River, our gunboat threw shells into the woods on each
side. We ran down this stream twenty-five miles and tied up for the
night. We could see the signs of a great many rebel boats which had
peeled the bark off of the trees near the shore. All of this country
was flooded.
On the morning of the 24th, our task completed, we turned the bow
of the boat up stream. On our return, we ran up near Moon Lake. When
night set in it was so foggy that we had to tie up for the night. The
next morning we decked our boat with holly and other evergreens and
set out on our journey. We ran into Moon Lake and here met General
Quinby’s division on their way to Fort Greenwood.
We returned to Helena. General Quinby moved on down to the fort and
found that country all under water. At night he planted two guns on a
small knoll near the fort. The next morning the gunboats opened fire
on the fort. The rebels threw a shell into the port of the Benton,
killing seven gunners. The union troops then had to draw off, as they
could not get to the fort. They left the two guns which had been
planted there.
They came back to Helena after a hard struggle to get through to
Yazoo City. All of their plans had failed.
General Prentice was now in charge of the post at Helena. On the 28th
of February, he issued an order for all citizens to be sent out of
our lines who would not take the oath of allegiance to our government.
The river rose, overflowing our camp, and we had to move it.
March 14th, Company B of our regiment was relieved from provost duty,
and they returned to the regiment. Nothing of importance occurred
until the 26th of March, at which time we received two months’ pay.
In the morning of April 6, 1863, we were called into line. Our
brigade marched into the fort and was addressed by Adjutant General
Thomas. He spoke in regard to arming the negroes, as the Emancipation
Act had already been passed. He had come direct from Washington,
D. C., with full authority to arm and equip the colored troops. He
advocated that it would be much better to put the negroes up for a
target to be shot at than for us to risk all of the danger ourselves.
This proclamation caused quite an excitement throughout the army.
Many of the boys deserted and went back home, but they were
afterwards pardoned, and came back to their regiments. About this
time we received two months’ pay.