Visit to Chickasaw Landing--Surrender of Vicksburg--Visit to
the city--The paroled Major--The Yankee trick--Returns to
Vicksburg--Made detective--Is sent to Yazoo City--Attends a
guerrilla organization--Makes them a speech--Returns to
Vicksburg.
On the 3d day of July, I again went to General Grant to see if he had
found out where I could get some cartridges for my rifle. He told me
that the Paymaster-General (I have forgotten his name) had a rifle of
the same kind and some cartridges, and that he made his head-quarters on
board the steamer J. D. Perry, at Chickasaw Landing.
The General gave me a line to the Paymaster, and I went over to the
Landing. When I arrived there, the steamers had nearly all gone down to
Young's Point, and with them the J. D. Perry. It was nearly night, and
too late to return to camp, so I remained there all night, with a
Sergeant from my own regiment, who was on detached duty there, in charge
of the camp and garrison equipage belonging to the regiment.
When I arose on the morning of July 4th, I found that _all_ the steamers
had left. A few hours later the dispatch-boat Diligent came up, and
brought the news that Vicksburg had surrendered.
That accounted for the absence of the steamers. A flag of truce had been
sent into our lines on the afternoon of the 3d, before I left, but I had
not heard that it was to arrange for the surrender of the place.
When the dispatch-boat returned, I went on it to Vicksburg. There the
whole fleet of transports and gun-boats, including the Marine Brigade,
was moored, decorated with all their streamers and colors, and from the
Court-house dome proudly floated the glorious emblem of our country. It
was a grand and sublime spectacle. The levee and streets of the city
were thronged with thousands of weather- and war-worn heroes, that had
heroically suffered and fought for the capture of the place.
It was a proud day for them, and their countenances beamed with such
expressions of satisfaction and delight as only heroes can wear.
The magnitude of their victory was proportionate to the day on which it
was achieved, and such a celebration of our national anniversary was
never before had, and probably never will be again.
The sufferings and privations and hardships of long marches, and
exposures and hard-fought battles and a long-continued siege, were all
forgotten in the realization of the most glorious victory that had ever
crowned the arms of an American hero.
Promiscuously mingled with the blue uniforms of the Federal soldiers was
the dirty yellow of the Confederate prisoners, and their filthy
appearance and fear-worn faces were in striking contrast with their
elated victors.
The magnitude of the victory can perhaps be better understood by the
following official report:
_Rebel losses in Major-General Grant's Department since the landing
of the army at Grand Gulf, Mississippi, May 1, 1863._
Loss in men up to May 18th 40,000
Prisoners taken at Vicksburg 31,000
------
Total 71,000
Citizen prisoners, 1,500 of whom were women and children 5,000
Prisoners sick and wounded 13,220
Prisoners fit for duty 18,000
Tents captured 4,000
Mules captured 1,500
Horses captured 1,000
Freight cars 200
Locomotives 5
Large siege-guns captured 188
Field-pieces captured 151
Rounds of ammunition 300
Stands of small arms 35,000
Shot-guns, etc 30,000
Value of public property captured, from ten to fifteen million dollars.
Approved, by order of JAMES WILSON,
_Lieutenant-Colonel and Provost-marshal._
I found the Paymaster-General at Vicksburg, and succeeded in getting
from him a box of cartridges. Not liking to remain in the place while
the prisoners were there, lest some of them might, at some future time,
recognize me, should I be so unfortunate as to get captured, I told
General Grant how I felt about it, and he sent me to my regiment, then
at Black River, to stay until the prisoners were sent away.
A few days after the surrender, the prisoners were all paroled, and then
marched through our lines at Black River. While they were passing our
camp, I kept out of sight by remaining in my quarters. The second day
after the prisoners commenced to pass an exception occurred.
A rebel Major came along and dismounted, and sat down as if to rest,
holding his horse by the halter. It was soon evident, from his numerous
inquiries, that rest was not so much of an object as contraband
information. His horse was a nice one, and was equipped with a fine
saddle and bridle, and across his saddle was a portmanteau.
A soldier of the 30th Illinois Regiment came to my quarters, and
requested me to go out and see the Major and converse with him. He also
told me that the Major was trying to get information from the soldiers
that he had no business with, and that if I would succeed in holding his
attention, the boys would play some kind of a caper upon him for his
improper inquisitiveness.
I went out, and found him engaged in trying to find out the strength of
General Grant's army. As I came up I squatted right down in front of
him, and commenced to ask him questions about how he liked the siege,
etc.; then, fixing my eyes on his, I gave him a severe rebuke for
participating in such an unjust cause, and tried to show him its utter
hopelessness. I then spoke of the blessings of peace, prosperity, and
happiness, as they had existed under our Government before the war, and
then contrasted that state of affairs with the existing state of affairs
in the rebellious States, and concluded by telling him that any man who
had been guilty of raising his hand against the best Government that
ever existed, ought to be satisfied with the experience that he had had,
and heartily ashamed of himself.
As I began to talk, the soldiers began to gather in a crowd around us. I
suspected that some of them would cut the halter-strap and lead the
horse off into the woods, before the crowd would open sufficiently for
the Major to see which way it went.
Whenever the Major showed any inclination to look behind him, I would
become emphatic in my expressions and gesticulations, and look so
earnestly at him that I kept his attention riveted upon me. While I was
talking, the portmanteau was opened, and a beautiful silver-mounted
ten-shooting revolver taken out and carried off.
When I had finished, the crowd dispersed, and the Major prepared to
leave. In doing so, he discovered that his revolver was gone. He told me
about it and described the revolver, and said that it must have been
taken while I had been talking with him.
He went to Brigadier-General Force, commanding the brigade, and
complained that, while he was resting, somebody stole his revolver.
The General immediately issued an order requiring all the company
commanders in the brigade to search the men of their commands at once
for the revolver, but it was without success.
The Major told the General that one of the men standing by was called by
the name of Bunker; consequently, I was sent for.
"Do you know who got this man's revolver?" inquired the General of me,
as I went in.
"No, sir. I did not see his revolver, and did not know that he had one
until he told me that some one had stolen it."
"Do you know what regiment the man belonged to that took it?"
"No, sir, I do not! But I did think that the Major was asking _very
improper questions_ for a paroled prisoner to ask, and I expected, while
I was talking to him, that the boys would take _horse and all_, and I
think he may feel _thankful_ if he hasn't lost any thing but his
revolver!"
"That will do!" said the General; "you can go to your quarters. Major, I
don't see as I can do anything for you!"
When the prisoners had all crossed Black River, I returned to Vicksburg.
On my return, I chanced to meet Major-General Logan, who wanted I should
engage in the detective business, the same as I had done at Memphis. I
told him that I did not like the business and did not understand it, and
that I did not see any thing brave or daring in it, and that it seemed
like rather a low business. He, however, insisted upon my taking hold of
it, and gave me an order to go on board the steamer Swon to board, so
that I might pass as a citizen without being suspicioned.
I boarded there three days, at the end of which time I was so completely
disgusted with the business that I could not do any thing at it, even if
I had wanted to. I then went to General Grant, and told him what General
Logan had set me at, and that I did not like it, and asked him if he had
a trip that he wanted made into the Confederacy. He replied that he had
none of much importance, but that I might make a trip to Yazoo City, if
I was a mind to, and see if any thing was going on there, and gather
what information I could.
The Federal forces had, since the surrender of Vicksburg, already taken
the place, and captured such public stores as were moveable, and
destroyed the rest and vacated it.
I made the trip on horseback, dressed like a citizen. The route was
rather a lonesome one, and nothing occurred of interest on my way out.
On my arrival at Yazoo City, I found every thing quiet, and the place
unoccupied by troops.
I then crossed the Yazoo River to the west, and visited the neighborhood
of Silver Creek, at a point eighteen miles from Yazoo City. There I
learned that a band of guerrillas, known as the Silver Creek guerrillas,
were to have a meeting the next day, at a log church, about six miles
distant to the south-west, to reorganize their band, so as to make
themselves more efficient. Thinking that I might learn something of them
that might be of service, I determined to attend the meeting.
The next morning I started in the direction of the church alone, but had
gone only a short distance when I was joined by six citizens, on
horseback, going to the same place. We arrived at the church about 10
o'clock, A. M., and found the meeting already commenced. I walked in
with those that had accompanied me and sat down, a listener to their
proceedings.
Remarks were made by several individuals, and I learned by them that the
band had become disorganized and ineffectual by the slackness of the
members in turning out. Many of them had failed to report for duty when
ordered, and some of them had never reported at all. A great deal was
said about what valuable services _might_ be rendered by a
_well-organized_ band, and appeals were made to the patriotism of each
individual present "to stand by the South in the hour of her trial, and
let the world at large know that the people of the South were
_determined_ in their purpose, and would fight for her liberties until
relieved from the thralldom of a Lincoln tyranny."
Each man present was invited to express his views on the matter, and I,
in turn, was called upon. To kill all chances of suspicion that might
occur from my presence, I responded to the invitation. I said to them
that I was a stranger to all of them. I told them that I belonged to
Daniel's guerrillas, at Somerville, Tennessee, and I knew from
experience that a _well-organized band_ could make itself of great
service to the Government, and that I felt it was the duty of _every
individual_ in the Confederacy to put forth his _best efforts_, without
regard to _cost_ or _sacrifice_, to _sustain_ the Government and
_establish_ our liberty. _Our_ band, I told them, intended to live on
the Lincoln army, and we kept close to it, and frequently got inside of
the Yankee lines and got valuable information, and sometimes we captured
prisoners, and horses, and mules; and we calculated not only to do
service to the Government, but to make it _pay us_, and I hoped that
the people of that neighborhood were as patriotic as they were in mine.
The meeting resulted in the reorganization of the band, with eighty
members.
It has often been reported that citizens of the South who had taken the
oath of allegiance to the Federal Government, were subject to abuse and
cruel treatment by guerrillas and soldiers of the Confederate army; but
in that meeting several of the members said that they had taken the
oath, and had done it because compelled to do it, and it was not spoken
of as an offense nor regarded as an obligation.
I had hoped that, in attending the meeting, I would be enabled to learn
of some intended raid or campaign, but none was spoken of and probably
none contemplated by the band at that time.
About 1 o'clock, P. M., the meeting closed, and I resumed my way back.
Two days after, I arrived at Vicksburg, and reported to General Grant.