1863 
  Camp near Vicksburg; Miss May 26th 
        Dear Wife 
I again Sit down to write you a [illegible] 
Epistle to let you know that I am 
Still well and that I still think 
of you though many miles Separate us 
I recd a letter from you yesterday dated 
May [illegible] I was very glad to hear 
from you and to hear that you was 
well; I wrote you a few hasty lines 
a few days ago but I had not time to 
give any peticulars; I will give you some  
of the peticulars of our campaign Since 
we crossed over in Mississipi; we 
crossed over the River at grand  
Gulf on the 10th of May; Grand Gulf 
is at the mouth of Black River and 
was a Splendid place to fortify against 
our River forces; but our gun Boats 
proved too mutch for the Rebel works 
there; they took the place and captured 
most of their artillery and a quantity of 
prisoners of which I mentioned before 
on the 11th we left Grand Gulf for 
Jackson and camped at night at a 
little town called Cayuga; on the 12th 
our troops ahead of us had a fight with 
The Rebels ,3, miles west of Raymond, and 
Repulsed them with considerable 
loss we come up with the advance 
of our troops in the evening; the next 
morning our Division went in the 
advance the morning of the 13th we 
marched into Raymond which by 
the way is quite a respectable town 
and the county seat of Hinds county 
we halted about ,2, hours at this place 
and Replenished our provision 
wagons with Rebel supplies that 
we captured here we then marched 
on ,[illegible], miles farther and camped 
near a Town called Clinton which 
is Ten miles west of Jackson and 
on the R.R. from Jackson to Vicksburg 
it rained hard during the night but 
we were all ready on the morning of 
14th and at 4 oclock in the morning 
we look up our line of march for 
Jackson about nine Oclock it again 
commenced raining about the same 
time our advance cavalry & artillery 
commenced Skirmishing with the 
Enemy; our Skirmishers gradually 
Driving the Rebel Skirmishers back; 
about ten oclock our advance [illegible] 
upon the main Rebel force about three 
miles from Jackson Our Infantry 
was ordered fordward on double quick 
Our Division was ordered to make 
a Bayonet charge on the Rebel Batteries 
and Infantry about half past ten; 
we charged on them with two lines 
of Battle [crossed out word] for a few minutes they 
Tried hard to check us, but they 
could not Stop us and when we 
Broke their lines they soon began to 
Skedaddle and Scatter in Every 
Direction; and after charging them 
a mile and a half at Double quick 
we come to a halt and Straightened 
up our lines; by this time the Rebels 
  were all out of sight 
The Rebels Run on through Town and 
never halted but told the citizens 
as they passed through that the 
     were coming; hellbent for Election 
yankees ^; we marched on into town 
and camped for the night 
The boys though wet, weary, and 
worn, felt Jubilent over the 
capture of Sesesh Capital; they 
lost no time in helping themselves 
to anything they wanted to eat and 
drink and all the Tobacco they 
could carry with them; Jeff Davis,s 
Residence is in Jackson and I learn 
that it was Burned since we left there 
together with most of the city in the 
charge at Jackson our Regt lost [illegible], men 
Killed and wounded on the morning of 
the 15th we about faced and Started back 
towards Vicksburg and on the 16th we met 
Gen Pemberton with all his Rebel forces 
from vicksburg about half way between 
Jackson and vicksburg on Bakers Creek 
we had a general engagement with the 
Enemy and after a hard and Determined 
page 1 
May 26th 1863 
Battle we Repulsed the Rebels; with 
a heavy loss on both sides of killed 
and wounded; we captured about 2,000 
Rebels as prisoners of war; the Rebels 
Retreated back about ,5, miles to Big 
Black River and made another stand 
and thought to Repulse us there but 
our forces crossed the River higher up 
and attacked the rebels in the Rear this 
was [illegible] the 17th and after another hard 
fight the Rebels again fled leaving 
Twenty Six hundred prisoners and 
(17, pieces of Artillery in our hands; the Rebels 
retreating towards vicksburg on the 18th 
our forces followed them up closely 
and kept up a Skirmish in their rear 
on the 19th the Rebels were Driven into 
their fortifications at vicksburg and 
Haines,s Bluff; Haines Bluff is ,12 
miles north east of vicksburg on the yazoo 
River the Rebels made Strong works  
here to prevent our Gun Boats from 
Runing up that River; Gen Sherman 
attacked [illegible] and captured Haines Bluff
page 2 
 
with all their artillery and a large 
number of prisoners on the 20th 
on the 23rd and 24th our Reg,t Skirmished 
all day both days with with the Rebels 
in front of their Batteries at vicksburg 
our Reg,t lost Several Killed and wounded 
Alvin Caulkins Rec,d a Slight wound 
in the leg the Ball glancing around 
the Shin bone and making quite a 
Tear, But the wound is not deep; it does 
[illegible] 
^ prevent him from walking around 
he will be fit for duty again in 2, or, 3 
weeks; in all the fighting in this cam 
paign So far our Regt has lost ,43, 
men killed and wounded; But Strange 
to Say not one man of Co, C. has Recd the 
mark of a Bullet: Cap. Jim Burnett 
of Co. G. Both Ills. cousin to Al Burnett 
was Killed at Bakers Creek; he was 
wounded and taken prisoner once before 
[illegible] jim Ditto a Second cousin of mine 
  was Shot through the Brain while skirm 
ishing at vicksburg on the 23rd he lived 
about an hour; we have orders to march 
and I must close for the present 
page 3 
 
Haines Bluff Miss June 1st 1863 
well Lucinda after So long a time I will 
try and finish my letter; on the Evening 
of the 20th of may while I was writing we 
Rec,d Orders to march forth with ; with 
Seven days Rations on an Expedition 
under Gen [illegible] Blair our forces num 
bered about twelve thousand men 
the object of the Expedition was; to ascer 
tain the the whereabouts and Strength 
of the Rebel Gen Jo, Johnson who it was 
thought was between Yazoo City and 
Jackson collecting [crossed out] [up] his Scattered 
forces together that we whiped at Ray 
mond and at Jackson; and it was 
Rumored that he intended to attack 
our forces in the Rear at vicksburg 
we Started from vicksburg about ten 
oclock on the evening of the [illegible] and 
marched out [illegible] miles and [illegible] til 
morning; on the 27th we marched to 
Bear Creek where we drove away a 
Squad of Guerrillas; on the 28th we kept 
on towards Yazoo City our cavalry [illegible] 
runing into Squads of Rebel cavalry
page 4 
 
on the 27th we Resumed our march 
towards Yazoo City in the afternoon 
we come upon a force of about four 
Thousand Rebels at Mechanicsburg 
They did not stand mutch of a fight 
for they fled before our Skirmishers 
and Skedaddled [crossed out] [on] to the East Side 
of Black River So Jo Johnson had 
to take up a position farther in the 
Inerior of the State Yazoo City is ,60, 
miles north East of vicksburg on the 
yazoo River on the 30th we turned about 
and come down the yazoo River and 
and Burned most of the cotton and 
cotton houses along the Valley; and 
we arrived here at Haines Bluff on [illegible] 
to Stay; yesterday evening; making a 
trip of nearly a hundred miles [illegible] 
is quite warm and the boys are pretty well  
Run down; I dont think however that 
we will march mutch for some time 
to come; Our forces are closed up Snug 
ly around vicksburg So that the Rebels 
cant get out and our Batteries are 
Shelling them every day they must 
    Sooner or later Surrender  T.J. Davis