Civil War Journal of James B. Lockney

CIVIL WAR JOURNAL OF JAMES B. LOCKNEY

WIS. 28th REGMT., CO. G

June 1865

Jump to:

1863
1864
January 1865
February 1865
March 1865
April 1865
Lee's surrender
Lincoln's assassination
May 1865
June 1865
July 1865
Lt. Col. EB Gray's Farewell Address
Petition to Gen. Sheridan for Mustering Out
August 1865
September 1865
Letters and "Stray Thoughts"
Index of names

Home

On board Steamer Continental.
At anchor in Mobile Bay
June 1^st Thursday 1865

Last night we lay on the wharf & many were much troubled by the Muskittoes (mosquitoes). I got a good supply of pickles in our tin pail, some of which would have wasted had not the boys saved them. About 8 P.M. I began to write so as to finish a letter I had nearly written. While thus engaged our Brig. Commander Col. Cretz of 27th Wis Inf came to my candle to light his pipe & he remarked about me writing home. To my assent he remarked that I must let them know whither we were going & that I should tell them the whole truth & nothing else. I was pleased at his familiarity & said I would be very glad if he would tell me what place was our destination, that as yet we were in doubt & in the dark whether we would go to N.O. or Texas. He complied with my wish & said our Division was ordered to go to Santiago, Texas. This was the first statement on this subject so interesting to us, that I considered reliable or trustworthy & was for the first time settled in my mind. We had ford hopes of starting home soon, but now we feel resigned & ready. At most I hope we will return in 45 or 60 days. I went about town some this morning for the boat did not return till about 7 A.M. & it was near noon when we were ready to start down the bay. I visited the market which was thronged at an early hour by sellers & purchasers. Prices are high. Ripe blackberries 40 cts a qt. & for one large green cucumber was asked 25 cts. Old Irish potatoes & new ones are in the market, also new & old onions. The channel down the bay is very winding & is marked by piles driven on both sides. We passed two strong water batteries, one mounting 8 & another 6 heavy guns. We found the steamer some 15 miles down the bay waiting for us aground. The day was bright & we found the sun quite hot. I mailed a letter & a [?] before starting. I feel very well, thanks to God!!

Aboard in Mobile Bay
June 2^d Friday 1865

Yesterday evening clouds gathered in the west before sundown & as rain was threatened H. & I made our beds under a life boat as that would shelter us some. This was unnecessary however, for the night was clear & starry & moonlit. We had a good sleep & did not awake except to hear the drums of 33^d Iowa beat roll call till the sun was an hour high. The boat that took us down yesterday morning carried the 33^d Iowa down but they stopped on the Pearless, alongside til P.M. today. The Continental lay aground till about noon, though two boats worked long & hard trying to pull her off. She lay about 12 ft deep, drawing 10 feet without load. While trying to get her off our Regt. all moved on to the Peerless & again moved back. This made much labor & the boys were kept moving as Hinkley said 'six inches square of room, or surface to each man & moving every 1/2 hour'. Last evening there was a scarcity of water, a canteen full being issued to each man at 9 A.M, but this was not enough. After dark more was issued. Some 30 to 50 large blocks of ice was brought down on the boat yesterday & was loaded on to the Continental. While it was loading & unloading, it was difficult to keep the boys from picking at it. Dear Northland!!!! who would forsake thee for any southern clime! Since thou hast all the four seasons in all their beauty & perfection!! Ice sells here at 5 cts a lb. It is as cold as at home, but wastes very fast when exposed. We got to Ft. Morgan about 2 P.M. & anchored soon after. A boat came alongside with 100 bbls flour, bacon, & a vast quantity of tack. About 4 P.M. the 33^d moved aboard, we having the left & they the right hand side. Water is in great plenty today. All the sick were sent to Ft Gains this P.M. I was sorry Chas. Wiegert was not sent. Chas Finley, L. Bowers, & Layhee went from our Co. They will all be discharged soon I think. I read or wrote but little. How time flies! for this is the 2^d last day of my 29^th year. Day was bright & warm. All's well.

General Remarks for June

I heard from home but twice during the month, the latest being 5th inst. The news was as good as could be desired. All well & prosperous. Crops were much in need of rain in May till a rain fell & again at the time of last writing the growth of crops was retarded by the dry weather that continued. The negro troops from VA that we heard would follow & relieve us came & having after long waiting, disembarked at Brazos Santiago & after suffering severely by the short supply of water, they have been sent to various places, but still are we not relieved. Our hopes have often been high by reason of rumors & statements in circulation most of which had more or less shadow of probability, but thus all seems to have been mere illusions, for we see no more prospect of going now than was two or three weeks ago. It seems orders were issued to discharge first those troops mustered in on or before Oct 1st. By some blunders & ignorance or callousness on the part of somebody--our first Col. Lewis among them--we come in the 2d class--those mustered after. I have become reconciled to the hardship of the idleness & discomfort of such a way of living & wasting so many of the best days of our lives, for the simple reason that fretting will not help us. Our latest papers are of 19th. N.O. & 10th N.Y. Gold recps at about 1.35 & fluctuates but little. We continue at Peace with foreign powers..

[next]