Edwin Levings, with the 12th Wisconsin Infantry, has arrived at the regiment’s destination — Grand Gulf, Mississippi. He describes their camp to his parents, the area around Port Gibson, and what the Union Army there is doing, including recruiting freed African Americans (he uses the colloquialism “darkies”) as soldiers.
Ed continues this letter on May 21, and then again on May 23. The original letters are in the Edwin D. Levings Papers (River Falls Mss BO), in the University Archives and Area Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
Grand Gulf, Miss, May 18th / ’63
Dear Parents,
This letter leaves us a long way from Memphis and it will take some time to reach you. We are now at this point which was captured by our forces on the 3rd inst. [May] having arrived here last evening at 8 o’clock after a 4 hours ride on the Steamer Forest Queen. The 2nd & 3rd brigades are here and the 1st is yet to come. Our Reg’t has no tents, so we get along for shelter as we can, that is we make tents of our oil cloths, which with the shade of the trees protect us very well from the rain and hot sun. There is no danger of our taking cold. I think on experiencing any other bad effects, for we are used to all this. Our Camp is up on the bluffs over-looking the place, high and dry and we shall be healthy here if anywhere. [paragraph break added]
I have been out in the country to-day on a foraging expedition some 4 miles and in sight of Port Gibson, which was captured on the 1st inst. [May] so I can tell you a little how it looks. We took the road leading from the lower end of of [sic] town ( I say town, but is completely burned up) which cuts circuitously through bluffs. I can tell you better how it looks by saying the country is all hills and the soil rather clayey, with quicksand — a great country to fortify. The inhabitants planted every foot of their ground to corn—no cotton. Now the country is in our hands and we thank them for the corn, as also, the fruit that will be ripe in 6 weeks, peaches and figs. The rebels had no idea they would have to give up all so soon, if at all, but there’s where they made a mistake, for our boys are driving them back to their strong hold every time they make a stand and there is certain victory for them. [paragraph break added]
We can hear the roar of cannon daily and there is no bad news from the front as yet. The report is here our boys have captured a wagon train of 300 wagons loaded with provisions. No rations have left here for a week (, though there is a plenty,) the troops living largely on the rebels. Jackson is in our possession, for a fact, and report says, the bridge on the Big Black; so it says a good deal more, too, but whether true or not, our army is bound to have, Vicksburgh [sic], surely. The soldiers here have unbounded confidence in Gen. Grant [Ulysses S. Grant] and say if he was superseded, there would be trouble in the army. I was agreeably surprised at the news, of course. The rebels had good fortifications here, & might have made it another Columbus if they had so tried, but our gunboats are the thing that make them get out of their stron[g]holds. There are 6 or 8,000 darkies here and hundreds more arriving daily. Several negro regiments are organized already & are to be armed. Scores of them come down on the point opposite the mouth of the Big Black river every day, and are taken off to this side in skiffs by their brethern [sic] who are already free. If you, or any body else wish to see the good effect of the [Emancipation] Proclamation, come down here. O it hurts the rebels wonderfully, to array the blacks against them in any capacity. [paragraph break added]
But I must stop for to-night & go to bed, so good night,
Edwin Levings
The Civil War and Northwest Wisconsin 