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Subject: [IA-CIVIL-WAR] CV Times, May 1863, 12th IA Inf.
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 10:24:45 EDT

The Cedar Valley Times
Cedar Rapids, Linn Co., Iowa

Thursday, May 7, 1863

>From the Dubuque Times

>From the 12th Regiment.

Duckport, La., April 17th, 1863.

The 12th Iowa left St. Louis, southward bound, on board the good steamer
"Planet," the 9th of April and reached this place the 14th, having had a
pleasant trip of six days. Duckport, or upper landing of Young's Point, is situated
on Louisiana shore, twelve miles below Milliken's Bend, and three miles above
Point proper. The 3d Division of the 15th Army Corps are encamped here and
are under command of Gen. Tuttle of Iowa. The 8th and 12th are the only Iowa
regiments here, but the 32d, 33d and 35th are expected here to complete an Iowa
Brigade. The 14th Iowa relieved [line obliterated]...supposedly remain
during the summer.
Operations against Vicksburg are going forward rapidly. Several Divisions
of the army are at Carthage and Richmond, and nearly the whole Red River
country is in our possession. A masked battery of Parrott guns has been erected
opposite the doomed city, and last night five gunboats and three transports
freighted with forage and rations ran the blockade in safety. The fourth
transport, the Henry Clay, with two barges was set on fire by rebel shot, and sunk by
our gunboats to prevent it from falling into their hands. The flashes and
reports of the guns were distinctly seen and heard from our camp. To-day the
firing has been quite rapid and the exasperated rebels are venting their wrath
upon the woods.
The health of the troops at this point is good, particularly the 8th and
12th. Our Division is engaged in digging a canal from the river to a bayou,
which, when completed, will allow transports to pass around Vicksburg and into
the river fifteen miles below. The water has been let in and the steam
dredging machines are now at work. It will probably be completed in the course of a
week.
We are encamped in an old cotton field just behind the levee, and the
surface of the river is some three or four feet above our camp ground. The river
is pretty high and much of the country is flooded.
I do not know that this letter will reach you, as it is reported that no
mail is sent North now. More anon.
E. B. S.

[possibly Erastus B. Soper, who wrote a history of Company D, 12th Iowa
Infantry]

Note: The proposed canal, which was one of several projects Grant commenced
during the Vicksburg campaign, was never completed and the project was
abandoned in late March 1863. The canal, had it been successfully completed, would
have created a channel by which Federal gunboats and ships could have bypassed
Vicksburg entirely, and safely. It was also hoped that by channeling the
Mississippi waters through the canal, the very force of the mighty river might
enlarge the canal's channel. This could possibly cause the river levels to drop
before Vicksburg, or possibly change the river's course and leave Vicksburg
far enough from the river's shore so as to nullify its importance as a river
fortress. Difficulties were many, including the sudden raising of the river
level which filled in the canal as they worked. Working in the terrible heat and
humidity, in the malarial conditions of the swampy region, took a terrible
toll on the soldiers employed in the digging and clearing. Another motive for
the digging of the canal was to keep the men busy during the lull as they
settled in around Vicksburg, to keep morale high and bodies active for the upcoming
work ahead.


Sue Trout Reisdorph

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