THE CIVIL WAR DIARY OF JOHN G. MORRISON 1861-1865

queer-looking craft was observed crossing above us this
afternoon in a heavy rain. We fired a shell over it and
sent a boat to see what it was. It proved to be a poor old
man and his family fleeing from hunger and high water. The
woman looked pitiable indeed. They went down towards the
Miss. After they had been gone a little way, the captain
sent a boat after them with some food. They were very glad
to get it, the woman declaring it was the first wheat bread
she tasted in eighteen months.
May 23, Saturday. Boats passing up and down in numbers.
Another lot of refugees came down from above, the rebs
having driven them out as they were "French" and flew the
tri-color on their flat boat. Splendid news from grant
"but no sign of a mail." Awful lonesome here.
May 24, Sunday. Divine service and muster at 10 A.M.
About noon the gunboat "Pittsburg" came up from "Bayou
Sara." She had a mail, she said. My heart went up like a
rocket to think it had arrived at last but it came down
like a stick when I learned there was nothing for me.
According to her news, Vicksburg and Port Hudson can only
hold out a few days longer. I wish they were taken as I
want to get home, not
[91] having heard from there in Six weeks.
May 29, Friday. Not a sail of any sort have we seen for
the past four days. We might as well be in the desert of
Sahara as here for all the conexion we have with the outer
world. I have often been told that it was a queer country
where nobody lived and indeed for the last two weeks I have
[had] a chance to realize what is meant in that sensible,
foolish saying. Signed accounts with the purser up to
March 31st, 1863, and find a balance of $189.97 in my
favor. Turned in at 8 P.M. About 8.15 P.M. a rocket
blazing through the air announced the arrival of a boat.
Immediatly everything was in an uproar at the prospect of a
mail. We answered the signal but I did not turn out as we
had been deceived so often. I soon after fell asleep.
May 30, Saturday. Turned out at 12 A.M. to keep watch and
found that the "Price" had arrived from Vicksburg. Little
Peter had two letters and lots of news for me. I was soon
on deck reading the letters by the light of the
Quartermaster's lamp. I read them both twice over my
hunger for news from home. One of them was from my wife
and the other from Tom Gillespie. Both of them contained
some very pleasant news. At 2 A.M. I wrote an answer to my
wife's letter. In the forenoon the purser told me that he
had orders to pay me off tomorrow. "Ye gods and little
fishes," how tickled I felt. I would have given a cheer if
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