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

Ran in alongside of the levee for some more. Memphis looks
[117] like a provincial English city. It [is] as if there was
a plague in it. Everything looked so lifeless and dull.
The Conestoga came up from below, bringing the sad news that
the Mound City, in an engagement with the rebels on White
River, had a shot put through her steam chest thereby
scalding a great many of her men and that as they jumped
overboard, the rebels on the battery, with which they were
engaged, opened fire on them in numbers, so that altogether
she lost or killed and wounded one hundred and fifty out of a
total of one hundred and seventy-five on board. Some Indiana
troops now came up and bayoneted the rebs in fine style, not
taking but a few prisoners and amongst them the notorious
colonel Fry of Tennessee and one of the most bloodthirsty and
cruel scoundrels which this secession plague has generated,
but he deny's giving his men orders to fire on them whilst in
the water. It would be foreign to his nature not to do so. I
hope he will get what he merits.
Thursday, June 26th. Nothing worthy of note has occurred the
past week. Money was served out today to part of the crew, I
getting $25.00. Tried hard for five more but could not get
it.
Friday, June 27th. A liberty party composed of "twelve"
petty officers were let go on shore for about "eighty" hours.
At the expiration of the time, four were still ashore.
Received a letter from home today. Nothing new.
Saturday, June 28th. One of our rams arrived from below said
that they had been within two miles of Vicksburg and that it
was being fiercely bombarded. Their yawl boat (ram's) ran
[118] the blockade of the rebel batteries and
heldcommunication with Farragut. She also brought some
orders for us, I imagine, as the remaining boats made
preparations to get under weigh. We were to start in the
afternoon but did not. Answered my wife's letter and
enclosed a few dollar treasury. All the liberty men came
off.
Sunday, June 29th. Got under weigh at 4 A.M., preceded by
the Benton and followed by the Louisville. About twenty
miles down, met the St. Louis and Mound City coming up, the
latter's being almost all sick, they being a fresh crew. We
here lay to for some time and then proceeded slowly on our
way as the Benton stopped for to get the mail. Nothing to be
seen except the same interminable bottoms covered with the
luxuriant summer foliage peculiar to this region.
Occasionally, a plantation would be seen with its cluster of
Negro dwellings and, standing aloof from its humbler
neighbors, the white house of the planter could be descried,
70