A Day in the Life of the Confederacy
Dec. 24, 1862 - Jan. 1, 1863
12 24 1862 [Wednesday]
We left Dalton at six o¹clock and travled to Atlanta, Ga., reaching there a little before sunset. About dark we
left Atlanta and arrived at West Point, Georgia about three o¹clock Christmas morning. (Stamper)
12 25 1862 [Thursday]
The Colonel treated the boys and some of them got a little too much. Some of them got pretty tight and were
quite funny all day. We left West Point about twelve o¹clock and arrived at Montgomery, Alabama, about
eleven at night. There we had to change cars. As soon as we stopped, the teamsters drove up in their drays
and we soon had our baggage all packed and ready for the move. We marched across town to the Mobile road
and after loading remained there till morning. (Stamper)
While at Montgomery, Alabama enroute to Jackson, Miss., Pvt. Bejhamin C. Giddents, Co. G, 3rd Tenn.
Infantry penned these words to his wife:
³I am ankcious [sic] to get away from this place for I never saw so
many Strumpets and their audacity and vulgarity is beyond all
reason. I think that my company has not spent less than 200
hundred dollars after the nasty whores. Some of our company that I
thought were decent strange to say have turned from the path of
virtue how lost to all that is virtours and good. Just now while I am writing,
received an invitation from an officer to go to one of these houses of ill
fame. There was two strumpets in camp today in their fine carriage and
dressed in their silk. She invited the whole company to come to her house
to night. I thought to myself that she was bad off.² (84)
12 26 1862 [Friday]
We started for Mobile. We traveled all day and all night. (Stamper)
Some five months later, Capt. E. O. Guerrant, A.A.G. on Gen. Humphrey Marshall¹s staff would remark of his
train journey through Alabama: ³At every depot little boys, & sometimes girls, crowded the cars to sell
cakes, ripe apples, plums, black berry pies, gubber peas, --dewberries &c. &c.&c. Everything worth Œhalf a
dollar¹, calculated by Œbits¹, Œtwo biits, & 3 bits, four bits¹. (Œbit¹=12-1/2 c¹ts) Ripe plums, black berries,
raspberries & dewberries lined the roads through Alabama.²
12 27 1862 [Saturday]
At daylight we came to Tensaw wharf [twenty-five miles above Mobile] and took the boat, leaving this point
about twelve o¹clock. About an hour by sun we arrived at Mobile. All were interested upon our arrival to see
such a number of boats, forts, blockades, etc. (Stamper)
12 28 1862 [Sunday]
We left Mobile at seven o¹clock this morning. At sunset we arrived at Meridian. Here we changed cars. We
lay here all day. (Stamper)
Our (59th Tenn.) journey to Vicksburg was a succession of ovations all the way. The approaching enemy
from the west excited the people, who were cheers, smiles, bouquets and good things generally.
12 29 1862 [Monday]
At ten o¹clock we left Meridian for Jackson, Mississippi on what is called Southern R.R. We did not reach
Jackson but lay over in a little town called Forest. It rained all night but the boys took shelter in the cars and
under sheds, etc. spreading their beds on cotton bales. W. D. and I found a lodging place in a good lady¹s
house in a good bed. We wanted to pay the lady but she would not charge a ³soldier,² so we did well that
time. (Stamper)
We were greeted everywhere by the old men and ladies, who showered their cakes, apples, bouquets and
blessings upon us, but as soon as we crossed the line into Miss. the scenee changed and we were no longer
greeted by the fair sex, and soldiers are treated with less respect and more contempt in Miss. than any State
in the Confederacy, and there is no exception to this rule in favor of volunteers from this State, all are looked
upon as men tolls in the hands of Presiden Davis, to work out the salvation of Mississippi with. (George
Hynds, Capt., Co. C, 31st Tenn.]
12 30 1862 [Tuesday]
At about eight o¹clock this morning we struck out for Jackson. We arrived there about four o¹clock. We
began to unload our cars as we expected to change trains there. We were told in a short time that we would
not change cars but go immediately to Vicksburg. We drew our rations, cooked supper and one days rations
and lay down to sleep, it now being about eight o¹clock. (Stamper)
12 31 1862 [Wednesday]
We did not get transportation so we remained in Jackson all day.
01 01 1863 [Thursday]
Left Jackson at 8 o¹clock A. M. and arrived at Vicksburg at 8 o¹clock P. M....and moved at once upon the
Yazoo River where fighting was in progress (47, Spradling)
The brigade was immediately marched to bayou (Bluffs), just north of the city, where Sherman was
attempting a landing (frontal attack), but after some skirmishing the Federals retreated.
The 43rd Tenn. regiment arrived at Vicksburg on the first day of January, where, with the Third, Thirty-
first, and Fifty-ninth Tennessee regiments, it was assigned to duty under command of Brig.-gen [sic] A. W.
[Arlexander W.] Reynolds, as the fourth brigade of [Maj.gen. Carter Littlepage, USMA Œ38] Stevenson¹s
Division.
This is a beautiful New Year¹s Day. Eight Companies left for Vicksburg about nine o¹clock. The other two
Companies did not get away until about dark. I was with the hindmost train. We reached Vicksburg about
midnight but did not get with the Regiment that night as they had gone to the battle-ground, or rather to the
rifle pits. We lay on the side of the railroad and tried to sleep a little but the cars kept up such puffing and
blowing up and down the road, it was impossible to sleep with any satisfaction. While we were trying to sleep,
someone made free to take our skillet without promosing to bring it back. Thus it appears that we do not
have much seriousness upon battle occasions. I suppose, though, that he wished to prepare rations for the
next day or he would not have taken our skillet. (Stamper)
Mississippi, near Vicksburg. Dear Wife, I this eavening drop yew a few lines to let yew know that I am not
varey well at this time nor hant bin sens christmas I have the diore and a bad cold . . . wee got to vits burg
last thurs evavoning and was orderd out to the camp ground that nit wee went three miles out to the camp
ground and left our tents (James Lockmiller)
We left Dalton at six o¹clock and travled to Atlanta, Ga., reaching there a little before sunset. About dark we
left Atlanta and arrived at West Point, Georgia about three o¹clock Christmas morning. (Stamper)
12 25 1862 [Thursday]
The Colonel treated the boys and some of them got a little too much. Some of them got pretty tight and were
quite funny all day. We left West Point about twelve o¹clock and arrived at Montgomery, Alabama, about
eleven at night. There we had to change cars. As soon as we stopped, the teamsters drove up in their drays
and we soon had our baggage all packed and ready for the move. We marched across town to the Mobile road
and after loading remained there till morning. (Stamper)
While at Montgomery, Alabama enroute to Jackson, Miss., Pvt. Bejhamin C. Giddents, Co. G, 3rd Tenn.
Infantry penned these words to his wife:
³I am ankcious [sic] to get away from this place for I never saw so
many Strumpets and their audacity and vulgarity is beyond all
reason. I think that my company has not spent less than 200
hundred dollars after the nasty whores. Some of our company that I
thought were decent strange to say have turned from the path of
virtue how lost to all that is virtours and good. Just now while I am writing,
received an invitation from an officer to go to one of these houses of ill
fame. There was two strumpets in camp today in their fine carriage and
dressed in their silk. She invited the whole company to come to her house
to night. I thought to myself that she was bad off.² (84)
12 26 1862 [Friday]
We started for Mobile. We traveled all day and all night. (Stamper)
Some five months later, Capt. E. O. Guerrant, A.A.G. on Gen. Humphrey Marshall¹s staff would remark of his
train journey through Alabama: ³At every depot little boys, & sometimes girls, crowded the cars to sell
cakes, ripe apples, plums, black berry pies, gubber peas, --dewberries &c. &c.&c. Everything worth Œhalf a
dollar¹, calculated by Œbits¹, Œtwo biits, & 3 bits, four bits¹. (Œbit¹=12-1/2 c¹ts) Ripe plums, black berries,
raspberries & dewberries lined the roads through Alabama.²
12 27 1862 [Saturday]
At daylight we came to Tensaw wharf [twenty-five miles above Mobile] and took the boat, leaving this point
about twelve o¹clock. About an hour by sun we arrived at Mobile. All were interested upon our arrival to see
such a number of boats, forts, blockades, etc. (Stamper)
12 28 1862 [Sunday]
We left Mobile at seven o¹clock this morning. At sunset we arrived at Meridian. Here we changed cars. We
lay here all day. (Stamper)
Our (59th Tenn.) journey to Vicksburg was a succession of ovations all the way. The approaching enemy
from the west excited the people, who were cheers, smiles, bouquets and good things generally.
12 29 1862 [Monday]
At ten o¹clock we left Meridian for Jackson, Mississippi on what is called Southern R.R. We did not reach
Jackson but lay over in a little town called Forest. It rained all night but the boys took shelter in the cars and
under sheds, etc. spreading their beds on cotton bales. W. D. and I found a lodging place in a good lady¹s
house in a good bed. We wanted to pay the lady but she would not charge a ³soldier,² so we did well that
time. (Stamper)
We were greeted everywhere by the old men and ladies, who showered their cakes, apples, bouquets and
blessings upon us, but as soon as we crossed the line into Miss. the scenee changed and we were no longer
greeted by the fair sex, and soldiers are treated with less respect and more contempt in Miss. than any State
in the Confederacy, and there is no exception to this rule in favor of volunteers from this State, all are looked
upon as men tolls in the hands of Presiden Davis, to work out the salvation of Mississippi with. (George
Hynds, Capt., Co. C, 31st Tenn.]
12 30 1862 [Tuesday]
At about eight o¹clock this morning we struck out for Jackson. We arrived there about four o¹clock. We
began to unload our cars as we expected to change trains there. We were told in a short time that we would
not change cars but go immediately to Vicksburg. We drew our rations, cooked supper and one days rations
and lay down to sleep, it now being about eight o¹clock. (Stamper)
12 31 1862 [Wednesday]
We did not get transportation so we remained in Jackson all day.
01 01 1863 [Thursday]
Left Jackson at 8 o¹clock A. M. and arrived at Vicksburg at 8 o¹clock P. M....and moved at once upon the
Yazoo River where fighting was in progress (47, Spradling)
The brigade was immediately marched to bayou (Bluffs), just north of the city, where Sherman was
attempting a landing (frontal attack), but after some skirmishing the Federals retreated.
The 43rd Tenn. regiment arrived at Vicksburg on the first day of January, where, with the Third, Thirty-
first, and Fifty-ninth Tennessee regiments, it was assigned to duty under command of Brig.-gen [sic] A. W.
[Arlexander W.] Reynolds, as the fourth brigade of [Maj.gen. Carter Littlepage, USMA Œ38] Stevenson¹s
Division.
This is a beautiful New Year¹s Day. Eight Companies left for Vicksburg about nine o¹clock. The other two
Companies did not get away until about dark. I was with the hindmost train. We reached Vicksburg about
midnight but did not get with the Regiment that night as they had gone to the battle-ground, or rather to the
rifle pits. We lay on the side of the railroad and tried to sleep a little but the cars kept up such puffing and
blowing up and down the road, it was impossible to sleep with any satisfaction. While we were trying to sleep,
someone made free to take our skillet without promosing to bring it back. Thus it appears that we do not
have much seriousness upon battle occasions. I suppose, though, that he wished to prepare rations for the
next day or he would not have taken our skillet. (Stamper)
Mississippi, near Vicksburg. Dear Wife, I this eavening drop yew a few lines to let yew know that I am not
varey well at this time nor hant bin sens christmas I have the diore and a bad cold . . . wee got to vits burg
last thurs evavoning and was orderd out to the camp ground that nit wee went three miles out to the camp
ground and left our tents (James Lockmiller)