[David is David McKinney; Dixon McClure is another Peoria soldier; I don’t know anything about Major Jordan.]

No 6

Vicksburg Oct 26 1863

Monday, Morning

My Dearest Wife

We have at last arrived in Vicksburg. I surely expected to be in New Orleans this morning but owing to Sand Bars and the sinking of our Barge we have been detained very much. we arrived here last night about Midnight and will probably not get away from here before evening, as we have a considerable amount of freight to take off. I do not suppose we shall see Orleans before Thursday or Friday. So far we have been very fortunate in not having been shot at by the Gurrill[?]s, and from here down there is not much danger of any thing of that Kind. I have [p2] not yet been up in the City and therefore have learned no news of any Kind. Every thing around here looks very natural and there appears to be no change since I left over two months ago. This is as far South as I have ever been and every thing hereafter will be new to me. I feel this morning as if I were leaving every thing familiar behind me, and I begin to fear I shall have a  fit of the blues though I must confess I have been troubled with that disease most of the time since I left you. Yesterday was a very lonely day to me. I thought of you very often and imagined I could see you attending church and Sunday School. We have a Chaplain on board belonging to a New Hampshire Regiment. we pressed him into the service in the morning and exactly at Eleven Oclock [p3] our services commenced. I thought that at the same hour you would be sitting in church listening to Mr Johnson. We had a very good sermon but still I would have exchanged places willingly with some person of your congragation and taken my seat along side of you. I wrote you two letters from Helena, one on Wednesday and one on Friday, during all that time we were fast aground on a Sand Bar. New Orleans is just four hundred miles from here, but the Captain thinks he can run down in forty eight Hours as he intends leaving our Barge here, and there is plenty of water to float us without running any danger of Sand Bars. I did hope to get to the Regiment before the 31^st of this month, but I am afraid I shall miss it. That day is our [p4] muster day and if I am not there they will have to report me absent without leave, this will put me to some trouble to place myself right on the Rolls, but if I can get them before the Rolls are sent to Washington I can arrange it without any trouble I have not yet learned anything about David, whether he has succ-eded in joining the Regiment or not, but presume he has. I am going up into the city after while and shall not close this letter until I can see what I can learn—

I am now sitting in Maj Jordans office and will finish this letter here. Maj Jordan is Chief Paymaster of this Department, and is the Gent who wrote his regrets from St Louis that he could not attend our wedding. He is a very nice man [p5] and says he intended coming up to our Wedding, but he received orders a day or two before he started which made it impossible for him to leave. There is no news here of any Kind. Dixon McClures Regiment is out at Black River, twelve miles from here and will probably remain all Winter. If I were there with my command I beleive I should send for you, but you see I am not but with my usual luck am sent as far away as possible. I believe our Corps is farther away from their homes than any other Troops in the services. I can not learn any thing here about my Regiment. I have seen New Orleans Papers of the 20^th but it says nothing about our Corps. I expect I shall not be able to get to them at present [p6] Gen Banks was in the City on the 20^th if he is there when I arrive and I am not able to get to my Regiment, I shall make a big effort to get an order to proceed to Ill and recruit for my Regiment. I see that the president has issued a proclamation calling for three hundred thousand Voll. I should not be surprised if I should get the order I am after, but still it is uncer-tain, therefore do not place to much confidence in it and expect to see me in Peoria. I do not know if I should happen to go to Peoria unexpectedly whether it would be best to go at first home, or whether to go to your home, if you should be there, in this I shall be guided entirely by you, but you must be sure and tell me exactly [p7] your opinion about it, and not for politeness sake invite me to your house, always remember now, that I am your husband, and nearer to you than any other living being, Father, Mother, Brother or Sister not excepted, therefore you should Keep nothing from me, but always tell me the exact truth although sometimes it might be disagree-able to do so. I feel this way towards you, I feel that you are my own dear Wife and I am willing and ready to desert all and everybody for you. your happiness and welfare shall always be in my mind and I shall consider it my duty to neglect every thing for you. The next letter I write you will be from New Orleans Then I hope I shall be able to [p8] give you all the particulars where I am going and when. I am in strong in the hopes that I shall see you soon. I have not yet heard one word from or about you since I parted from you at El Paso, and I am beginning to feel anxious about you. I trust however that you are well and happy. Do my darling Wife write me often and remember that I shall always remain

Your Devoted Husband

D.P.Grier

[This is the last letter before DPG goes back to Illinois to get married! David McKinney is headed back for the wedding too. Not sure which General Hovey is being referred to — probably Alvin. Lt. Col. Lysander Webb, who will be killed in the battle of Mansfield/Sabine Crossroads, and the widely-disliked Maj. Hotchkiss are officers in the 77th IL from Peoria.

DPG always signs his name with his initials, but his full name is David Perkins Grier. The Perkins is his mother’s maiden name — Elizabeth Perkins Grier. He is referred to by family members in their letters are “Perk”. From this letter it seems that that is not just a nickname, but his preferred name, although for formal wedding purposes he opts for D.P. Seems like he’s not a fan of “David”.]

Vicksburg Aug 9 1863

Sunday Afternoon

My Dearest Anna

Your very welcome letter of the 28^th came to hand day before yesterday, some time had passed since I had heard from you before and I had about made up my mind that you did not intend writing to me any more, but I beleive still in the old saying, better late than never and I assure you your letter was joyfully received.

From some days past we have been expected to be moved every day for the purpose off going into camp at Natchez. This was the order in the first place, but two or three days ago, these orders were changed [p2] and we are now under orders to go to Port Hudson + report to Gen Banks, this takes us out of Grants Department, and places us in the department of the Gulf. I find that this causes general dissatisfaction throughout the Corps as every one thought we were far enough from home before. I should not be surprised if we should turn up in Texas this winter. Gen Smith has been removed from the command of our division and takes command at Columbus Col Landrum is now commanding the Division and I am in command of the Brigade. I suppose this is mere temporarily as I understand that our Division is to be consolidated with Gen Hovey’s and placed until the command of some Maj General. I called at Gen Grant’s yesterday and learned that my application [p3] had been forwarded to Washington and that my leave would get here about the 20^th of this month.

I do not think we will get of to Port Hudson for some days yet, as Steam Boats are very scarce. I am in hopes that we may not get started before the last of the month for then I should not go down but start from here to Peoria, so I may possibly get in Peoria a little earlier than I anticipated. David will get his leave in a day or two and may probably leave a little earlier than he expected on this same account, he will only have a twenty day furlough. I see in your letter that you are very positive about the wedding, and that I must not say another word about the day. now my dear Anna I would not say anything in the world that would offend [p4] you and I really do not like now to say anything more about the day but I do wish you would take all the things I have been telling you in this letter into consideration and if possible for you to get ready, have the cards printed for the 24^th September. This is only one week ahead of your time, and it is worth four common weeks to me. I hope you will not think me obstinate and stubborn in thus insisting with you on this day, and I assure you I would not think of so doing if I did not feel that I should like to be this much longer with you. You ask me about how I should like my name in the cards, now I do not care which way you have it I always sign my name as D.P. and I do not Know but it would be better to have the initials than to have it Perkins, but I shall leave it entirely with you and shall feel perfectly satisfied [p5] with whatever you do.

I suppose you have seen before this Col Webb + Major Hotchkiss and received from them all the news from this part of the country. I wrote you a letter a few days ago and sent by the Sutler. Have you thought anything about where you would like to go, after our Wedding. I wish to leave that entirely with you. I suppose we had better take a trip east, do you not think so? Only a few more weeks now and I shall see you again. I can hardly realize that this is so. I am beginning to get very restless and wish the time would pass along a little more quickly. Write me soon and beleive me dear Anna to be as ever

Yours Devotedly

D.P.G.

[So it seems like David McKinney is going to be the best man at the wedding. I haven’t found in our collection the photo DPG mentions of himself and Col. Landram/Landrum of the 19th KY in his tent, which kills me.]

Vicksburg August 5^th 1863

My Dearest Anna

I wrote you only a few days ago and since then have received no letters from you, but as our Letters leave for Peoria to day, I thought I could not let so good an opportunity pass by without writing you a few lines. I find it rather difficult to write Letters now days or in fact to do any thing else, on account of the intense heat. I do not think you can form any idea of what heat is until you are down in this part of the country for a short time. Part or our Corps have been moved to Natchez and our Division moves next. The Boats will probably be back here for us about day after to morrow. The Troops that [p2] are now down there represent it as a beautiful place, much handsomer than any other city on this River, and also cooler than it is here, although it is one hundred miles further south. We are quite lonely here now as nearly all of our officers have gone home on Furlough. We have sent from the 77^th seventeen officers and about Thirty men. they will all be back by the last of this month. I made my application for leave a  day or two since. Upon inquiring I found that Gen Grant had only power to give for twenty days leave and that to get a longer one the papers must be sent to Washington. I made out my Papers, and had them strongly approved by all intermediate commanders and Gen Grant then approved them and forwarded to Washington. I will get my leave about the 1^st of September and leave about the [p3] 5^th and return to my post by the 1^st of November. this will enable me to get home about the 12th I have been consulting the Almanac since I last wrote you and find that the 20^th Sept comes on Sunday. now the 24^th comes on the next Thursday and it is just one week before the 1^st October could you not possibly make your arrangement’s so that we could be married on the 24^th this would give me a week longer with you after we are married providing you do not come with me. You Know we wish to take quite a trip after we are married and if it is not until the 1^st October we will not have much time. I would like to have time enough to make the trip and stay some time in Peoria after our return. I do wish you could make your arrangements so that this could be done, it will [p4] only alter your arrangements one week, and you Know one week is quite an item, for a soldier on furlough. This would also give me twelve days to be with you before the wedding, please give this proposition your thoughts, and write me in your next letter what you think about it. David will also leave on the 5^th Sept. but will only have a twenty day furlough he is going to stand up with us and will just about have time to stay, until the 24^th. I think when you take all these things into consideration that you will agree with me on this point.

I feel that I have said a great deal about this as I Know perfectly well that it is the Lady’s privalege to set the day for the wedding and that I should not have said so much about it. I beg your pardon [p5] for so doing, and should not have done so, if I had not felt so anxious to be with you as much as possible. I wish very much to bring you down to Natchez with me, and certainly will be in favor of doing it, if we remain there any time after the 1^st November When that time arrives we will be better able to tell about it. I am getting very anxious that the days would move around a little faster, last week was very long to me, and I expect every one will seem longer. Just think nearly one year has passed since I last saw you a great many changes have taken place in that time, but I can truly say none with me as regards my feelings towards you, only that I feel that I love you better than I ever did [p6] before, and I feel perfectly well convinced that I shall find you unchanged in this respect, and that I still have your love.

I send home to day a Dagurrotype of my Tent, with Col. Landrum + myself enjoying camp life. We were taking it very easy the other day while the weather was very hot, and we concluded that we would make the Gentleman who was taking Pictures in my camp take us, which he accordingly did. the next time you are up at our house ask the folks to let you see it, and then you can form some idea how we live down in this country.

I wish when you receive this you would write immedianty so that I will receive the letter before I leave for home, it takes now about either or nine days for our letters to reach us, so that you can continue to write to me until about [p7] the 25^th or 26^th of the month – so please write me lots of letters during the balance of this month, for it will be some time again before you will have to write me again. I shall be terribly disappointed if I do not get a letter from you by next mail. Beleive me as ever

Yours only

DPGrier

[Vicksburg surrenders to the Union on July 4th! Supposedly the city didn’t celebrate the 4th of July for another 80-some years out of pique.]

Vicksburg July 4 1863

Dear Anna

At last I date my letter at the far famed city of Vicksburg. This morning at two oclock the Rebels surrendered and we have been celebrating the fourth gloriously. I have been over the entire City, visiting all their works +C and must say that it is the strongest fortified place I ever saw. I noticed that scarcely a house had escaped having a shell put through them and in some cases some Houses were entirely demolished. I visited a great many of their caves dug in the Hills and found them full of women + children [p2] We have captured a great quantity of Arms Cannons +C and about Twenty five thousand prisoners. The latter are all to be paroled and will go into camp somewhere down here until exchanged. Taking the whole thing through since we crossed the Mississippi River this Army have had a great many victories and glorious ones. I think it will pay up for the disgrace our Eastern folks are undergoing. We have received orders, this evening to march in the morning with all our Baggage. Our whole Army have received the same orders excepting some two or three divisions to hold this place

our destination is for the Black River, to give Gen Joe Johnson as good a whipping as he has ever received. I think we shall have to follow him to Jackson and very probably he will not stop [p3] there. I do not think we will follow him further than that place. I do not Know where we will go after this is settled, but I really hope we shall be allowed to go into camp somewhere as I am about worn out and would like some rest. I think by the time this affair is settled with Johnson that it will be about the time I am to come home, and I shall certainly make my appearance then at the appointed time so look out for me and be sure and be ready –

We are having very noisy times here to night. The Soldiers are celebrating the 4^th and the taking of Vicksburg by a grand display of Fire Works. I wish you would write to me very often – direct to Vicksburg and the Letters will be sure to follow the Regiment. We are going to have an awful hot time marching, and I expect [p4] to see the men suffer terribly with the dust and heat. I will have to write you a short letter this evening as I have a great deal to do before I go in the way of packing up +C Do dear Anna write me soon + often and believe me as ever

Yours only

DPGrier

[Back to Vicksburg after the capture of Jackson. Things are going well for the Union Army in the western theater, but DPG mostly just wants to hurry up and get married already.]

Vicksburg July 25 1863

My Dear Anna

At last we are in Vicksburg. We arrived here from Jackson yesterday and are now in camp in the south side of the city, from what I can learn, we will probably remain here for two or three months. I have not been able to write you many Letters of late as we have been constantly on the move and no chances of sending them away, but hereafter I shall flood you with epistles until I can see you in person. I can write you but a few lines to night, and have been hard at work all day fixing up camp and I feel very unwell and tired this evening, indeed I [p2] should not have written at all this evening, only I wish to send it up by the adjutant who leaves for home on furlough in the morning. We have had a very hot + dusty march to Jackson and back, and I feel nearly worn out. I do not beleive I ever have had so much forced on me before, as I have experienced during the last three months, and I now feel that we are entitled to some few months rest. I see you are determined that we shall not be married until the 1^st of October. Your reasons are very good and so let it be, although ten days would not make much difference. I tell you what I wish you would do, have everything ready so that if I should be compelled to come home sooner than the time now set, you could be married say [p3] on the 20^th and if I can arrange it, so that I need not leave here so soon why we will say that the 1^st October is the day. I will try and do this. I can not be able to be in Peoria more than ten days before the Wedding as every day that I am there before the Wedding cuts off that marry afterwards. I only wish that you would think that ten days would not make any difference in the weather as it is really important to me. I never should have pressed it so much as I have if I had not had excellent good reasons which I will tell you when I see you. I will write you a long Letter in a day or two. write me often and very soon and beleive me as ever yours only

DPGrier

[Part one of two. Clearly DPG has a bit of a problem with the Eastern half of the Union Army. Edwin Stevens is the captain of Company E of the 77th IL.]

Near Vicksburg, June 30^th 1863

My Very Dear Anna,

Your exceedingly welcome letter of the 17^th came safely to hand last evening by the hands of Capt Stevens, if you had sent it by mail it would have come through at least four or five days sooner and then by this time I might have received another from you that is if you would do as you should and write me about twice a week. do you not think I have been doing remarkably well for the last few weeks gen-erally writing you twice a week and sometimes three times. Capt Stevens gives a glowing account of his visit at Peoria and especially [p2] of you. he said he had taken Tea at your house and enjoyed his visit exceedingly. he gave me a long account of how you looked and what you said and I assure you I was highly pleased with listening to him and could have Kept him talking all Night on the subject he was highly pleased and congrat-ulated me on my success in getting such a nice young Lady. you may be sure that I entirely agreed with him on this point as you are already aware. He said he tried to draw you out about me, but he did not succeed as you seemed to be perfectly unconscious on that point. I had just arrived at this point in my letter when the mail came in and among my Letters I found one from you dated Peoria 22^d, for this please accept my thanks. I feel deeply grateful to [p3] you for this and I will write you one or two extra letters for it. You can not form an idea how glad I am to get a letter from you my dear Anna I really beleive if you knew the great pleasure they give me you would write at least twice as many as you do. We are still in front of Vicksburg and daily getting closer to the Rebels. our works are now nearly touching theirs and we can shake hands across with the Rebs. I think before many days our forces will make another assault and I think will probably go into the city, though I am afraid a good many men will lose their lives in the attempt. I am becoming very tired of this seige and I belive I am about ready to make another charge on the Gentlemen although I must confess I dread [p4] the terrible fight we will have.

We are now mining several of the largest Forts and in a few days will blow them up, and then the Rebs must look out for a big rush of Yankees. I rather think they are laying ready for us and will give us the best they have on hand – but of course we must expect to be shot at pretty well to gain such a prize as Vicksburg will be – and then I think we will Capture enough Rebels, so that we will have enough to exchange for the Troops that we are in loosing in our brave eastern Army. Ever since this war commenced our Army in the West have been kept busy gaining victories to pay up for the heavy losses we have met with in the East.

[Continued …]

[The Confederate general DPG refers to is Joseph E. Johnston, who eventually did make his way toward Vicksburg, but was ineffectual; Vicksburg fell to the Union, Jefferson Davis said, for “want of provisions inside and a general outside who would not fight.”]

In Field Rear of Vicksburg

June 5^th 1863

My Dear Anna

As one of our Soldiers leaves for Illinois to morrow, I thought I would write you a few lines although I only wrote you last Saturday and since then have not heard any thing from you. We are still beseig-ing Vicksburg and still the Rebs are holding, hoping that Johnson will come to their relief. I do not think they can hold out a great deal longer for if reports are true the Gentlemen must begin to feel hungry by this time. I wish they would give up the place for the weather is getting intensely hot, and I would like to look out for some cooler spot for my summer retreat. [p2] If the enemy should hold this place until Johnson should attack us we would have a bloody time before Vicksburg could be called ours. I feel confident however that we shall take the place though we may loose a great many more lives in doing it. If we capture the Rebel Army in Vicksburg I am in favor of hanging every man of them, and thus pay for the lives our Army have lost in the several attempts we have made to capture the place. I find it rather hard work to write this afternoon, for our Artillery seems to be possessed and are Keeping up a tremendous fire over our heads, and occasionly a Rebel shell is thrown over at us to remind us that they are still there – so you must feel thankful for this Letter, written under such [p3] circumstances. I am now beginning to count the weeks until the 1^st September and soon shall begin to count the days. I look forward to this with a great deal of anxiety, and only wish that the time would fly around a little faster. I feel so confidant that I shall be so very happy when you become my wife that I really fret that time moves along so slowly, but I shall try and get along as well as I can until that time comes – I was talking to David the other day about our Wedding, and told him he had better not try to get a furlough until I went up, as I would like to see him at the Wedding. So I think you will not see him then until that time. I suppose you must have had a very busy time during the session of the General Assembly, and you must be [p4] greatly releived at their departure. Yesterday was Eight Months since I last saw you. A long time is it not, but I am bound, that when I see you again, I shall always Keep you in my sight, for you Know if you become a soldiers Wife you will have to learn to be a soldier too – and then I love you too well to live away from you so I guess you will have to come along with me. I can not write you any more to day but will write you again in two or three days. Write me soon and often and beleive me as ever

Devotedly Yours

D.P.Grier

[Continued from part one. Again, McClerland should be read as McClernand. Smith and David McKinney are Anna’s brothers. I don’t know who served as best man at their wedding in the end; I’m pretty sure David didn’t get leave to go back to IL, however. And here DPG explains why we have no letters from Anna for the blog. Why, Anna?!]

[p6] You seem to think my dear Anna that you had not much influence over me, in this you are entirely mistaken for I assure you, that you have great influence over me, more probably than you are aware of, a great deal more, I Know, than any other living person. You Know that I love you dearly, even better than my own life, and that nothing that I could do to make you in the least happy, would be left undone. Every particle of advice, and every wish of yours, that you write me about, I store up in my mind and try to do as you wish or advise. Your influence with me is above every thing else and far superior to all others, and you must be careful how you use it, but then I Know very well it will be for my good and yours, and feeling this, I more willingly follow [p7] your wishes and advice. You say that you want me to gather up all your Letters and burn them. do you remember me telling you once that I always burned all your letters, if I thought I was going into any expedition where any danger was to be apprehended. well when we reached the River opposite Grand Gulf over a month ago and orders came to prepare to cross, I immediately built a fire, opened my Trunk took out all my Letters, {some two hundred in number} and consigned them to the flames. among them were all the Letters I had received from you since leaving Peoria Eight Months ago. it was very hard for me to burn them and I hesitated some time about doing so, but I had promised you that I would do so, and I kept my promise [p8] I am sure you would have no reason to be ashamed, even if other eyes had seen them. I would rather think that they did you honor, for I am sure, no one that I Know of can write better one and the only thing I ever objected too, was that they were not long enough.

If I am alive you can certainly expect me home about the twentieth of August, and let us set the day and say our Wedding shall come off on the 1^st of September. I will try and arrange it so that I can stay away from my command until about the tenth of October, and then if we are so situated you can come along, if it should be so that you can not come with me at the time. I will try and get it so arranged that you can do so very soon. I have strong hopes now, that I shall get my appointment [p9] as Brig General for I was told by a person that heard it, that Gen McClerland had said that I had earned my promotion in the charge the other day, and that I should have it. if this is so, and I guess it is, why I think it will come some of these days. do not say anything about this, for it might not amount to anything in the end. If I should get this I think I can get command of some Post without much difficulty for I can plead weariness of the Field, having served over two years in it, and then most of our Brigadiers are ambitious and wish active service and thus give them a chance of winning further promotion, but for myself, I beleive I would enjoy a retired life with you for my Wife better than all the honors that [p10] the World or old Abe can bestow. So dear Anna be sure and be ready at that time. I shall be there sure if I am in this World, which may God grant. Who are you going to have for Bridemaids and who shall I have. I have not thought of any one yet. Smith and I made a bargain a long time ago that if he were married first that I was to stand up with him and if I went of first, he was to perform the same Kind deed for me, but he is married and I suppose it will not do for a married man to stand up a at a Wedding. If David can get home with me I am going to have him, for there is no unmarried man that I think so much off, or who I would prefer to him. When you write tell me all about these things. We must now begin to attend [p11] to all these minor things as three months will soon roll around.

I have written you quite a long Letter this time as it is late in the Evening and I had nothing else to do I shall now write you regularly as we can now get our letters away with some prospects of them getting to you. I wish in writing to me that you would state the date of my Letters that you receive and where written. I will then Know whether all I write reach you safely. We are now awakened every morning by all our Artillery and the Gun Boats firing shell into Vicksburg – this they continue for one hour. Just imagine one thousand cannon firing at one time, with the whistling of the shell as they pass over our heads and then say if a person can sleep. They open at daylight and so rob me of my deepest sleep [p12]

Write me soon my dearest Anna and remember one

as yours + yours only

D.P.Grier

[Part one of two. Still besieging Vicksburg, and will be until its surrender on July 4. DPG here refers to “General McClerland” but I think he means McClernand, who Grant disliked and managed to get rid of during the Vicksburg campaign.]

In Field Rear of Vicksburg

May 30^th 1863, Saturday Evening

My Dear Anna

Your exceedingly inter-esting Letter of the 20^th May reached me day before yesterday. This Letter came quicker than any I have had the pleasure of receiving for some time back. We now have an open Mail communication by the way of Harris Bluff, and our mails come very regularly, though we are not able to send our letters away so readily, as there is only about one Boat a week leave for the North. I suppose you are still having a very busy time with the Preachers + the General Assembly, though probably by the time this reaches you they will all have departed and left old Peoria alone in its glory. [p2] I can well imagine the trouble + confusion you have had with all the crowd with you, and feel truly thankful that I am not there to see it all. A few Preachers around occasionly will do well enough, but such a heavy dose taken all together is rather to much of a good thing. I understand that the Assembly is unusually well represented this year, by young Preachers and I have no doubt but a great many have departed leaving their hearts behind them.

We are still lying up within a few yards of the Rebel Fortifications around Vicksburg, and still the Rebs hold out. We are making a regular Siege of it and I think before many days have passed, Vicksburg will be ours. I wish they would hurry up and surrender, for I would like to get into camp again and have a little quiet time [p3] after the tedious and exciting times we have been having during the last six weeks. Just think I have been engaged in four Battles during that time, and marched two hundred miles, and the last battle was the bloodiest and most desperate ever fought in this country. Gen McClerland said that the 77^th had made the most brilliant + desperate charge he had ever heard of, either in ancient or modern times. I should think myself it was, for we lost nearly every other man and I have not yet been able to see how one solitary man of us got back alive, to tell the tale. Nothing will ever induce me again to take either myself or men into such a charge, for it is nothing more nor less than downright Murder, to go into such a place. I will give you one instance. Just after we had planted [p4] our Flag on the Fort, a Sergeant and Eleven men crossed over into the Fort. the Sergeant by running a bayonet through one Rebel, beating the Brains out with the But of his musket of another, succeeded in getting back. The Eleven men were every one of them Killed, from this you can imagine how desperately we fought, and this Kind of fighting we kept up from Eleven in the morning until seven in the evening, when darkness covered the proceedings, and left us masters of the field, and held it until we were ordered back at ten oclock at Night. We are now required every night to sleep on our Arms as it is confidently expected that the Rebs will try to cut their way through our lines, and make their escape, but we are all ready and waiting for them, and if they do come will give them one of [p5] the neatest receptions they ever had, before they get through some of them will think that the world has come to an end for some of them.

I see that you are very anxious for peace and as you say almost on any terms. Now I am very very anxious that the War should close, and allow me to enjoy a little quiet life, blessed with your love. I can not imagine anything that would be more delightful to me, than to be able to go home and live with you and for you alone, it certainly would be the happiest moment of my life, but still I do not want to see this war close, until this wicked Rebellion is crushed and the Traitors punished and severely punished for what they have already done

[Continued …]

[Besieging Vicksburg. David is David McKinney. Though the wedding did take place in September, I don’t know whether DPG ended up getting married as a soldier or a civilian.]

In. Field. in Rear. of. Vicksburg.

May 26^th 1863

My Dear Anna

Your very welcome Letter of the 12^th came safely to hand and I assure you was joyfully received. Our mails of late have not been very regular and often a long time passes away without hearing anything from you. I have not been able to write to you very often of late as we have been travelling through the country and never have had any chance of sending our mails away This will account for you not sending getting many letters from me of late, but [p2] I assure you it was not for want of inclination that I did not write you oftener for nothing would give me more pleasure than to write you a letter every day. I often very often think of you and wish that I could again be with you.

We are now lying up within three or four hundred yards of the Rebel Fortifications and making a Regular Siege of it, and I think before long we will be able to call Vicksburg our own. I wrote you two or three days ago giving you an account of our charge on the Fortifications. I do not think any more charges will be made, as it was entirely to destructive on our Men. we were cut up awfully and I never want to be engaged in anything of this Kind again. [p3]

This evening we received orders that we should form line and sleep on our Arms, as it was expected that the Rebels would try to cut their way through our lines and escape. I do not think they will try this, for they certainly would fare rather badly in getting through.

I really wish that we had Vicksburg in our possession as I am getting tired of the fighting business, for we have been continually at it ever since we left the Missippi River over a month ago. I think I can make my arrangements so that I can get home about the last of August, so that we can get married about the first of September. I agree fully with you about having a [p4] crowd at our wedding. I do not care about making any fuss or display, and all I care about having present is our connexion. We will make a sort of Private display about it and get through with it as soon as possible. I will have to get your opinion + wishes about whether I shall be married as a citizen or a soldier. This is shall I appear in citizen dress or military which I now belong to. I am ignorant on this subject, and really do not Know which would be proper. I will be guided entirely in this by you. You do not seem to want to see any of your friends on our trip. now if we should happen to go East, I do not beleive we can get around without running across some of our Relations. both you [p5] and I, you know are blessed with quite a large connexion.

I shall try to get stationed at some post this Fall + winter. I may not succeed in doing so, but I have strong hopes of being able to do something in this way. Two of our officers both from Elmwood were wounded and leave for home tomorrow and I intend sending this letter by them. I met with my usual good fortune and escaped without a scratch although I never run so many narrow chances in my life, several times during the engagement I had no idea that I would get through unhurt.

David’s health is good and he is going to morrow down [p6] to Warrenton after Provisions.

I can not write you any more this evening as I have to attend to getting the men in line, and ready for the Enemy if they should happen to come out on us this night. Do write me often, I will write you every opportunity I can find to send a letter away and beleive me dear Anna to be Ever Yours

D.P.Grier