Gunboat Cincinnati
Mississippi River
May 23, 1863
Dear Folks,
We are once more steaming down the Mississippi. We arrived in Cairo on the 18th inst. We coaled up, took in provisions, ammunition etc. on the 20th and started down the river on the 21st. So you see we made a very short stay at Cairo. I expect the iron will be put on when we get down to the fleet. The rubber was taken away again at Cairo for what reason I am unable to tell.
I saw Jaime Stewart the day before we left. He is looking better than he did when I last saw him. He has got a new “boss", Captain Sanford having taken command of a gunboat. Jaime seems to like him better than Sandford and say he has a good deal easier than he use to have.
While we were in Cairo news came to us of the evacuation of Vicksburg.
This, of course, was disbelieved by all of us as we have heard similar reports very often. But today all the transports we have hailed report Vicksburg as taken and I am a little inclined to believe it is true. We are making as much speed as possible to get down to the fleet but we cannot go as fast as we wish having only one pilot. It being impossible, therefore, to travel by night. At Cairo we got the men who took the Osage from Carondolet. They were aboard the Dolsen waiting. We expected to get a new crew on the Dolsen but there were not men enough for us. We have not got over half a crew. For between sickness, death, and getting discharged, our numbers have been greatly diminished. It is said that when we get down to the fleet that our marines are to be sent back to their regiment. If this is the case we will have but few more men left than can man the bow battery. A change has been man in the gun crews. I am now 1st loader to number three gun of the bow battery. The Cairo folks didn’t seem to know the Cincinnati when she came into their harbor as will be seen in this piece I clip from the Cairo Morning News. I will enclose it.
We stopped a short time this morning at Memphis and sent a few of our sick to the hospital. We expect to reach Helena tonight where we will coal up.
John Fox, Leopold Snyder and myself are in the very best health. We are to get our white suits next week “sometime or other”.
I must close this short epistle. Wait till we get down to the where we will be going on expeditions, taking batteries, bombarding cities, hearing reports, running the blockade and I’ll write longer letters.
Give my respects to the boys. Give my love to Mrs. Lander and family. Don’t forget to write often, very often.
Yours affectionately
Dan.
P.S. I’ve got my hair cropped close to my head “a la” New York fighting cut. “What do you think of that, Miss Jennie?” Hey?
Dan.
N.B. I’m in such a hurry that I forgot to tell you that I received a “host “ of newspapers and an old letter from Father and Jenny at Cairo.
Footnotes
[Vicksburg, 1861, The Siege of Vicksburg, Operations 22 May 1863]. http://www.dean.usma.edu/history/web03/atlases/american_civil_war/ACWGIF/ACW22a.gif
The map shows the situation at Vicksburg on May 22, 1863, the day before Daniel wrote this letter. It portrays the situation into which the Cinncinati is headed. Notice all the boats have made it to the east side of the bend in the river. Once the Cincinnati arrives in Vicksburg, it, too, will have to attempt to make it around the bend while guns fire from all sides of the horseshoe.