Gunboat Choctaw
Mississippi River
June 18th, 1863

Dear Parents,

It is a good while since I‘ve written and also a long time since I received a letter. I have very little time to write and if you don’t hear from me very often do not be alarmed as I am in the very best health which I hope will continue. We were relieved at Milliken’s Bend sometime last week (I forget the day) by the Lexington. LexingtonThe Cincinnati crew and officers have all been put aboard the Lexington. After we came down the river we found the scow on which had been mounted on ten inch Dolgren gun in readiness for us to take down to some point near Vicksburg. There were forty men selected to go down with it, forming two gun crews of twenty men each. We first went down about two or three hundred feet below the Monitor boats where we remained for two days. We then thought we would try it a little closer and move down under cover of night nearly opposite the Cincinnati. Here we laid under cover of the bank within a few hundred yards of Vicksburg for several days. We fired principally at a battery on the Vicksburg side of the valley which separates our lines from that of the rebels. We did good execution for we struck their breastwork a number of times and it is said that we dismounted one gun. Our shells struck among their tents many times causing great consternation among the rebels. But we soon got out of ammunition and the Admiral ordered us up the river again. The scow is now about a half a mile below the Choctaw and six men from our boat are sent to guard it every day. I am aboard the scow today and I’d like to remain aboard here till my time is out, for I could have as much liberty as I want and do just about as I like. When we were down below, when one guns crew was on duty the other used to wander about the woods in front of Vicksburg and pick blackberries, hunt pigs and do about as we liked.

The river is very narrow in front of Vicksburg Running the Rebel batteries at... Digital ID: 813418. New York Public Libraryand our pickets are on one side and the rebels on the other. They are constantly firing at each other. If a soldier on one side goes down to the water to fill his canteen he is fired at by someone on the other side. I went down to the levee in front of Vicksburg and had a fine view of the city. There are millions of blackberries in these woods along the levee. I used to go after them everyday. I could pick a bucket in a short time. These berries are very good for the diarrhea for many of our boys were cured of this complaint by eating them. Give my love to all at home, also to Mrs. Lander and family. Write often. Does Johnny Fox write home? If he does, I should like to hear how he is getting along.

Your affectionate son,

Daniel

Footnotes

Images:

USS Lexington, photographed during the Civil War. Photograph. NH 55322. U.S. Naval Historical Center.http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h55000/h55322.jpg

Hamilton, J., artist, and John Sartain, engraver . Running the Rebel Batteries at Vicksburg. Print. Digital Image ID 813418. New York Public Library Digital Gallery. http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/id?813418

This image show the treacherous bend in the Mississippi at Vicksburg. Batteries were mounted all around the horseshoe sending fire from various direction at the same time.