DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Laura Gibson's correspondence to her mother, June-August 1863

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Laura Gibson's correspondence to her mother, June-August 1863

03_1863-06-20 Page 03

and we went steaming down the Yazoo again into the Miss. and down to the head of that famous canal  - anchored and settled our selves to see them pour in the hot shot. there was a large conflagration in the city supposed to be caused by our hot shot, but I was disappointed in the light.  I expected it would be a grand light but there was positively nothing to be seen - the shells looked like a large star shooting very slowly through the sky - they kept up a heavy cannonading for several hours - and the report wd. shake our boat vry sensibly - though we were five miles away.  We had staterooms on board - and the boat laid there until the morning then we went back up the Yazoo - went along side of our boat - discharged their precious cargo of delightful torments as one of the Officers laughingly told us - and went back to their old moorings.  Will got on the boat for me about an hour after we got back - Dr. Torry came also and as they both had their ambulances there we started for camp - The Drs are 1 1/2 miles apart.  I had to stay with Mrs. Torry that night for Will had no tent put up for me - He sent the ambulance for me the next morning by 7 o'clock - and I came over - His man Joe spent all day yesterday building me my house - he put up the tent and then built an arbor of cane all over it and it is the prettiest little place one would wish to see.  We had a good deal of sport about

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and we went steaming down the Yazoo again into the Miss. and down to the head of that famous canal - anchored and settled our selves to see them pour in the hot shot. there was a large conflagration in the city supposed to be caused by our hot shot, but I was disappointed in the light. I expected it would be a grand light but there was positively nothing to be seen - the shells looked like a large star shooting very slowly through the sky - they kept up a heavy cannonading for several hours - and the report wd. shake our boat vry sensibly - though we were five miles away. We had staterooms on board - and the boat laid there until the morning then we went back up the Yazoo - went along side of our boat - discharged their precious cargo of delightful torments as one of the Officers laughingly told us - and went back to their old moorings. Will got on the boat for me about an hour after we got back - Dr. Torry came also and as they both had their ambulances there we started for camp - The Drs are 1 1/2 miles apart. I had to stay with Mrs. Torry that night for Will had no tent put up for me - He sent the ambulance for me the next morning by 7 o'clock - and I came over - His man Joe spent all day yesterday building me my house - he put up the tent and then built an arbor of cane all over it and it is the prettiest little place one would wish to see. We had a good deal of sport about