APRIL 30. Thursday. Major Peats returned last evening and at 8 o’clock this morning, mustered us for pay, after which we boarded the steamer “Edward Walsh” for Milliken’s Bend. Most of the boys bought what was called blackberry jam, but it was merely liquor in cans and created a drunken row in which some were hurt, one officer and two privates. Arrived at the Bend before dark. The troops have all left, except the convalescents. They took one tent to each company and loaded the train with commissaries, hard-tack, pork, coffee, salt and sugar. I took a towel, one pair of socks, my oilcloth and blanket. This evening we heard heavy and continued firing up the Yazoo, supposed to be Sherman attacking Hams Bluffs. MAY 1. Friday. Up at 4, and started on our march at daylight, accompanied by the 95th and a big train of commissaries. A fine road has been made by Bush’s engineering corps. We passed through Richmond, a small country town. It is a beautiful country and the planters are wealthy. The plantations range from six hundred to twenty-four hundred acres. The land is low and level and the soil is rich. The roads have been very bad, but are better now. We made a hard march of nineteen miles. MAY 2. Marched fifteen miles, very tired. We passed McArthur’s division this forenoon. Weather awfully hot. MAY 3. Started at 5 o’clock, as usual. The country through which we are now passing is the most beautiful I have ever seen. The plantation mansions are grand, and the grounds and outbuildings are fitted up in fine style. Each plantation has a splendid steam gin, and some have steam cane-mills as well. The mills must have cost between ten and twenty, possibly thirty thousand dollars. The inhabitants have but recently left. They put in their corn crops, and some cotton, before going. The corn is nearly two feet in height. The boys have destroyed a number of gins and a good deal of furniture. The roads have mostly followed the banks of bayous, and alligators, turtles and snakes abound. The boys have shot a number of alligators. We marched twenty miles today. I became overheated and completely exhausted. MAY 4. We started early and after marching eight miles, arrived at the landing called “Hard Times,” where we took the steamer “Silver Wave.” We crossed the river and landed four miles below at Grand Gulf. There is a high promontory and a range of bluffs here which the Rebels had forfeited with nine guns. It commanded the entrance to the Black River as well as the Mississippi. It was a fort of nature’s own construction. We have had a fatiguing march and a good many have given out. Grant’s headquarters are eighteen miles back. We hear that Logan’s division is in advance and has done good fighting, also that many prisoners have been taken. I should like to hear from home very much just now.