|
How many of our old citizens remember the Fall of
Vicksburg and what happened when the news of the great victory was
announced? Mrs. C. T. Patterson, a sister of the late Lizzie Arrowsmith,
in looking over some of the effects of her sister found among other
things the following letter written to Miss Arrowsmith by a friend here
in Mt. Pleasant. The letter was copied and the copy sent to Capt. Wat
Porter of this city who gave it to the News for publication. It is a
word picture of a war time incident.
Mt. Pleasant, July 12, 1863.
Tuesday afternoon when the dispatch came to Senator Harlan that
Vicksburg was taken, we were sewing. The Christian church bell began
ringing, in a few minutes the Hospital bell. We went to the door,
thought it was fire. Then the school bell, then the College bell. Parks
was ringing the school bell and you can imagine just how fast it rang.
By this time the people began going up town to see what was going on. We
were all excitement in this part of town. Mrs. Gum started first, then
Mrs. Phil Bird. The bells kept ringing, the drums were beating, guns
firing and the cannon. I then threw my coat down and said it is no use,
I was going up town, so off I started in a hurry. When I got up to the
square the infantry was forming in line; the artillery were out; men,
women and children were hurrying to and fro, flags were being put up;
everybody who had a flag put it out. Some were cheering, others
laughing, everybody appeared to be gloriously good, excepting a few wore
faces lengthened out a little. At one time the crowd on the walk gave
way. We heard such rattling of bells and here came a lot of boys with
great cow bells and then another lot of boys with tin horns. Such a
noise! Mr. Eshelman said I need not work any more that day. While there
I saw Wat Porter go by with a flag. Directly the crowd in the Court yard
(public square) faced toward the were going to make ----- southwest
corner of the square. We began to understand it then. They put up the
flag. Wat Porter stood there with the flag in his hand. Directly -----
went up, took the flag, put it out of the third story window. They made
----- and ----- put up flags and the band was out. Dawson got his team,
took them around the square while they and the martial music took it
byturns, playing. I don’t think I ever heard “Yankee Doodle” and “Hail
Columbia” sound so good. Then they got the bus hitched up with four
horses wearing plumes of the Mt. Pleasant greys, took in the band and
went up to the depot. The excitement increased, “Copperheads” were as
mute as mice, but at last one said, “Hurrah for Jeff Davis”. The boys
got ready, marched to his house and took him prisoner. I don’t know what
they did with him. Such an excitement. Came very near having a regular
riot. Made a lot of them come out. Gave ----- just five minutes. He
waited until the last minute. Saw his case was hopeless, then very
feebly said he was for the union. I can’t begin to tell you all. Wound
up at night with fire works, sending a balloon which caught fire and
burned. Some fights. Seemed as if everybody wanted to fight. Men left
their business, mechanics their shops. I have never seen such a time. I
took a pamphlet, made a scrapbook to give to the Aid to send to the
soldiers.
(“Mt. Pleasant Weekly News”, Wednesday, January 23, 1918, page
2)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resource provided by Henry County Heritage Trust, Mount Pleasant, Iowa;
transcription done by Liam Christensen, University of Northern Iowa
Public History Field Experience Class, Spring 2025.
Contributed to Henry County IAGenWeb, February 2025.
|
