Name: Fresh original Civil War Confederate diary of Lt. H.N. Brown, Co. K, 23rd South Carolina VICKSBURG! Killed in Action at Petersburg, Virginia, June 18, 1864
SKU: 10637
Availability: InStock

Description

This is an absolutely honest and fresh Civil War diary, unpublished, of an officer in an active Civil War combat unit. It details life in the field and on the march to battle—and activity in battle. The diary measures 3” x 6” and is bound in green leatherette. All entries are in pencil and clearly legible. It has incredible content and is over 100 full pages! It begins May 21, 1863 and ends on July 31, 1863 and covers the entire Vicksburg Campaign, noting camps, locations, activities and about everything else you can think of in the daily life of a soldier in the field.

The front has an entry after the contents end, directed to his wife. There is also a list of the letters he received in the field and of those who sent them. In the back, a single little patch of wild flowers were carefully pressed in.

Exerpts: “”Send me a bottle or two of blackberry wine…corn meal with scarce salt and extremely poor beef I am aftaid will ruin many of us…Told by a Capt. in the Texas Battalion that only one hundred and eight were left for duty…I feel that the army is in a deplorable situation…Reached Augusta about 5 o’clock AM and left about 7 for Atlanta…ladies quite kind to soldiers…arrived Montgomery on the steamer Charles bound for the Alabama River to Selma…we are without tents living only in the woods…took a swim…reported yesterday that the enemy has fallen back to Big Black…heavy firing in the direction of Vicksburg…Gen’l Evans made his headquarters near our camp…walked over to the battlefield of the 14^th of May…great many graves very carelessly buried, a little dirt being thrown over them…trees are marked with rifle and grape shots, one cannon ball or shell went into the house of a gentleman living near the field…heavy firing during the day in the direction of Vicksburg on Synders Bluff…firing last night was the heaviest I ever heard…reached our bivouac and our men are on the ban of the Pearl River Swamp…storm…hospital tent struck…in Gen. French’s Division…walked to a well of mineral water and drank my fill, then filled my canteen…passed through Brownsville…we are near the enemy…cavalry drove the enemy from this place yesterday…some of the 24^th SC were badly wounded on picket…reports of guns heard very plainly…cutting poles to make a shelter…Holcomb Legion and the 18^th are to make the attack…haversacks empty…3 miles from Clinton…Johnston will fall back to Jackson…wagons have been captured…at the breastworks drawn up in line of battle…men and one horse killed…company now in rear of trenches…heavy skirmishing on our right…4^th Louisiana went out about two hours ago…had a hard days fight…heavy skirmishing…enemy sharpshooters…we are protected by breastworks…shell and round shot passed…Texas Brigade on our left…rumor that Vicksburg has fallen….” And MUCH , MUCH MORE!!!

Soldier history

H.N. Brown, Sumter, SC Enlisted on 11/1/1861 as a Private. On 11/1/1861, he mustered into “K” Co. South Carolina 23rd Infantry. H.N. Brown later served as a Lieutenant in Company K of the 23rd South Carolina Regiment during the Civil War. He was killed in action on June 18, 1864, at the Battle of Petersburg.

23^rd South Carolina Infantry : Organized: on 11/11/1861 Mustered out: 4/9/1865

Nov ’61 Dec ’61 Dept of South Carolina and Georgia

Jan ’62 Jun ’62 2nd Military Dist SC Dept of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida

Jun ’62 Jul ’62 1st Military Dist SC Dept of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida

Jul ’62 Jul ’62 Evans’ Drayton’s 1st Army of Northern Virginia

Aug ’62 Oct ’62 Evans’ 1st Army of Northern Virginia

Oct ’62 Nov ’62 Evans’ McLaws’ 1st Army of Northern Virginia

Nov ’62 Feb ’63 Evans’ French’s Dept of North Carolina and South Virginia

Feb ’63 Mar ’63 Evans’ Dist of Cape Fear Dept of North Carolina and South Virginia

May ’63 May ’63 Evans’ 1st Military Dist SC Dept of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida

Jun ’63 Jun ’63 Evans’ Breckinridge’s Dept of the West

Jun ’63 Jul ’63 Evans’ French’s Dept of the West

Jul ’63 Aug ’63 Evans’ French’s Dept of Mississippi and East Louisiana

Aug ’63 Aug ’63 Evans’ Military Dist of GA Dept of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida

Aug ’63 Sep ’63 Evans’, 2nd Sub-division 1st Military Dist SC Dept of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida

Oct ’63 Mar ’64 Evans’ 1st Military Dist SC Dept of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida

Jun ’64 Oct ’64 Elliott’s/Wallace’s Johnson’s Dept of North Carolina and South Virginia

Oct ’64 Apr ’65 Wallace’s Johnson’s 4th Army of Northern Virginia

The 23rd Regiment was organized on April 13, 1861. Company K of the 23rd Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers was organized in Sumter, South Carolina during the fall of 1861. They left Sumter for Charleston by way of Florence in November. Once on the coast their ranks served on picket duty on Long Island (now the Isle of Palms) until December 1861. They then journeyed back to Charleston and were formerly mustered into service for the state’s coast defense.

Upon completing official enrollment, Company K was sent to Mount Pleasant and then marched north seven miles on Georgetown Road to camp near Christ Church. Once there they sent a weekly detail to Long Island for picket duty. They remained in the Christ Church parish until late April, 1862 when they marched back to Mt. Pleasant and from there traveled by steamer to Morris island. Their duty there was to place a nightly guard on the beach between Morris Island and Folly Island.

In May company K reorganized, enlisting for Confederate Service with the Twenty-Third South Carolina Volunteers. The Twenty-Third Regiment was known as the Coast Rangers because most of the men in the regiment were from Horry,

On June 1, 1862 the Twenty-Third Regiment was relieved by the Twenty-sixth Regiment and the next day the left for James Island from whence they marched to Charleston and took up quarters in the Second Presbyterian Church. In just a few weeks the Twenty-Third left Charleston for Petersburg, Virginia where they engaged in battle. Soon after that, they removed to Richmond and camped at Taylor’s Farm. They were shortly ordered to Malvern Hill to assist General Longstreet and on the afternoon of July 28, 1862 they arrived at Manassas Gap. The next day they waded Bull Run and once again fired upon the Yankees. They had Hood’s Brigade on their right and an Alabama brigade on their left.

On July 30, 1862 the Twenty-Third followed Hood’s Brigade into battle, won and advanced toward Maryland. On July 30, Tom Britton, George Josey, and John Scarbrough were killed in action. They forded the Potomac River and advanced to sleep on the banks of the Monocracy River. At Boonesborough they fought again, were forced back, and had to retreat. They fell back to Sharpsburg where Cornelius Baker was killed. From there they went on to Winchester, Virginia. During the Second Manassas operations from August 2- 20, 1862, the Twenty-Third Regiment lost sixty-eight percent of their 225 men engaged.

By the end of October, the Twenty-Third left Winchester for Culpepper Courthouse where they made camp. They stayed only one night and then boarded a train to be transported to Richmond. From there they went on to Tarboro, North Carolina where they rested and then on to Kinston, North Carolina. There they camped 5 miles beyond town on the New Bern Road. Early the next morning the Twenty-Third hurried back to Kinston to encounter an advancing force of Yankees. The regiment fell back and then entered Kinston. Several of the men from the regiment were killed but none from Company K.

The regiment next went on to Wilmington, North Carolina in December, 1862 where they camped in an oak grove 3 to 4 miles out in the country. After a few weeks of drilling the moved camp to near the coast on Smith Sound in January, 1863.

In March, 1863 they left Wilmington for Charleston and from there took a steamer to Mt. Pleasant. After a few days they marched across the bridge to Sullivan’s Island. By June the Twenty-Third was on its way to Meridan, Mississippi and then on to Jackson, camping near Big Black River. They remained there until July 5, 1863.

In August, the Twenty-Third went from Jackson to Mobile, Alabama where they embarked for Savannah, Georgia. After a short stay on the Isle of Hope they returned to Mt. Pleasant via Charleston and back to Christ Church Parish In January, 1864 the Twenty-Third was sent back to Wilmington via Florence. They camped 15 miles from Wilmington, out toward Camp Fisher. In June, 1864 they left for Petersburg, Virginia once again and from there to Bermuda Hundred. They stayed in position there until June 16, 1864.

All day on June 18th, they exchanged fire with the enemy and kept their position until the 28th of July. At the Crater, on Saturday, July 30th, Jim Richbourg, 3 times wounded died.

After this, for months the Twenty-Third Regiment was on duty at the Crater which was 30 feet deep and 100 feet wide. For weeks they suffered. The Yankees refused to grant a truce flag to remove dead and wounded. The Crater became a pest hole in the August sun.

The Twenty-Third remained in the trenches until about the end of February and then they marched to the west of Petersburg. On the 24th of March, 1865, they were marched to Petersburg where William Gregg was shot and killed near the Appomatox River. The Twenty-Third continued to skirmish with the Yankee Calvary. William Randall was killed at Five Forks About the 1st of April of 1865, General Grant was bent on surrounding Lee’s army. Soon after, all of Company K, who had not been previously captured or killed fell into enemy hands. The Twenty-Third Regiment surrendered 5 officers and 103 men. Its commanders were Colonels Allen J. Green, John M. Kinloch, Edgar O. Nurden, and John Roberts. Major were Matthew V. Bancroft, Henry H. Lesensne, L.P. Miller, and John M. Whilden.