DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Andrew F. Davis papers, 1862

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02_1862-06-09-Page 02

of Womens and childrens wearing apperal and in fact evrything you could mention or think of which would belong to people in good circumstances, all laying in a Smouldering heap and in many cases only partially burned up.  When we arrived in the town there was but 2 families in it but that evening and the next morning a great many began to come in and take possession of their sad and desolate homes, which if they had remained in they would have been left undisturbed and protected if need be from the insults of our soldiers. It would make the tears come to ones eyes to see women and children hunting through the ashes and rubbish of destroyed goods in search of something which should happen to be left of their goods. which in their fright they had tried to get taken away on the cars to save it where if they had only left it in their houses and remained with it all would have been well.  But such is the teaching that they have received that they think the advance of the Yankees as they call us is sure to be followed by a general destruction of evry thing.  Poor deluded creatures they only find their mistake often after it is too late for in their fright they often destroy their things themselves to keep us from doing it for them.  When we arrived in Corinth we found abundance of good water which was a treat to us as that was a thing we had not had for some time.  The Rebels had bored a large number of Artesian wells which are from 300 to 400 feet deep and which runs a continual stream of the best of water.  We only remained there one day and then went back to our camp and the next morning. (Tuesday 3rd. Inst) we started on the march in a South East direction and marched to a nice little Village on the Memphis and Charleston R.R. 23 miles from Corinth which is called Iuka and is celebrated for its mineral springs.  It is a great resort for invalids and pleasure seekers and has 2 verry large and commodius Hotels and has had a population of about 300 or 400 inhabitants besides the visitors which is said to have sometimes have amounted 2000 to 3000 at a time but alass the whole place is almost entirely deserted

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of Womens and childrens wearing apperal and in fact evrything you could mention or think of which would belong to people in good circumstances, all laying in a Smouldering heap and in many cases only partially burned up. When we arrived in the town there was but 2 families in it but that evening and the next morning a great many began to come in and take possession of their sad and desolate homes, which if they had remained in they would have been left undisturbed and protected if need be from the insults of our soldiers. It would make the tears come to ones eyes to see women and children hunting through the ashes and rubbish of destroyed goods in search of something which should happen to be left of their goods. which in their fright they had tried to get taken away on the cars to save it where if they had only left it in their houses and remained with it all would have been well. But such is the teaching that they have received that they think the advance of the Yankees as they call us is sure to be followed by a general destruction of evry thing. Poor deluded creatures they only find their mistake often after it is too late for in their fright they often destroy their things themselves to keep us from doing it for them. When we arrived in Corinth we found abundance of good water which was a treat to us as that was a thing we had not had for some time. The Rebels had bored a large number of Artesian wells which are from 300 to 400 feet deep and which runs a continual stream of the best of water. We only remained there one day and then went back to our camp and the next morning. (Tuesday 3rd. Inst) we started on the march in a South East direction and marched to a nice little Village on the Memphis and Charleston R.R. 23 miles from Corinth which is called Iuka and is celebrated for its mineral springs. It is a great resort for invalids and pleasure seekers and has 2 verry large and commodius Hotels and has had a population of about 300 or 400 inhabitants besides the visitors which is said to have sometimes have amounted 2000 to 3000 at a time but alass the whole place is almost entirely deserted