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This file submitted by Stephen C. Crane, email sccrane@cyberramp.net.


Stephen C. Crane wrote:

 
 I am trying to get a list of the soldiers of the 43rd Mississippi,
 Company C, C.S.A. most of whom came from Aberdeen, Miss.  My ancestors
 were Capt. John Vesey, F.W. Vesey, and cousins V. A. Vesey and V. L.
 Vesey who were in Company C.
 
 At the Mississippi Archives, I found a diary kept during the Vicksburg
 seige by J.N. and M.H. Ellise for the 43rd Miss. reg.  A copy of the
 diary is attached.
 
 (Kindness of B. G. Hull  Tax Assessor of Lownes County Miss.) (*)
 
 Copy of Diary Kept by J. N. & M. H. Ellis of the Forty Third Miss.
 during the Siege of Vicksburg, Col Richard Harrison Commanding.
 
 May 17   The Forty Third left Chicasaw Bayou at sundown and marched to
 the breastworks in the rear of Vicksburg and took their position in the
 trenches.
 May 18  Skirmishing and shelling all day, 43 not engaged.
 May 19  Company I sent out, skirmishers at sun up, engaged the enemy
 skirmishers five hours and fell back to the trenches with the loss of
 three men wounded viz; Jas Caldwell, T. C. Skurlock and W. S. Hull, (*)
 at two o'clock p.m. the enemy charged our breastworks and were
 repulsed.  Continued to shell and sharp shoot til dark.
 May 20  Shooting and shelling began at day(break) and continued without
 cessation til dark.  The enemy made some charges on our right wing but
 were repulsed.  (That) night Company I sent out ten men on picket who
 captured one Yankee prisoner of the 45 Ill, Regt. considerable
 conversation between the two parties after dark.
 May 21  The enemy commenced shooting and shelling at day(break) and
 continued til dark.  No close engagements on our part of the works, no
 one hurt in the Forty Third.
 Friday
 May 22  Shooting and Shelling commenced again at day (break) and
 continued til dark.  The enemy made various attempts to take our works
 but were as many times repulsed.  The Gunboats attacked the City above
 and below but were repulsed, no one hurt in Forty Third.
 May 23  Shooting and shelling began at day (break) and continued till
 dark, no one hurt in the Forty Third,
 May 24  Shooting and shelling began at day (break) and continued till
 dark, no close engagements and no one hurt in the Forty Third, this has
 been the most quiet day of the fight up to this time.
 May 25  Shooting and shelling commenced again at day (break) and
 continued until Three O'Clock p.m. when a flag of truce was sent from
 our lines requesting the enemy to bury their dead.  Five hours was
 agreed upon for the purpose during which time all was silent and a
 great many of the men met and conversed with each other during that
 time.  No close engagements no one hurt in the Forty Third.
 May 26  Shooting and shelling began at day(break) and continued til
 dark, no close engagements, no one hurt in the Forty Third.
 May 27  Sharpshootin and shelling commenced again at day(break) and
 continued til dark.  One of the enemy superior gunboats sunk by our
 River Batteries; no one hurt in the Forty Third.
 
 May 28  Shooting and shelling commenced at day(break) and continued til
 dark, no close engagements during the day; one man wounded in Co. C.
 May 29  Shooting commenced at daylight and brisk shelling began about six
 O'clock and continued two hours and then moderated til about Five P.M.
 when they commenced again very heavily and continued two hours, then
 moderated again,  Heavy shelling all night from the Morter Fleet; no
 close engagements, one man in Co. C wounded in the foot no other damage
 done the Forty Third.
 May 30  Fierce shooting commenced an hour before day and was continued
 til dark, brisk shelling about two hours in the morning and about the
 same in the evening.  No close engagements, no one hurt in the 43.
 May 31  Furious Shelling by the enemy commenced about an hour before day
 and continued until (day) light, occasional shelling through the
 remainder of the day, sharp-shooting as usual, no close engagements, no
 one hurt in the Forty Third.
 Monday
 June 1   The day opened with heavy shelling on the right which lasted
 about one hour, then sharp-shooting and occasional shelling throughout
 the day, and (into) the night.  Pea-Bread introduced among the soldiers;
 no close engagements, no one hurt in the Forty Third.
 June 2  Shooting and shelling commenced early and continued til dark.
 Occasional shelling through the day which grew furious late in the
 evening.  No close engagements, no one hurt in the Forty Third.
 June 3  Shooting and shelling as usual throughout the day and night.
 No close engagements and no one hurt in the Forty Third.  Pea-Bread
 rejected.
 Thursday
 June 4  Shooting and shelling as usual throughout the day and night, No
 close engagements, no one hurt in the Forty Third.
 June 5  Shooting and shelling began early and continued allday.
 Occasional shelling through out the day and night.  No-body hurt in the
 Forty Third.
 June 6  Shooting and shelling commenced early as usual and continued
 all day,  no close engagements, Jeff McDowell of Co B wounded, no other
 damage done in the Forty Third.
 June 7  Shooting and shelling commenced again as usual and continued
 all day, no close engagements and no one hurt in the Forty Third.
 June 8  Shooting and shelling all day and occasionally through the
 night.  No close engagements, no one hurt in the Forty Third.
 June 9  Shooting and shelling commenced early and continued all day and
 with more fury than common.  The night comparatively quite around the
 lines, but tremendous shelling from the Morter Fleet.  No close
 engagements, Johnson Lowe of Co. F. killed, being shot through the head
 with  a minnie ball, Ferguson of Co. B wounded in the neck; no other
 casualities in Forty Third.
 
 June 10 Shooting and shelling commenced early as usual but was suddenly
 checked by a heavy rain which lasted about three hours, on cessation of
 the rain shooting and shelling was again resumed and continued until
 dark.  No close engagements no one hurt in the Forty Third.
 June 11         Shooting and shelling commenced early and continued
 until dark.  Jackson of Co. E. killed being shot through the head by 
 a minnie ball.  Jno D. Loftis of Co. I, wounded in right thigh by a
 minnie ball. No others hurt in the Forty Third.
 June 12   Shooting and shelling commenced early and continued all day.
 No one hurt in the Forty Third.
 June 13 Shooting and shelling commenced by the enemy and continued all
 day.  No close engagements and no casualties in Forty Third.  Jeff
 McDowell died of a wound received on the Sixth Inst.
 June 14 Shooting and shelling was begun early as usual by the enemy and
 continued all day.  No close engagements and no casualities in Forty
 Third.
 Monday
 June 15 shooting and shelling commenced at day(break) and continued til
 dark. No close engagements, no casualities in Forty Third.
 June 16 Sharp-shooting and shelling commenced early as usual by the
 enemy, and continued all day.  No close engagements, Summerfield Sykes
 of Co. B wounded being shot through the leg with a minnie ball, no
 other casualities in the Forty Third.
 June 17 Shooting and shelling commenced early and continued all day, no
 close engagements.  E. B. Williams of Co. I killed, being shot through
 the head by a minnie ball.  Browning of Co. E killed at night, while on
 picket being shot through the head with a minnie ball.  Huckabee of Co.
 D wounded being shot across the back of the neck with a minnie ball.
 June 18    Shooting and shelling commenced early as usual and continued
 all day.  No close engagements.  Jno T. Snell of Co. B. killed, being
 shot through the head with a minnie ball.  No others hurt in the Forty
 Third.
 June 19 Shooting and shelling began as usual and continued all day.  No
 close engagements. ***Lt. HODO of Co. F. Killed being shot through the
 breast with a minnie ball.  No other casualities in the Forty Third
 Regt.
 Saturday
 June 20 The day opened with a furious bombardment all around the lines,
 lasting about three hours, then cannonnading and sharp-shooting through
 out the remainder of the day.  No close engagements. John Cook of Co. D
 wounded by a piece of Shell,  No other damage done in the Forty Third.
 June 21 Shooting and shelling commenced early as usual by the enemy and
 continued all day.  No Close engagements, no one hurt in the Forty
 Third.
 
 Monday
 June 22 Shooting and shelling commenced again as usual and continued
 all day.  No close engagements, no casualities in Forty Third.  Picket
 fighting on the right at night. 15 Feds captured.
 June 23 Shooting and shelling commenced again at day(break) and
 continued til dark.  No close engagements.  Merchant of co. H. wounded
 in the side with a minnie ball.  One man in Co. L. wounded.  Heavy
 picket fighting at night on the right wing.
 June 24 Shooting and shelling commenced again at day(break) and
 continued til dark.
 *****
 June 25 About Four O'Clock in the evening the Fort on the Line of the 3
 La. Regt. was blown up by the Feds killing six men of the Forty Third
 who were at work on the Fort.  Their names were Evans and James Holloway
 of Co. C. and Niffin McGhee and Rufus Love of Co. B. one man from Co. L.
 name forgotten.  (evidently name of Sixth man forgotten).  After the
 blowing up of the Fort there was a continual ROAR of Cannonnading and
 sharp-shooting the balance of the evening, during which time two men of
 the Forty Third were wounded, they were Sergt. Smith of Co. B. and one
 man of Co. L. name forgotten.. Wagon Master Fox died of brain fever.
 June 26 The day opened with Furious sharp-shooting which had been kept
 up all night, continued all day.  Cannonnading as usual throughout the
 day.  No close engagements, Crouch of Co. F. wounded in the side with a
 minnie ball, George Ramsey of Co. B. wounded in the thigh with a minnie
 ball, L. W. Camp of Co. I wounded with a minnie ball, the ball passing
 through one had and the other arm.  ***Gen. Green killed with a minnie
 ball.***
 June 27 Shooting and shelling commenced early and continued all day, no
 close engagements, Sergt. Baker of Co. C. killed being shot through the
 head by a minnie ball.  Charley Stoker of the Bank killed with a piece
 of a shell.  Armstrong of Co. L. killed at night while on picket with a
 minnie ball.  Merchant of Co. H. died of a wound received on the 23 inst
 Crouch of co. F died of a wound received on the 26.
 June 28 Shooting and shelling commenced early and continued all day, no
 close engagements, no one hurt in the Forty Third.
 June 29 Shooting and shelling commenced early and continued all day, no
 close engagements.  Harper of co. K. wounded with a minnie ball, no
 other casualities in the Forty Third.
 June 30 Shooting and shelling commenced early and continued all day, no
 close engagements.  Jno Young of Co. A killed being shot in the breast
 with a minnie ball, no other casualities in the Forty Third.
 Wednesday
 July 1  Shooting and shelling commenced as usual and continued all day.
 no close engagements, no casualities in the Forty Third.
 
 July 2  The same as day previous no one hurt in the Forty Third.
 July 3  A Flag of Truce was sent out at Ten O'Clock and all was quite
 until dark
         The First Days rest in FORTY EIGHT
 July 4  The morning opened quite all was calm though the SOLDIERS were
 confused.  They knew something was before then and were anxious to hear
 our (their) doom and a EIGHT O'CLOCK WE RECEIVED THE NEWS THAT Vicksburg
 HAD FALLEN.  We were surrendered to the hero as they cal, him Gen.
 Grant.  There were many dissatisfied men but they told us we would be
 paroled and sent home.  Then we were better satisfied and it has proved
 to be True.
 
 JULY TWENTY THIRD EIGHTEEN HUNDRED SIXTY THREE.
 (signed) J. K. & M. H. Ellis
 
 This is a copy of document loaned me by Hon. B. G. Hull, Tax Assessor
 of Lowndes County Miss, whose Father gave same to him and is valued
 very highly by him
 Should any one whose interest in the Forty Third Regt cause them read
 these lines, realizing the dearth of sources of information and the
 rapidity with which the Love of the OLD SOUTH is fast becoming a MYTH in
 the minds of our Children, perchance have in their possession any other
 facts of Histrical Interest of this Regt. or of my Father Col Richard
 Harrison, who commanded the regt almost throughout the entire struggle,
 they will confer a great FAVOR on me by sending same to
 
 RICHARD B. HARRISON (email sccrane@cyberramp.net)
 WACO, TEXAS.