Our department was commanded by General E. S. Canby. The surrender of the defenses around Mobile were the last hard battles of the great Civil war.
On the evening of the 21st we went up above the city and anchored in the mouth of the Mobile river. At this place we first heard the news of the assassination of our beloved president, Abraham Lincoln. His life was taken by John Wilkes Booth, at Ford’s theater, on the night of April 14th, 1865. This sad news put a damper over our army. Our flags were all dropped to half-mast, and many of the boys shed tears and were mourning. These same boys had shouted themselves hoarse a few days before over our great victories, which aided in putting down the rebellion, for we well knew that peace was near at hand. The chief cornerstone of our American government had now been stilled for all time by the hands of a wicked assassin.
Two of our gunboats and thirteen transports, loaded with troops, had gathered at this place. On the morning of the 22d we pulled up the river to the mouth of the Tombigbee river, to await the arrival of the remainder of our fleet. Here we found one of our gunboats, lying on guard duty. During the day several flat boats loaded with citizens passed us on the way back to Mobile.
On the morning of the 23d we hoisted anchor and ran on up the Alabama river to Chocktaw Bluffs, which was sixty miles away. The rebels had had this place fortified, but had gone, leaving two heavy guns on the fort.
On the morning of the 24th we started on up the river and landed at Clayburn, sixty miles distant, at four p. m. We found some of our cavalry here, who had been left as safeguards. Three heavy guns had been planted at this place. We landed and the boys soon brought in plenty of pork and chickens for supper.
On the morning of the 25th we moved on up the river at six a. m. After we had gone seventy miles we anchored at nine o’clock. This is a beautiful country and has very large plantations. The colored troops got off of the boats here and marched through by land.
On the 26th we ran along by the side of the “Mustang” and drew rations, as this was a commissary boat. We passed Mattee’s landing at nine o’clock and Prairie Bluff at ten. We captured a flat boat, which was loaded with rebel supplies, and was trying to get away from our cavalry. Our advance boat was fired into by a squad of guerrillas and one man was killed. We landed, got off of the boats and found where their horses had just been fed, but now they were fleeing for safer quarters. We burned all of the buildings on several plantations.
We got on the boats and moved on up the river. Many dead rebel soldiers and horses floated past us during the day. They had been drowned at the time of Wilson’s raid. We landed at ten o’clock at night.
On the morning of the 27th we passed Cahawba, where we took three of our men from the rebels, who they had made prisoners. Some of the citizens of this place cheered our brave boys while they played national airs. We landed at Selma at two o’clock. We went into camp on the river bank opposite the town. This is a beautiful little town, situated on the bank of the Alabama river. The surrounding country is also very beautiful.
The boys went out and soon returned with plenty of good things to eat. We lay here until the morning of the 28th. We then broke camp, crossed the river and marched through the town. We went into camp near the rebel fortifications, which General Wilson’s cavalry had charged and captured a few days before. They had blown up the arsenal and burned many stores. They then continued on their raid, and went in the direction of Montgomery, the capital of the state. This was called Wilson’s Raid.