Civil War collection of 2nd Lieutenant John W. Wilbur, a Union officer of the 47th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which contains four of Wilbur’s copiously handwritten personal diaries (dated to the years 1859, 1861, 1863, and 1864), a group of 10 war-dated handwritten letters that Wilbur sent home to his parents, Wilbur’s Allen & Wheelock .31 cal percussion ‘pepperbox’ revolving pistol, and a 10.5˝ section of wooden fence with a lodged bullet attested to as deriving from Vicksburg battleground.
As part of the 47th Ohio Infantry Regiment, Wilbur and his fellow soldiers were brigaded under the command of Robert L. McCook and the ‘Bully Dutch Brigade’ before joining the Vicksburg expedition as part of Blair’s Division, 15th Corps, Army of the Tennessee. Wilbur’s experience during the Siege of Vicksburg is captured in both his 1863 diary and in two of his handwritten letters. On July 4, 1863, the day of the Confederate surrender, Wilbur sent a letter to his parents, which reads, in part:
“Vicksburg is ours. They surrendered today at 10 a.m…there is one thing for certain & that is you could not enjoy it any better than we do here. Yesterday the rebs. sent over a flag of truce asking for terms of capitulation - this was about 9 a.m. There was then a cessation of hostilities until some time in the afternoon, when as they could not agree upon terms of surrender, we commenced firing on them again. It was not long until they again hoisted the white flag & there has been no firing since. It seems as if they did not want to come to Gen. Grant's terms, but they had to. They were almost entirely out of provisions, having lived for the last few days on mule meat. They had plenty of ammunition. We do not know how many there are of them, but the rebs. report from 25,000 to 30,000, but we will now find out the facts in the case. I have been over inside of their lines and got some books & various other relics.”
The 1863 diary portion extends through the entirety of the Vicksburg siege (May 18 – July 4, 1863), from the initial Union charge to Confederate Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton’s ultimate surrender. Highlighted sections include:
May 18, 1863: “In camp near Vicks. At 2 p.m. there was a general charge ordered. At the appointed time we started for the Breastworks under a most terrific fire from the rebs, but could not scale their works. There were a great many killed & wounded. Hot day.”
May 21st: “On duty at the Div. Hospital at 8 am, was relieved…and reported to my Regt at 10 am, there was another gen’l charge made but with out success. I sprained my ankle & had to fall back. Our men lag under their breastworks all day & night. Hot.”
May 26th: “In Camp in rear of Vicks. Our Brig. skirmishing with the Rebs. In the forenoon one man of Co. H. was killed & 2 wounded by a cannon ball while on fatigue. A deserter reports that the rebs are going to try to break out. We have prepared for them. Very hot. Ramer attacked in the rear.”
May 29th: “Heavy firing commenced on our left & was extended clear around our lines. The rebvs must have a hot place…Our gunbats kept up firing all night. Hot day.”
June 2nd: “On picket in rear of Vicks. Shot at the Rebs several times with my revolver, considerable firing especially in the afternoon & from our artillery.”
June 6th: “Skirmishing with the enemy all day. It was a very hot day. Rec’d a letter…I shot several times, with my revolver & with an onfield rifle at the rebs. Our Regt had one man killed & 2 wounded.”
June 9th: “In Camp at Walnut Hills…rear of Vicks. It was a very hot day. At night our Pickets talk considerably with the rebs, as usual. Wrote a letter to H. Austin. One reb said that they intended to hold out & fight like brave men as long as they can.”
June 18th: “Considerable artillery firing. Cloudy not very warm. Heard that J. Johnson was approaching on us in 2 columns & that he had attached our forces at Mechanicsville & was repulsed with a loss of 5000, loss on our side 2000.”
June 26th: “Heavy firing all day. Gen. Logan was trying to get possession of a fort - the one which was partly blown up the day before. The rebs fired several shots from their cannon at our men near the fort.”
July 3rd: “In camp on Walnut Hills…There was a flag of truce sent in our lines from Gen. Pemberton. He wished Gen. Grant to appoint 3 commissioners & he could do the same to negotiate terms of peace but Grant would not. He told him that we would negotiate. Pemberton would not accept. Grant then commenced firing. In the afternoon another flag was sent in.”
July 4th: “There was no firing on either side nor had been from the time the flag of truce was sent to us on the day before. At 10 am the rebs surrendered Vicks to us, marching out of their works & stacking their arms.”
The balance of the collection contains Wilbur’s abundant personal wartime notes as a member of the 47th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, dating between 1859 and late 1863, fraught with episodes of both hope and hardship, such as losing a friend, ceaselessly hunting for General Joseph E. Johnston, obtaining and firing his first pistol, and even enduring a bout of dysentery. Included with the letters, diaries, pistol, and fence relic is an original portrait photo of Wilbur in his military uniform from 1900, Wilbur’s personal military history book with certificates from the Soldiers and Sailors Historical and Benevolent Society, and a war-dated letter from a Union officer affirming Wilbur’s promotion to Second Lieutenant on January 8, 1862. In overall very good to fine condition.
