Wednesday, February 25, 1863

Garrison duty in Memphis gave the soldiers from the 130th Illinois Infantry an opportunity to enjoy the city.  As the beautiful spring weather continued to improve, the Illinoisans would spend their leisure time taking enjoyable walks throughout the city.

Charles Johnson described one of his favorite Memphis destinations:

Nowhere was the soft spring air more pleasure-giving than in a little park near the business part of the city, name forgotten. In this was a statue of General Jackson, having engraved upon the marble pedestal the hero's well-known words: "The Federal Union it must and shall be preserved!" This patriotic sentiment was too much for the eyes of some miserable vandal, and the word "Federal" had been obliterated with a chisel or other sharp tool.

From the Wisconsin Historical Society (http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/diary/003890.asp) we can learn more about the Monument of Jackson: 

Andrew Jackson, President of the United States from 1829 to 1837, was one of the founders of Memphis in 1819. To commemorate him, the citizens of Memphis erected a marble bust in 1859 which bore the words, "The federal union: It must and shall be preserved" on its pedestal. Jackson uttered the phrase during the Nullification Crisis of 1828-1832, when South Carolina declared any state's right to nullify federal laws that ran contrary to its interest. President Jackson firmly opposed this view and threatened to send troops to South Carolina to ensure that federal law prevailed. He spoke these words as a toast during the Democratic Party's Jefferson Day dinner in 1830 and they were later engraved on the pedestal of his statue. The monument became an unintentional symbol of Union sentiment after the city's occupation in July 1862, and a Confederate sympathizer had gained national notoriety for trying to chip away the offensive quote.

www.civilwarliterature.com/ListOfIllustrations/JacksonsMonumentAtMemphisTennBI.htm

Tuesday, February 24, 1863

Two more soldiers from the 130th Illinois Infantry died today in Memphis:  Private William E. Leisure from Blueville was part of Company D;  Private Delembert Cully from Cairo was part of Company C.

Monday, February 23, 1863

Private Thomas J. Darden from Sangamon County died today in Memphis.  He was assigned to Company B.  

Sunday, February 22, 1863

Henry W. Miller, a new recruit assigned to Company E, died today in Memphis.  He was from Dudleyville.  

Thursday, February 19, 1863

Private Stephen White, an unassigned recruit, died today in Memphis.

Wednesday, February 18, 1863

Private Ephraim Milsaps deserted today.  He was from Baden and a member of Company E.

The Company C musician, William M. Jackson died today at Memphis.  He was from Cairo.

Tuesday, February 17, 1863

In the middle of February Charles Johnson witnessed the destruction of Hopedale, Arkansas, apparently from the comfort of a rocking chair.

Sitting on the upper front porch one day and looking toward the river, not many rods away, two or three gunboats were seen to approach the little village of Hopedale, just opposite Memphis, on the Arkansas shore; they did not land, but pretty soon turned away and took position in the middle of the river, from which point a number of shells were thrown into the village and soon Hopedale was in flames. It seemed this place had been a sort of rallying point for guerillas, bushwhackers and other irregular Confederate soldiers and to stop their incursions Hopedale had been ordered burned, after, of course, first warning the inhabitants. 

Monday, February 16, 1863

Today First Lieutenant William Harlan died.  He was from Bond County and part of Company E.

Sunday, February 15, 1863

Private John Christian, from Company C, died today.  He was from Cairo.

Saturday, February 14, 1863

Corporal Anderson Kenard, Company H, from Mt. Carmel, died today at Memphis.

Thursday, February 12, 1863

The weather in Memphis began to improve.  Charles Johnson described the change:

About the middle of February signs of spring began to show themselves in that genial climate. Grass became green, peach trees blossomed, bees came out and birds came around.

Sunday, February 8, 1863

Two more men from the 130th Illinois Infantry died today:  Corporal William L. Curry, Company G, from Fuller’s Point; and, Corporal Harlow M. Street, Company F from Pocahontas, who died at Memphis.

Monday, February 2, 1863

Private William Jackson, from Donelson and Company G, died yesterday in Memphis.

Today, Sergeant Jacob A. Cook, Company D, from Blueville, was reported as a deserter.