Here is a description of the route taken by the 43rd Tennessee Infantry out of Vicksburg.

07 12 1863 [Sunday]

Yesterday we drew six days rations preparatory for a trip to Jackson, Miss, and today we marched out at 7 o’clock a.m. and tonight we are camped 7 1/2 miles from Vicksburg on the railroad.

Stevenson’s Division started out at sunup. Reynold’s Brigade was last. It started at eight a.m. We marched two miles and halted and were inspected by the Yankees to see if we were taking anything that was contrary to the conditions of surrender. This done, we passed out of their first line. We marched eight miles and took up for the night. We took a good rest and slept till disturbed by a light shower of rain, we put everything in good order for the next day.

07 13 1863 [Monday]

At daylight we took up the line of march to Big Black River, four miles distant, passing through Bovina we arrived at Big Black Bridge and took breakfast . Breakfast dispatched , we rolled on slowly, resting often as we were well loaded with rations, as we had started with ten days of meat rations and six of bread rations. We traveled twelve miles and took up for the night.

07 14 1863 [Tuesday]

At sunup we started again for Raymond where we expected to pass the outposts of the Yank Army. After resting three hours we struck out and traveled four miles to what is called Cooper's Wells. A place of rest in summer. A health resort. There we found plenty of good water to wash with and to drink. Then we lay down and took another good old fashioned sleep.

07 15 1863 [Wednesday]

At sunup we took up the line of march, passing through Byram, a small town, and crossing Pearl River on the Jackson and New Orleans Railroad. We went five miles from the river and took up for the night.

07 16 1863 [Thursday]

At daylight we were aroused and at sunup struck out on our tour. We had expected all along to take the cars at Brandon, first station out of Jackson, but by this time it was found we could not get transportation at Brandon on account of Johnson having to sent so much Government property up the road from Jackson, so we were then ordered to Enterprise about eighty miles distant, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. We traveled fifteen miles and took up for the night.

07 17 1863 [Friday]

At sunup we struck up again, passed Cato, a little town which on account of the war had almost gone to wreck. We marched about ten miles and took up for the night.

07 18 1863 [Saturday]

Bright and early we struck out and marched to Strong River, fifteen miles, where we took up for the night.

07 19 1863 [Sunday]

We moved off as usual. We marched to Lief River, about twelve miles, by one o’clock where we stopped for dinner. Dinner over and our rest completed, we struck out and marched six miles and took up for the night.

07 20 1863 [Monday]

A little before sunup we struck out pretty brisk, expecting to make about twenty miles in order to reach Enterprise next day. We traveled about twelve miles against twelve o’clock and halted for dinner. When we had finished our dinner and the cool of the day was approaching we rolled out again. We marched six miles further, two miles east of Garlandsville. We remained there all night, eighteen miles from Enterprise.

07 21 1863 [Tuesday]

We started for Enterprise. We marched twelve miles and stopped for dinner and to rest. We again started and rolled into Enterprise at sundown.

From there the regiment took the train for Mobile.

Diary of I. J. Stamper, Fife Major, 43rd Tennessee Infantry, CSA