Lake Providence Louisiana    Feb 13^th 1863

 

            Mr Neff Sir, as I have just recd some fancy paper I thought that I would write you a letter to let you know how I am getting along once more

 

I am at present in moderate good health and hope those few lines will find you and your family all well and doing well. I hope you will excuse this paper for it is all the kind we have in camp at present We are about as bad off as the Southerners is for paper but it will do we are at present about 100 miles from vicksburg engaged in cutting a canal through in to red river in order to land our forces below vicksburg. Lake providence is about 15 miles long and enough water in it to float any of our largest gun boats or transports it runs up within 40 rods of the Mississippi river which makes only 40 rods to dig to get to the lake and that can be done in a very short time. we then can get through in to red river by clearing out some swamp and digging a short canal at a place called Masons Byo our engineers thinks the plan will work admirably. if it does work well it will astonish the world. By consulting a map you will see that we will cut off their supplies from Texas unless they whip us out before we accomplish our work here. we had a little brush here on day last week the loss on our side was three killed and 25 wounded the loss of the enemy is unknown as they carried their dead & wounded off the field in their retreat. our Battery was not engaged in the fight as we had only landed here on our way from vicksburg. the fight ended just as we landed. we was down opposite vicksburg 10 days. we was then ordered back here to this place while we were at vicksburg we was with Shermans army assisting them with their canal that they are cutting around vicksburg. I have poor faith in the canal at vicksburg I dont think that it will ever do any good they have let the water in the canal before they had it half done and I should think that any one would know better than that that ever seen any water

 

            This Lake that we are encamped on is one of the handsomest sheets of water that I have ever seen in my life either north or South and it has plenty of all kinds of fish in it which tends to replenish our mess some what and there is no trouble in getting all we want of them the lake is also black with ducks and geese but we are not permitted to shoot one of them Shooting is prohibited in camp entirely for it is liable to give an alarm and if a man gets a pass to go out side of the pickets to hunt he is liable to be picked up by a guerilla band at any time I came very near being taken prisnor the other day as we were out forageing for corn we were within half a mile of a party of guerillas when an old darkey came along and told us where the was and we left for camp as there was only five of us out and we saved our bacon that time

 

I should like to know what is going on in the north for we get no papers or letters Lately we occasionaly get a few letters but no papers are you suppressing the news up their or what are you a doing I should like to know I hope you will explain it to me when you write as near as I can learn there seems to be a general dissatisfaction in the north in regard to the Emancipation proclamation of the president I am afraid we are ruined forever if we fail as a nation to do our duty the people at home should not grumble as long as the Soldiers in the field dont although I am for one sick of the war and would be glad to see it setteled on honorable terms, but I never want the South recognized as a nation. we can whip them if we carry on / the war on the right kind of principles if our goverment and people would all pull together we could whip them but if we fail to do that there is no help for us our goverment will go down it seems strange that the people can not be more united in our cause for it is ceartainly a just cause althoug there are many things done on our side that is moraly wrong in carrying on the war in some places & cases it is a swindling opperation many of our leading men both military and civil thinks more of the dollar than they do of the goverment in which they live

 

                        well I must bring my remarks to a close for this time and I shall write again soon as convenient

 

            please write soon as convenient and less have all the news that is of any importance Give my respects to all enquiring friends and my best wishes to all of the family

            hoping to hear from you soon I remain your friend

 

Harrison Washburn

1^st Minnesota Battery

Direct McArthurs Division

Army of West Tennessee

via Cario

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