Baton Rouge Oct 11^th 1863   

 

                        Dear Sister Parna

                                                Perhaps you are sitting close to the stove thinking now would be a good time to hear from Rob I believe I wrote Father on the 22^nd of last month. Since that time there has been no excitement. we have had quite cool weather I sleep very comfortable under 3 blankets. (Gov blankets weigh 7 lbs) the days are quite pleasant, but the nights are cool, no frost. My health is very good. this hot climate does not agree with me. I am in hopes to get away from here before another hot season comes round. we count our time as 9 month from the 24^th of Oct we have no idea of getting home before that if we do then. this war is not near its end.—"When this cruell war is over"—that is the name of a very good song, now sung by every body. 589 of our regt are still here. the rest are off on the expedition to Texas and the Rio Grand We are doing nothing but Garrison duty which means soldiering according to the Army Regulations, keeping the camp clean liable to be inspected any day. Guards to keep their coats buttoned up while on duty no matter how hot. Keep their cloths clean & salute all Officers that passes. Soldiers to be as submissive as possible and Officers to put on all the style and good cloths they are posessed of 

 

There were a few Rebs went down past here some 14 miles off a few days ago. Our Col is a very brave man but no General. the Commander of the Past, not wishing to be censured for neglect of duty made large preperations to resist the Siege, had all the sick moved inside the fortifications had batteries and infantry supports sent out to meet them, had rifle pits cut, kept men mules & horses lying out for some 6 days and nights kept his Orderly running after whiskey to the Post Commissary. Our Col. Zealous & drunk. the line officers mad and drunk. Soldiers all cursing the Col. and drinking all the whiskey they can get. finally the 4^th Wis Cavalry went out some 15 or 20 miles and found some Ind Ill & Iowa cavalry, or mounted infantry from Carrollton near New Orleans scouring the country in search of horses mules forage &c. the came back and reported the same. About that time the whiskey gave out and the boys say, there were guerrillas in the bottom of the barrel. it was a common saying in camp, well how is the fight going to day. rather increasing the Col. got 5 gallons reinforcements to day. How much longer is this Siege going to last. don't know but could soon tell if I knew how much whiskey was on hand. but all is again quiet the boys laugh about the Siege and make sarcastic remarks about the Col and his whiskey Patriotism. Several of the Sergts & privates are taking commissions in Nigger Regts. Some of the line Officers are taking commissions in the Staff of Nigger Regts. they are getting dissatisfied with the regt. the Col arrests men & Officers for spite without a cause. he was a little one horse lawyer in a one horse town in Indiana. General dissatisfaction rules our Regt, guards will not stop anyone except Nut Megs from passing in & out of camp 

 

Col Dudley, Acting Brig Gen. is inspector Gen of this department he was here the other day inspecting the Post. he censured our Regt saying not a man had raised their hand to their hat that day (to him) Guards of course salute him but our soldiers off duty are not apt to salute an officer unless they like him. Col. Dudley was Col of the 30^th Mass. here at the fight on the 5^th of Aug last year. he was not with his regt. during the fight but claims a large share of the honors afterwards his Regt did not run but kept well back out of danger. Dudley had a large puff put in the N.O. paper but none but Nut Megs could see it Gen Dudley was very indignant at our regt. the other day

 

to fill this sheet I will tell you how some of our men kill time. A widow Lady down town fell in love with a man in the 4^th Wis Cavalry and as she had a daughter and some friends of respectability she tho't she had better marry him. So for appearance sake Wis. got two chaps of Ind. to help him, one to act as clerk of the court and one with white cravat to act as chaplain of the Regt. the marriage ceremony was performed in due style. the woman of course knew of the fraud, but somebody thot the joke was too good to keep. Our Col. heard of it and being a lawyer & Col. he had them arrested and put in jail. the Commander of the Post had all parties called up after keeping the soldier in camp some 20 days he enquired of the Lady if she was satisfied as it was. She said yes, had never been otherwise knew it was a sham when done &c Col Gooding released the boy and had his opinion of our Col. for arresting them. All of which makes fun for the boys and lowers Col Keith in their estimation. / He also had some men arrested for dealing in Confederate money, and as I had some samples lying in my trunk I put it in a newspaper and sent it home. tell Father to lay it to one side till called for. I paid $2. for a lot of it once but never received a cent for it Green backs is not very plenty with us just now. we are nearly 4 months behind on pay, all through negligence of Our Col.

 

I have just rolled up a magazin for you. I received a roll of papers from Lee, also some Chicago Tribunes. tell lee when he sends me any more to scratch the word Boston off them first. I will send him one as soon as I can get one. I gave the papers to my cook. he is very pious and can read and he was very much pleased with them. we have had him a year, he is very steady, sober, industrious, religious, cleanly, punctual. Every Officer & soldier in camp respects him. he was born in Fredericksburg Va was sold to Texas and brot here by Col Waller of the Rebel Texas Cavalry. we captured him when we captured Wallers horses in the swamp. the darkee (Fielding Monday) thinks I am the best man he knows of. I am not quite pious enough to suit him but he will stay with me till I go home. they have tried to coax him off for a soldier but he is satisfied where he is, he has a wife in Va. and the old man thinks that the way the girls (colored) does here is rediculous. he has little or nothing to say to them. he hates nut megs as bad as a Hoosier, wont allow them to warm by his stove. we have to pay 20 cts for St Louis & Chicago papers, 10 cts for New Orleans papers. we hear Rosy is whiped but do not believe it.

 

I have not heard from Deb in nearly a month, had a letter from Bell & Annie Crist

 

The river remain very low. quite healthy, we have 12 men in Hosp there is some 1200 convalescent dead men in Gen Hosp. most of them are Dutch, many of them old gray beards & heads many look older that G F Dunlapp did 5 years ago. Our boys say they are dead, but the Surgeon does not bury them in order to draw rations and pockets the money, while their families will draw their $13 per month—tis a shame and a scandall, they are trying to put in two years in order to draw their bounty

 

Give my love to all and write soon to your Brother

RHCrist

 

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Tis a little amusing to us to hear them Nutmegs talk. they are quartered close to us they are talking of home their discharges and their Bounty they sit in their tent & quarters read over their old letters, look at themselves in a pocket looking glass comb their whiskers read their Testament their mother or some soldiers aid society gave them. play cards carve dogs heads on their canes repack their knapsacks, count the pins in their pin cusion. Sharpening their jack knife going to some commissary to get weighed asking some darkee if he was a slave, if he was badly used if he had to work hard, was whipped much, whether they would like to go back to their master. Darkee very often tells them yes to their astonishment. they will spark a nigger girl or woman with as much gallantry as they would a white woman at home. they eat their hosp rations then go to market eat apple dumplings doughnuts pies and always eat cake. Hoosiers seldom or never eat cake when they can get anything else Hoosiers are death on pies & chickens—but I must close, as dinner is about ready, and we are to have a big rice pudding. My favorite dish, but eggs at 75 cts a doz we have Irish potatoes now and live very well. I should love to call around and take dinner to day (Sunday) of mashed potatoes biscuit good butter coffee &c

RHCrist

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