Camp Lewis   

Carrollton Louisiana Sept 16^th 1862

 

Dear Father and Sisters Parna & Deborah

Yours of Aug 31^st arrived yesterday per Steamer Matanzas, with yours I recd one from Evansville 1 from Plainfield per Louisa, one from Bell Crist one from Annie of Searsville. I had about concluded the Indians had killed you all off. My health is slowly gaining I am quite weak yet but as I do not have any labor to perform I get along very well. We are still in Camp Lewis for how long we of course know not. We have not had much real hot weather here yet. we occasionally have a hot day but nothing like we had 2 years ago I think we will run clear of yellow fever this fall. Father wished to know more of the particulars of the Baton Rouge fight. The newspapers made such an ado about it, and all other fights, I hardly thot it worth while but I of course will give you my opinion & views of it the Rebel Camp More is a short distance east of Woodville it is a sort of recruiting station, and camp of instruction. Some of the traitors of Baton Rouge kept up a correspondence with Camp More the report would often come to our lines that a large army of Rebs were out 6, 8, 10 miles Preparation would be made for a big fight cavalry sent out to scout; our cavalry was Nutmegs—they would go out a ways, enquire of some nigger and the niggers were scared to death all the time. they would tell some bugaboo story and cavalry would come to head quarters and report. Sometimes go out 4 miles and represent they had went 6 or 8. The Nutmegs out on picket at night would scare at their own shadows, perhaps see a coon or mule coming up the road cry Halt & fire—of course the alarm was given the long roll was beat and / the men called into line, while some horse man would ride out to the picket line to see what is the matter. perhaps a runaway nigger had come to the lines at night and did not understand military rules, and scared the pickets. this happened 3 or 4 times the boys became careless, thinking that no guerrilla party would attack our post as we had 7 Regts, 3 or 4 batteries. But on the 4^th of Aug a Darkie came in and told the Commanding officer there was a large force of Rebs coming from Vicksburg via Camp More some 15 or 20 miles off the Officers mostly believed it and gave out extra cartridges, so to be sure, our Adjt with a squad of men, went out 14 miles, in a wagon to the Amite River, that night, and returned, and reported no Rebs to be found. About 3 Oclock in the morning our guards heard several volleys fired, some 3 or 4 miles off, then about 4½ Oclock the Rebs came to our lines and drove in the pickets. our Regt was out and went out first to meet them. the morning was very foggy and our men could not see them till they were right on them. the Rebs had the Stars and 13 Stripes, our men waited a little and did not fire and the rebs discovered our men then they fired a volley and killed and wounded quite a number of our Officers & Sergeants then the fight commenced. our men stood their ground alone till they saw one or two Reb regts trying to flank them then they fell back and fought them. The Batteries were playing on the Rebs now briskly the Rebs came up through a (country grave yard) corn field in one end and took shelter behind a picket fence but close to our Regt. Our men shot them down by platoons. our men would fall down and receive their fire and load and fire kneeling the rebs would stand up to load and fire kneeling, but didnt lay down till they had (recd a fire or shot) their balls would whistle over our mens heads savagely there is not much harmony about the music an ounce ball from a cut rifle say an Enfield or Austrian Rifle makes going close to ones head / a little ball sounds some, and a shell say 10 inch more so, as if there was thick & thin places in the air, and when a shell came to a tree to over our head it sounded different. I see lots of limbs 6, 8 & 10 inches cut off by shells or solid shot, then the Rebs tried to flank our Regt on the other side, then they fell back and fought them Michigan was on our right with Nims Battery and Browns Ind Battery. they had a sharp time the other side of the grave yard. the Rebs drove Browns gunners away from one gun. the Rebel flag bearer jumped up on the gun waved his flag & yelled I've got you now. Brown says, "the Hell you Have" just then the color bearer and several other Rebs fell and the Mich men with Browns men ran up and hauled off the gun by hand, as the horses was killed. Jim Brown was from Bedford was a private in Co F was a sharp shooter, was appointed or elected Lieut in Co H at Algiers the 21^st captured several field pieces and they gave them in charge of Brown and detailed men enough to man them. they were well drilled and died good fighting. the Rebs got the colors of the Mich Regt at one time. So Mich made a bold strike and took it back! Nims Battery discovered a Reb battery and baggage train coming up through a lane on the south side of the grave yard. Nims's Battery opened on them and piled up gun carriages horses wagons & men so they could not get through. that is what saved our Regt. a Louisiana Regt came up on a street running east to west through the fog and smoke on a double quick at a trail arms. Trail arms is to carry the gun with the butt near the ground leaning a little forward. our men discovered them and wheeled into line and opened fire onto them, fired 2 or 3 volleys before the Rebs could imagine where the balls came from. they had revolving breech loading rifles they fired several volleys at random then wheeled and fled in the worst kind of disorder. while they were coming up the street the 6^th Mass Battery was pouring shot & shell into them briskly. they hardly got their artillery to bear on us / by that time the Rebs had rallied and was coming through our camp. Our men rallied again & met them they fired a few rounds and our Regt was out of ammunition. they then come to a charge bayonet and held them back til 3 Co^s of Mich came in and fired a few volleys, when each army fell back. while our men was taking their last position the 7^th Vermont fired into us killing and wounding several of our men. the 7^th was camped behind us they took no part in the fight, but fell back out of reach of danger Gen'l Butler has taken their Colors away from them. they are a set of Cowards. the 14^th Maine was camped close on our left. they did not wake up till our men had gone out then they beat the morning revilee as usual 2 or 3 Companies got in line fired a few shots and fell back to join the rest of the Regt. which they found making their way to the river. the 30^th Mass gets great praise, but they sustained no loss and done what little firing they done at long range The Wisconsin Regt was stationed on the north side of the encampment they were not permitted to get into the fight. the Bloody Ninth Conn an Irish Regt could not be got into the fight. the our Adjutant & C^o A's 1^st Lt was killed the first fire. the Lt Col & Major was wounded soon after. the Col McMillan was sick 1 Capts leg broke 2 Lieuts badly wounded, since died—the 21^st fought almost without officers several of the Lieuts fought with rifles. the men were mixed up but they kept well in line watched their chances to get behind trees, load & fire &c. the firing commenced about sunrise and lasted till about 8 Oclock; our troops then fell back formed a line bout ½ a mile from the battle ground. the rebs fell back for water (they said) the ambulances were sent on the ground to haul in the wounded with a flag of truce The scattering squads of Rebs were around. as soon as the wounded was got off, the Officers would allow no one to go on the battlefield till next day 

 

            I was on the next day after commissary stores that the Rebs had not burned. Some $400 or 500 worth of beef pork molasses soap. They had just commenced burying the dead, our Federal picket were placed out, the line crossed the battle ground, the Rebs did send in a flag of truce asking the privilege of burying their dead within our lines We sent them word we had buried most of them and could the rest they hauled off several wagon loads of dead from the grave yard, but our men (with darkies to do the work) buried about 400 of their men.

 

The firing our guards heard early in the morning was caused by a guerrilla party going to meet & join the Rebs. they did not recognize each other and had pitched battle killing and wounding a great many.

 

You ask how I felt. I felt nothing like one would imagine. I had been used to see soldiers lying around camp asleep & sick and I have seen a good many dead soldiers. My first impulse or curiosity was to see how many there were and which they were Fed or Reb. I saw a great many wounded men go back across the camp before I left and they kept coming in during the fight—some laughing others suffering. one Sergt had his arm broke close to his shoulder he was as cool as if he had simply broke his gun. while the balls were falling like hail stones on the tents and about me I hardly thot of getting hurt till I see 2 Companies of men skirmish line behind me then I thot I had better get back away So I went to town the stench of the horses & men was awful, we could smell it for days on our clothes, just riding by. they buried horses & dead rebs in the same hole—alias grave. There is no news write so I will close this Hoping to hear from soon again. I'll try to give you an idea of the battlefield on this sheet. Yours ever R H Crist

21^st Ind Regt

New Orleans La /

 

[diagram of battlefield with entries top to bottom as follows: rebels 1^st line, corn field, grave yard, 21^st 1^st line, magnolia graveyard, Lane the rebs tried to come up, Rebs 2^nd line, street, Ind 21 line, street, grave yard, picket line after the fight, 14^th Maine, 6^th Mass Battery, scattering timber, Ind camp, Nims Battery, 6^th Mich, 7^th Vermont's camp, South]

 

our first picket line was out ½ a mile from our camp east Mich boys done most of their fighting in the blue ring at the right the Rebs came up on 4^th street as laid down here. our men formed a line across the 6^th battery camp. the blue pits at this edge of Ind camp shows the last line of battle where there was any fighting the red spot is where Gen'l Williams fell.

 

[second diagram enumerating: 6^th, 5^th, 4^th North Street, 3^d Church Street, 2^d Street, 1^st Street abutting Mississippi River West]

SOURCES