Plaquemine     March 6^th 1864

 

Dear Father and Mother,

We received another joint letter last mail. I believe there were no less than four different novels in it and I was equally pleased to hear from all but hope that you will all be satisfied with an answer to Mother and a promise to the rest next mail. Col Ben arrived at this place thursday. He brings good news from the north and is the same Col to day yesterday and for ever. He was in last evening exhorting us to morality and temperance and when he was through he advised us to not only practice what he had been trying to teach but preach it to our fellows and by so doing we would save many from everlasting disgrace and do much toward keeping up the army. And we in our turn bragged some about our exploits and hair breadth escapes in battles and hardships generally putting it on / a great deal worse than Revolutionary times of course. On the whole we had a pleasant time. We had another letter from Al Sheets the other day. He was well and willing to do what he had already bargained for but he could not see the veteran yet He said that there was a nigger Col at Nashville that wanted to get his regiment in their brigade. He did not like that very well and said that the boys swore that if he did not leave with his niggers they would kill the last d—d one of them. Well I am with him there to a certain extent. There is a little too much nigger equality preached now days for me. I am for giving them their rights but when they begin to class them with white men and give them more privileges as has been done in many instances I feel like kicking out the traces a little. I find no fault with the government in the course it has taken with the slaves whatever. I think it is right to take their slaves as well as any other property But I tell you I do not sympathize with the slaves as much as I used to. I will tell you why I feel thus / toward the poor cusses. I have yet to see the first one who after he learns that he is free that does not turn right round and try to ride white men. You can not learn them anything. They know it all and will tell you all about what you may try to teach them. In a word they are bigoted and if you give them the little finger they will take the whole hand. I see in the New Orleans Times of yesterday that Congress is proposing to raise a large regular army of negroes as they consider them superior to white soldiers (I should not say Congress as this was a bill offered for consideration) To this I say God speed them in it. I wish there was a nigger to take my place now I would give way to nothing more freely. I will say with Al that when my present term of service shall have expired that they may go to Affrica for their soldiers.

 

Tell Henry not to enlist for two or three months at any rate and as he is young I wish him to counsel one of his brothers already in the service who feel an interest in his welfare as well as that of their country. I may as well tell you that / I do not want him to enlist till duty calls him and that will not be for several years. If there is any such a thing as one man doing the duty of another or in other words: If it is right for a man send a substitute. Curt and I have been cheated out of rations enough to cancel the debt our fathers family owes to the government or may owe during life. To say nothing about any thing else. I wish you would send some good chewing tobacco with Uncle W^m if he will be so kind as to bring it. We have to pay from $1.50 to $2.00 per lb for it here and then we get a very poor article.

 

I am about out of Postage Stamps too you will oblige me by enclosing two or three in each letter you write in the next month. We can get stamps in New Orleans by sending by the Post Master but we have lent our money to the boys or some of it so that we are pretty nearly strapped and no signs of the Pay Master yet we can do very well but for Post Stamps and tobacco they are necessaries Curt is about as usual and the rest of the boys are all right

You will excuse for the present.

 

Regards to all,                                    

Yours Respectfully

W. H. Swineford

 

P.S. I am no turncoat

I go for Polk yet.

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