Fort Livingston Oc^t 6^th 63

 

Dear Children

                        It is some four weeks since I have heard from any of you owing to sertain Certain Circumstances that has taken place for the last four or five weeks. the last letters I received was from Ira & Lucy dated the 16 and 19^th of August last. all the letters that has been sent to me since that Date I have not received they of course going to the regment whare I have not for been for the last thirty five days. when a letter come to the Company if the owner is not thare he hardly ever gets it for the Company Officers hardly ever takes pains to send it to him. So if any of you has written to me any pirticular news of importance I wish you would write it again and direct to this place

 

            I will now say to you how I came to be at this place. the next day after I wrote you from Bayou Beoff the regment mooved down to Algears across the river from New Orleans and the next day on our regment with several others went on board of s trantsport and started for Texas togeg together with several gun boats they tried to land at the Sabine Pass or up the river a short distance further and got drove back and lost two gun boats and t a hundred/and fifty men taken prisioners mostly from the 75 regment and on their return to New Orleans they had to throw overboard the two battiries of six guns each they being overtaken in a hard storm                   I was not on board when the ship sailed from the peer being detailed with a bout nine oth other men as patroled guard and not getting on in time to go out The net next morning as I was walking along one of the streets of the place two Soldiers came a long and wanted that I should go in and treat them which I refused of course when one of them struck me on the head and knocked me dgw down the which was the last thing I rememberd for some time and when I came to I was badly hurt and was sent to the Barracks Convaleseant Camp and stayed thare a most four weeks till I got well of the bruses on my head and face

 

            From the Camp whare I stayed thare has been Seventy five men detailed to come to this fort and I have been one it of them it is in the gelf Gulf of Mexico about fifty or sixty miles west of the mouth of the Mississippi river Commanding the pass that ships take to go up in to the western rivers of the State/

 

            I spoke in the other sheat about going to the barracks Convealeseant Camp after I got hurt and staying thare some time and while thar I had a Chance to Strool about the Country and the City the great City of New Orleans. I visited the city a number of times and other places

 

I Strooled down the river some two miles and visited the old battle ground whar General Jackson fought the British under Packingham A the battle was fought on an extanded plain Jackson forces I being in trenched behind Earthworks which is still visible to be seen On the battle ground they have partly built a Splendid monument of brick in side/faced on the out side with granate it is now about half done or seventy feet high I guess il it will hardly be finished till the war is over and when that will be is yet to now

 

I want you should write and let me know how you have got along in securing your crops and whether you have sold the wool and at what price and how the stud looks and whether you have got as much stock as you want to winter and all the news thare is in town that would interest me If you have got a good C Crop of potatoes I wish you would send me a barrel of them they bring here from one to two Cents apiece for small/sise not biger than a hen egg I have seen them sold in for five Cents apiece and apples from five to fifteen Cents a piece you would hardly think that I would pay fifteen Cents for an apple but I have done so in severall several times They th looked so good I could hardly helpit

 

Butter is worth fifty Cents and Cheese forty Cents per pound. If you should send a barrel send rather small sise ones and put in a half abushel of (?) apples and head the barrel up good and nail the hoops well and get Mr Angell or Barnard to direct it, if it never gets here it wont be a great loss I will pay the freight here/

Direct to John Brown

                                                                        Fort Livinson

Care of Ca^p Z. Washburn                                           LA

15^th Maine Volinteers

 

Lucy enquired in her last letter if knew any thing about Charley Brown as his wife had not huard from him for some time some time in august I rec^d a letter from him from Battin Rogue that th he had been very sick but was then better and was enhopes of geting a Sixty days furlow and go home to see his family if he has ever been home let me now

I am in hopes I shall stay here all winter as we have good quarters in the Fort and plenty of Army rations and plenty of fish T though army rations is got to be hard living for me

I remain your afectionate Father

 

[top margin first page:            you must not send the potatoes by Express Send them if at all by freight]

 

[top margin second page:       I sent fifty dollars of to Mr Angell last August which I have not heard from]

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