Brashear City La.

                                                                                    Monday April 27^th 1863

 

Dear Cousin Sarah,

                                    I received your very welcome letter a day or two since and was very glad to receive one from you. I tell you every mail is watched by anxious, eager eyes to see if it brings any news from home for them, and one from you seems like home to me.

 

            I am well now, but not quite as fat as I was before my sickness. neither am I as strong as I was, but I am gaining every day. I was weighed about two weeks ago and only weighed 116 1/2 lbs. My common weight is from 140 to 145 lbs. so you can see I have grown poor “some.”

 

            Well I will try and write you what news I can think of. there is not much here and/ I presume ere you get this you will hear of that by papers and by telegraph, but I will write it. maybe I will give you a little more minute description than the papers would.

 

            Our reg^t took the lead. they came in the advance. (I did not go, I was not able to march) they crossed the bay here (Berwicks Bay) two weeks ago last thursday and lay on the other side till I think it was sunday morning they started on an expidition up through the Opelousas country they marched until about five oclock sunday afternoon and ran nearly onto the rebel Fort and rifle pits before the rebs saw them. they opened a fire of shell, Grape & canister on our men, and our reg^t being in the advance, and the first/ “United States” battery right in their rear, they were ordered to lay down in a ditch and let the battery play. they fell back into the ditch and lay down right between the fires. the rebs fired right over their heads, and so did the batteries. they lay there over an hour during the hottest part of the fight the shells bursting all around them. still none of our reg^t were killed. then they were ordered out as skirmishers. the fight lasted until about seven when they lay over for the night. early the next morning they were “up and at it again” this day one boy was killed, shot right through the head, and some 8 or 10 wounded. our Company escaped without a mans/ being hurt and have as far as heard from. they took the fort that day, and some prisoners. I forget how many then went on after the rebs the rebs run like good fellows but our boys kept close to their heels, so they could not stop and fortify themselves. they drove them from every fort and fortification they had and kept following them up. the last I heard from them they were up nearly to or quite to red river. there was about twenty thousand of our army as near as I can find out. our reg^t has been ordered back to drive all the horses, mules, and cattle they can find. they will be here tomorrow. they have got about three thousand mules and I dont know how many cattle/

 

[top margin across three pages]

and sheep. the rest of the army are going on

                                                            look in side/

 

they have sent over three thousand prisone/

rs down here already and still they come

                                                            turn over/

 

well cousin sarah I must close as my paper is short and I am writing by moonlight give my love to all and accept a share yourself write soon to your cousin Sid I heard from moke to night he is well and full of fun Sid

SOURCES