Opolusas         April 23^rd 1863

Dear Mother

            You see by the heading of my letter that we have moved from Baton Rouge which place we left and were transported to Algiers opposite New Orleans we then got-on board the cars and went to Breashur City at Bernicks Bay we crossed and Gen Banks forces proceeded up Bayo Teche where the enemy were fortified and where they had a strong force. you remember I was in a battle on this bayo before. the expiditions consisting of Gen Wutzels Brigade. Gen Emerys Division Gen Ingram, Gen Paine, and Gen Goodwins brigades Gen Grovers Division of two of three Brigades proceeded up the bayo under command of Gen Banks we marched up a few miles when a section of one the batteries fired a few shots to see if the enemy was very close or not the brigades were formed in line of battle. first Gen Wutzel in front then our brigade and then the other brigade as I have named them with the exception of Grovers Division that had gone another way to attack them in the rear. we had nine thousand infantry about a regiment of cavelry and 60 pieces of artillary the first night we laid in line of battle till we came within two or three miles of the enemys fortification when two or three of our batteries opened on them to which the enemy responded after a dozen rounds had come from us they had one big gun besides there batteries that was playing on us which threw large pieces of rail-road iron making an awful noise going through the air. but doing no harm. it being about dark we fell back out of range of the enemys gun. We had a pretty hard battle which lasted three days and the enemys shot a shell flying over us and our own flying back to them as good luck would have it there was ditches dug by the planters to drain the land off. so the enemy could not hurt us the least mite. after the three days fighting during which time our artillary had been making awful havoc with the guns. on the morning of the fourth day the news came that the enemy had re-

 

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