Camp Parapet, Carrolton. Louisiana

May 24^th, 1862

 

Dear Mother Father and all

            I supose you see by the heading above that we have shifted from Ship-Island and gone to the main land. before I go into the details of my letter I will commence at the beggining of my story. we started from Ship Island on the 20^th and had a fine Steam Boat ride on one of these Miss river boats, and landed at a small town called Lake End we staid over night in a hotel, formerly owned by a rebel but now deserted. next day we were taken where we now are by cars and had a short ride of about five miles and landed in the place where we are encamped. it is a nice place to what old Ship Island was.

 

May 26^th

            Dear Mother

                        Day before yesterday there was nothing of any importance to write about so I thought I would wait a day or two so as to see whether there would anything come up. it is just as I expected, yesterday it was nosed about that four miles from camp there was hid on one of the plantations twenty or 25 hogsheads of sugar about a mile from the planters house. quarter-master had got out of sugar and we had to drink our coffee without The boys could not stand it so there was a general rush for passes to get sugar, and away they went. such a time was never seen before. the men took there havre-sacks and broke open the hogsheads and filled them as full as they could cram them. some men from our company and Co. G took a hand car and rolled a hogshead on it, besides the havre-sacks full. I should think if all was weighed it would amount to over a ton. some of the men were so foolish as to eat too much. I believe I have said enough about sweet “stuff” turn over another leaf and we will have a look at the “dark-ey” side of the picture. there are quite a number of darkies in the different Cos. they are very useful about the cook-house and washing clothes and many other jobs such as carrying water and splitting wood. the people from the village bring in vegetables to swap off for some Hard Tack and salt beef which is very scarce round here fresh beef is fifty cents per pound. I suppose you would like to know about my washing. I wash my clothes every week [?] every day get up every mourning at half past four there is not much news stirring about so I will try and give you a representation of the place where we staid at Lake End

 

this is a rough sketch

but it will show what

kind of place we staid in

from your affect Son

Reuben Haworth

 

P. S. Mother

                        there is something I forgot to mention the name of our Camp is you will notice Camp Parapet. it derives it name from a brest work which reaches across from Lake Pontchatrain to the Mississippi River a distance of 6 miles. they are called the Morgan breastworks, and it is said that it the greatest piece of earthworks in the United States. I cannot give you eny Idea of the cost and work that has been laid out on it. there is something very remarkable about this breastwork our forces you know have taken possession of Ft Jackson which the Rebels thought impossible to take and they thought we should have to march by this breastwork in order to reach New Orleans. But when they heard that it had been taken they fled leaving every thing behind them guns and all. they did not even stop to spike the cannons. The woemen are awfull “seceesh” so they went and spiked the cannons and set fire to gun cartridges that show what kind of soldiers the woemen will make much better than the men. it is lucky that Ft Jackson was taken or we should have had to encounter a hard battle. we are on the right of Phelps division we shall not have so much hard marching to do I believe I must close.

                                                                        R Haworth

                                                                        Co B. N.H.V.

                                                                                    Carrolton

                                                                                                Louisiana

 

Tell Mrs Trefethen I saw them kind of flowers the tallest kind she has got that red flower on it. I saw that same kind of flowers growing 20 feet high.

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