Carrollton La. Qrs. Co. G.

Madison St. April 11^th 1864

 

Dear Friends at Home

                                                                                                                        I have just learned that a mail is to go to-morrow on the Liberty so will give you the news up to date. I wrote to you on Sat. night just after we had got out here and before we had got setteled. Cos E. & G. are quartered in a dwelling house and store combined on Madison St. about twenty five rods from the depot which is the centre of the town. There are twelve rooms in the building besides three cook rooms; the men are all to have good single bunks and I think we are to get along very nicely There is a verandah in front which / is very comfortable these warm afternoons. The Officers occupy the two West rooms up stairs and are to have a mess room down stairs which we hope to get to running to-morrow. Our duty is at the depot guarding trains examining passes and guarding Quartermasters and Commissary Stores. I went on duty Sat. night at 12 o/c to relieve Lieut Howard who was taken sick with diarrhea; before morning I had a similar attack but had some medicine in my valise which soon put me all right and I remained on until 9 o/c this morning. The trains run on Sunday every hour from 6 in the morning until 11 1/2 at night the trains are all crowded and it makes the duty very hard. You have no idea of the manner people here spend / the Sabbath; it seems to be a perfect gala day. thousands went to the Lake and as many more to the city; all of them were dressed in their best which was poor enough and sadly out of style—and all men women and children had immense boquets of the most beautiful flowers. and all were sputtering in French German or Spanish. Nearly all the people in this vicinity are of the thus above mentioned races, and the negroes talk all three of the languages in addition to English All the stores, saloons, Billiard rooms and Theatres are open and are much better patronized than on any other day

 

Several of our boys went to three or four different Churches but could not find one where they / spoke English. The people here are all secesh at heart but are very quiet. they show their hatred of you in their looks.

Women if they look at you at all scowl—but as they are so wretchedly homely I do not care at all. I have not seen a man who would talk with you at all unless he had something to sell you Every body here uses rain water to drink and cook with and it is the best they have. Near every house there are large cisterns raised up from the ground six feet and containing from 15 to 20 hogsheads they are filled from the eve spouts and when they have a drouth water is scarce and they have to use Mississippi water. To us who are not accustomed to it it acts as / a cathartic and is I presume the cause of so much diarrhea in this climate. I use rain water altogether even if it does contain “Wigglers” I shut my eyes and close my lips as tightly as I can and suck the water through my lips. The weather here is lovely just like our June and July days. I am writing this in my shirt sleeves and at an open window on the shady side of the house and yet I am uncomfortably warm Potatoes are up a foot high peas are in bloom and many of the early vegitables have been in the market for some time. We heard yesterday that the Daniel Webster containing the ballance of our Regt was at Key West four / days ago and we are in hopes to see them soon. It seems an age since we bid them good bye at N.Y. and as they are all the friends we expect to find in this vicinity we are all the more anxious to have them with us. I presume they will all go up to Camp Parapet three miles from here. I am trying to buy a map of N.O. and vicinity that you may see where we are Barrett Ripley used to be here and he can tell father something about it I shall wear my flannels all summer they tell me it is not safe to take them off—I cut off my moustache to day the first time my upper lip has been bare for three years I did not suffer from the heat on account of it but I thought I would give them / a chance to [?].

 

I am going down to N.O. to morrow night to attend Mrs Gen^l Banks Tableaux Party—you will see an advertisement of it in the paper I sent you. I bought a N.Y. Tribune to day for 10^cs of the date of Apr. 2. All the news turns so old that we get from the North and the news here does not seem to amount to any thing. The evening paper has just come in and the only news we think of looking at is the arrival of streamers from N.Y. It seems a useless task almost to write you for I receive nothing in return; this is at least the thirteenth I have written since I heard from you but I suppose I shall get my pay when the first / steamer comes—We shall commence drill to-morrow Its so warm we have to drill mornings and nights and lay round in the shade at noon the nights are quite cool The time is up news is gone, and supper is ready so Ill close. Write often and long letters and send papers—Love to all. Your aff Son

                                                                        John

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