In camp, west side of

the River, 20 miles above

Port Hudson,

            Sept 10^th 1863

 

                        My Dear Wife,

                                    Since I last wrote, I have rec'd two letters from you, numbers 10 & 11. It seems that our facilities for mailing letters are not so good as for receiving, for we have had no chance of mailing letters since we left New Orleans, and although I am penciling I have no idea when I can mail.

 

            When I last wrote to you it was the general belief among the soldiers that the whole 13^th Army Corps would move at the / same time, and upon the same point, which we supposed to be Galveston. But 5 days time has shown our mistake. On the morning of the 5^th inst. the 2^d Division under Herron embarked on transports and commenced steaming up the River alone and landed at this place on the morning of the 7^th. The remainder of the Corps, or the most of it at least, have gone to some point on the Gulf, I believe.

 

            In about an hour after we disembarked, the 2^d Brigade formed and commenced marching in a westerly direction in search of an enemy. And at about 3 o'clock P.M. of the 8^th our Reg. rec'd orders to go out to a printing office 10 miles south of here and rout a squad of rebel cavilry that had been fireing on our boats from that point on the River. At a little before sun-down we found the printing office, but the rebels "vamoused the ranch" before we came in sight of them. The next morning (the 9^th) ere the sun was up we were under full headway back toward the boats. This last move was was in compliance with an order sent out by Gen Herron for us to march back and follow up and reinforce the 2^d Brigade as quickly as possible. We reached our destination about 6 oclock P.M. tired and generly about "played out", haveing marched / 24 miles and carried our blankets, guns 40 rounds of ammunition and 5 days rations in our haversacks. To-day in place of attacking the enemy as we expected, the whole army retreated back to our boats at the old landing place. The only reason we can assign for this retreat is that our commanders thought the enemy too strong to attack in his chosen position, and took this plan to draw him out.

 

Sept 11^th

            To-day a detail was made from the 1^st Brigade of 20 men, 2 corporals, 2 sergeants and 2 Lieutenants to be mounted on mules to act as the advance or skirmishers of another expedition out to Aichlafya River, the place where we last left the main forces of the enemy. Dave & I belong to this scouting squad.

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