May 20, 1863

Merits Plantaion

 

                                                                                                                        Dear Brother I now take my pencil in hand to let you know my where abouts and welfare wel they say it is some 13 miles above Baton Rouge and 5 or 6 from fort hudson and I am well and enjoying my self first rate and so is the rest of the boys and ainsley McConnell bought some paper and I took part so as to use it up for we have not eney way of caring it wel Pete I wil tel you a little how we perform out here the 12 we started about 6 oclock in the morning on what they caled a light march with our rubber blanket haversack and two days rations and canteen and marched some 18 miles and encamped near here about 2 oclock jest about gon up got supper and made up my bed with lewis rile one blanket under / and one over our guns stacked at our heads and slep first rate waked up onse or twise and hurd the gun boats throwing sheels at the fort I spose in the morning we got our breakfast and packed marched some 2 miles farther and laid in the woods most all day but did not see eneything the cavilry went out 6 miles and got 15 priseners and 40 head of cattle and we had some beef and at night it rained some but the rubbers keep things all right next day we marched one mile nearer the river so as to get water and that is where we are now Saturday the long roll sounded and we wer in line for battle but nothing came staid in line 2 hours and went back to camp Sunday morning we got a mail I received a letter from hess and wrote afew lines to mother and sent it with jim Coryells and our Co was detailed as guards jim Coryell and 9 other boys had to guard a planters house and nigars and would had / a good time if the flees had not bin so thick in the night about 1 there was some contrabands came in and the pickets thought it was the rebs and they fired away the darkes run and the long roll sounded and such ting you never herd the Col duble quicked them across alarge cane field rough as thunder and some tumbled down we could here it but could not see it in the morning they went back and jim edd Straten and I took up some honey for the planters daughter She axt us to so at it we went at it we nocked the top off the hive smoked the bees with cotton then broke out honey from the top nailed it up again and did not hurt the bees had all the honey we wanted but it aint as good as our honey and that is the way with every thing els yesterday at 12 we ordered out and marched some 4 miles farther up the river nerley opsit fort hudson / the Cavilry drove in the rebs and the artilery threw afew shels in the woods and hung around till night but could not get in eney brush so we came back prety wel tuckered it is pleasent this morning I slep rather cool last night as I had nothing but my blouse and blanket our boys from Pulteney are here except Horton and Hariss and the most of the boys are here enjoying themselfs it would do you good to see our camp the tents of brush and blankets of all discriptions we are expecting a mail here to day and I want a letter from home for I have wrote severel onse a week sartin and I expect the same when they get acoming I want to know wether you have got that 45$ I sent home or not I have wrote about it onse or twise but I thought it would do no harm to mention it again this paper looks rather durty but I cant help it I have to use my plate to write on and it aint the cleanest write often and give me the news give my respects to the friends yours &c &c Wils

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