Vermilionvill Oct the 10^th 63

 

            Dear Brother I take this oportunity to write a few lines to let you know that I am well and yesterday morning I received a letter from you dated Sept 18 and one frome you and mother dated the 12 and was glad to hear from you for I had not had eney leters from since I hurd of fathers death you said you was going to use the money on my check I want you to use gist what you want of it and I suppose you have had another check for $32 before this time and I hope you will use what you want of it. Our Chaplain Mr Jones and Dr Stodard joined our regt yesterday and it seamed kinder good to see some / one from the north onse more Selvester Retan got aletter from H Smith he said that the folks had turned there minds since we came away for they paid us for coming but now they pay for them to stay at home well I dont know but that is right enough for I think we can clean it up after awhile for we have made them fly lately like the 4 winds but I expect they will fetch up some place and give us atriel but we are ready for them every time on land but get away with your gunboats well pete I suppose you have seen by the papers so you know as much about where we are agoing as I do and as much about our movements as I can tell you but then I will tel you some thing about / it as I have done so before

 

Well I wrote to you last at or rather mother while at berwicks the 19 We was in camp then and the 20 was Sunday and we took up our tents and marched at 12 or noon and marched some 5 miles up the Bayou [?] and encamped for the night the 21 we staid there in camp 22 the same 23 the same the 24 the 1^st Texas cavilry came down from franklin and had 5 prisinors and reported quite aforce above there the 25 Ain and my self was detailed to help kill some beefs for our brigade and we kiled 7 Some was prety good and some rather thin they was texas cattle and that night we had orders to be ready to march in the morning Sept 26 the revellee was beat at 2 oclock in the morning / and we started at three and marched throug severel small towns and at 11 encamped some 19 miles from where we started from near camp bissel the 27 was Sunday we did not move so I washed my shirt and got a lot of clams and had a bulley good dinner the 28 the 161 regt was sent out on picket and in the afternoon it commenesed to raining a regular down eastern but Co A was near some nigar huts and we took posesion of them it rained all night and was quite cold 29 it is still raining and we was not relieved untill noon then each one got a board of some kind and started for camp through the mud which was knee deep when we got there we found our tents blown flat down on the ground but we / fixed them up the best we could and got on our boards to keep out of the mud and that night it rained very hard and in the morning of the 30 we found it most imposiable to get around and Co A was sent out on picket with two other Co where the weeds was so high that we could not see three rods and it rained right smart every now and then in the morning Oct 1^st it was clear and we was relieved and when we got to camp the Col gave each of us half a gill of whiskey to dry us out and cleaned up our guns

 

Oct 2d pleasent there was aboat came up from Brasher Citey and at 11 at night we was caled up in line for the rebes drove in some of our picket in severel miles ahead and layed on our armes the rest of the night the 3d we marched at 6 marched to Franklin some 15 miles and encamped in acain field the 4^th we got in line at 6 and marched some 15 / miles farther and encamped prety well used up too the 5 we started at 5 and marched some 12 miles near new town the cavilry had a brush and took 4 cannon from the rebs

 

the 6 the 161 went out on picket in the after noon the brigade advansed up to the town and at night the 161 went up and went on picket

 

the 7^th brigade went ahead 5 miles and encamped on a nice prairie untill night then advanse some 5 miles farther and encamped for the night

 

the 8^th we started at 10 marched 5 miles and encamped for the night

 

the 9 we started at 8 marched 5 miles to vermilion bridge across the bayou found it burnt and the rebs waiting for us but we sent them a few shels and they left rather suden we put a pontoon bridge over and crosed and drove them back two miles to town and this morning we started / well about the time the Sachom was hit the Clifton was struck the same and she had to give up but not till after she sent severel shels in the fort and then we thought it time to leave for we had run aground onse going up we was about ten rods behind the Sachom and the balls was flying all around us there was two or three went some where near our walking beam and we expected the next it would strik hur but as luck would have it we got of safe and droped down near the mouth and run aground the tide had went down some 4 feet while we wer up there and while we was there we saw the rebs send down two steam boats and get what they could they took the Sachom off but the Clifton they could not take away that night and while we lay there we exspected that they would run a boat down after us and if they had sent agun boat down / I rather think they would got some of us for we was stern towards them and could not get nothing but two small brass guns to bear on them but I was not much afraid for I layed down on deck and went to sleap and after all I hurd all that was going on and about two oclock at night the tide raised so we got afloat and run out and anchored and in the morning all the boats left except three gunboats the Irazona and two others we staid there till the 10 that was thursday about 8 oclock we was sent on this boat the Owasco with Co B and E and about noon we started for New Orleans and had agood time of it

 

well Pete it is most dark and the boys are holering about the alegaters for they are thick all along the shore and we are near fort Jackson and I will wait until morning good night 

 

then from there and now we are in possesion of it it is quite a nice plaice as far as I have seen so that is as far as I have gon so I will close for this time and write again the first chance and you must do the same

 

                                                                                    From Wilson Nevyus

                                                                                                Co A 161 rgt

                                                                                                            1^st Division

                                                                                                                        19 army corps

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