Shreveport daily news., 1861-07-20
Private Letter from the Seat Of
War.

would be pleased 70 read it, has
placed it at our disposal. We pub
lish it with much pleasure.
Detachment lst Reg. La. Vol
Pig Point. Va, June 26, 1861
DEAR Cousin: Knowing you
would like to hear from the seat of
War. l will pen these few lines to
you, although | have no news to in
form you of.
Enclosed / send YOU a chart of this
country. drawn by f. S. Leonard,
of Caddo Rifles, tho only correct
copy that you can get By this you
viii see that We are entirely cut off
from anything going on outside. The
only news We get is through New Or
leans papers BY this means you
hear it long before we do.
Our Regiment is stationed two or
three miles from here protecting the
highways except the CaddolRities-
to them is the honor awarded of de-
f,nding a battery at Pig Point, in
the face of the enemy-a post, ] am
satisfied, they will fill with honor to
themselves and a credit to Caddo
parish With our naked eve we can
see the movements of the enemy ut
Newports News, and with a telescope
we can see Fortress Monroe. Hamp-
ton and the Rip Raps All of these
places are strongly fortified.
1t is indeed Very hard to he so
close to an enemy and not be able to
show them what material we are
made of: But | hope our time viii
come soon. | would like to see the
Caddoss in little engasemcnt--then
YOU will hear some startling news.
Hampton Roads is filed with Fed
| eral men of war. Some days wecan
see as many as fifteen cruising round.
but they are careful enough, not to
come within reach of our batteries.
Our men are in fine spirits--live
high. and all duty we have to Go is
guard duty. our Camp is dividco
into three sectionS-every scctind
stands twenty four hours-so You
viii see We have to be up and about
every third night. while the balance
OF the men have to be close by camp,
sleep with cartridge box under head
and gun III arm.
The camp is about three hundred
wards from the Beach, {while the
Guard House is right on the Beach,
shaded by a grove of trees, which
also keeps il out Of sight OF the enc,
my.
How ready and anxious We are 20,
a fray, You will see by the following
About ten o'clock last nigh, W.
heard the report of a gun. Hardly
had the report died away, when ou,
men. We're in ranks, with guns anG
formed into line. before the officer:
I had time to call us out. Could 20,
have seen these glad but determine,
faces, YOU would have exclaimed
"Such men can never be whipped =
And so thought we, for every ma,
was ready to die rather than be whip
ped. But TO our disappointment i
was one Of our sentinels, hailin@ Il,
, empty skiff that broke loose l;ttl
; above us.
AS to our officers | cannot Civ
them too much praise. Maj. Shivcr
only accepted the Majorship with III
express understanding, that he shouI'
. have the privilege of acting as on
captain and leading us to battle; an
l am satisfied should we ever ge
into an engagement, We will fin
81 Maj. VIM. f.. 5 hivers at the head g
the Caddo Rifles, leading them on t
victory. He will never say 20 an
, do SO and so, but come bows an
follow me. He is ono of the coolies
and bravest men in the regimen,
and we'll liked by all officers as we
as. men. An instance Of Maj. ShiH
ers' actrolEs you can see: