Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-06-16
From the Eighth Vermont.
BEFORE PORT HUDSON. Nav 2s, |

though for thirty hours we have had constant and
hard fighting, we are now at twelve O'Clock having
a cessation of hostties until two, to give all time
to bury their dead.
We went from Alexandra on an excursion
forty-three miles up the Red river drove the
enemy-burned boats, captured his baggage
wagons and rear guard, and returned to Alexan-
dria. There we stayed till Sunday, the 18th
when we marched at four o'clock for SimspOrt
on the Atchafalaya river. We encamped at Mr.
Loyd's bridge, where we were entertained by three
ladies who made it seem quite like living,and whom
we serenaded with our bands. On the 18th we
marched to the junction Of the Hafpower and
Opelousas roads, where we we're ordered TO wait
orders. Here we stayed till the 2d,-slept in a
6neilarge yard, under cottonwood trees. Moth
ing Of interest occurred. The nights we're very
pleasant, but the dew so heavy that every morning
my blankets, hair and whiskers we're soaking wet.
! ient a''train Of one hundred sx-muIe teams 10
SimsPort, loaded with negroes and their duds, to
return with commissary stores. was very busy
all the while getting stores and forage repairing
roads, building a bridge, &c. visited one plan
tation for bacon, and found family looking like
New England girls, with rosy cheeks. Had bropn
bread and milk.
From here we marched at midnight for Sims
port. ! got but one hours sleep before starting.
The road was bad aad through dense wood in
the dark. had to see to the train of Quarter.
master stores Of one hundred and ten wagons,
and it made hard night Of it. Some Of the
trains ran away, and some tipped over. One ran
off bridge and had to be left. Marched twenty.
eight miles to Marksville,-started again at mid
night, after only two hours sleep in the rain. The
next day we marched TO Simsport, where we ar
rived about noon, and commenced crossing all
our teams, &C., over the Atchafalaya on large
RATS, by hand. had two hundred negroes at
work, and hard work it was. Every team had to
be unhitched and pulled on and off by hand
We heard news Of Vcksburg being in our hands
great cheering by the troops-can plainly bear
the bombarding Of Port Hudson. In crossing
this river one raft, with four wagons and all the
stores on them, was sunk. The negroes had to
swim ashore. We finished crossing the teams at
two o'clock the next afternoon. slept one hour
and quarter that night, from one and one-fourh
to two and one-half A. NJ.
En- route for Bayou Sara. AT seven o'clock p.
NJ. we struck very bad road, and instead Of
having good sleep in carriage in the train |
bad to raik, and boost on the wheels, and haHOo
to the negroes. The roads we're so bad that we
were from seven P. NJ. to two and one.half A.
NJ getting three and one.half mies,-then we
stopped for feed tried to sleep spread my
blanket on eentlemsn's venndah, but could not
get asleep. tried under fig tree,-but nc
use. could not get asleep. The next day
stopped at twelve NJ. fer dinner received orders
from the General to push on to Bayou Sara,
which did, and arrived at FIVE z. NJ.
You must know that at Simsport our troops
took steamboats,, so that was alone with the
Quartermaster's train, going around by land. I'm
mediately upon arriving al the landing | com
mencsd crossing my trains on steamboats,, Here
60. sleep in this way,-l loaded the boats and
it took one hour 10 cross and unload, so every
other hour had to myself from 0 till 5, then
had more boats and kept working till 9 A. NJ,
when started, with 90 wagons, for camp, four.
teen miles towards Port Hudson, where arrived
at5P. NJ. Just before getting into camp, seven
men rode up and gave the alarm that 1000 rebe
cavalry were after them. The teamsters were
terribly scared-staried TO run their teams, gol
confused, mixed, tipped over, &c,-and, after the
most strenuous exertons, shooting pistol at
them three or four times and threatening to shoot
every man be did not stop, the train was halted
when found that two teams had gone, with Com
missary stores, aud could not be found. After sit
ting up till 10 l-2 p. NJ. issuing ration', | went
to bed on the roughest piece Of clayey, hard
ground ever saw. slept until o'clock, when
reveille beat and all turned out--formed line o
battle, and the fight commenced. 1t has contin'
ued yesterday and to-day with scarcely mo-
ments pause until now, at IL o'clock, we have q
rest The fight is terrible; %, 900 men on oul
side are fighting, in open woods, against lS,OOO
in very strong fort, surrounded by several tier
Of earthworks. Artillery and infantry are fight
ing constantly. They are steadily advancing aud
driving the enemy inch by inch inside. Th,
wounded are many and the killed, happily, com
parativey small, though We have to acknowledge
the loss Of our dear Capt. Hubbard, A. A. G..
Lieut.. WrOirowski, Typographical Engineer ant
Lieut.. Col Lull Of the S,h n. Y.-all shot in th'
head while following up charge by the Sth Vt.
| in which Col. Thomas had the skin taken of hi
left temple by minnie ball but fortunately h,
was little harmed. Col. Thomas commands ou
brigade, while Gen. Weitzel has command o
10000 troops. He has done all the fighting $,
far.
BEFORE PoRr HuDsoS, May 3Oth, 1868.
Yesterday improved little leisure, and wrot
few lines, intending to send it by the off
Ger who was going to New Orleans with the bod
les of Capt. Hubbard aud others, but could no
get II to him in time SO the opportunity was lost
will now add few more lines and be ready 70
the next cl ance which may occur. The hgh,
severe and contested inch by inch. In front O
the works whero we are now fighting, and at th
foot Of the eminenee on which their ear,hwork