The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-05-19
A Letter from " jake"
PERKINS PLANTATION, La,
Mar 9Th lSH2


May 9th, 1863
EDS. JOURNAL: This cool May morn
ing invites the soldier to write home as
plainly as nature can speak. 1t reminds
US so forcibly of our weather at home at
this season of the year that !, of course,
cannot refuse. Our regiment has trav-
eled considerably since last wrote you.
We were then at Arkansas Post Shortly
after the battle at that place we moved
to Young's Point, Immediately in front
of Nicksburg, where we remained some
five weeks, then we moved to Milliken's
Bend, where for a month more we lay
recruiting the health of the men. The
whole army at that time was unhealthy.
Our regiment lost about one hundred
and twenty-five men by death and disa-
bility About April 10Th the army com
menced moving TO surround Vicksburg.
The Yazoo and Sunhower river expe2i-
tior. of which you doubtless know more
than l can tell you. were the beginning
the end will be the capture of Vicksburg.
Carthage, La, small place thirty miles
below Vicksburg, was taken by General
Osterhaus, 10Th division) some two
weeks ago, after which our division
| N0th) moved TO our present encamp-
AZ 4 Ea hes hesla&S phi eff
Davis plantation is immediately opposite
us in Mississippi. 1t is supply post TOR
the army below, and our regiment will
| probably remain here some time. Col
| Owen commands the post The BOYS are
/ quite anxious to cross and see what the
| place looks like, the Provost Marshal
has damPened their enterprise in that
line by taking possession of all the skiffs
and fats in the river They have visit
ed the plantation of Col Bowie, some
/ three miles in our rear however, and in
consequence chickens, fresh pork, chairs,
tables, &c, are plentiful in camp. Our
| forces surrounded Grand Cult, Miss,
last Sunday morning at daylight, but the
chiralric S0uthrons had sme!t mice.
and we were only rewarded by some four
or FIVE hundred prisoners, besides the
possession of the town. This gives us
control of the river from Warrenton, 40
miles below Vicksburg), to Bayou Sara,
| (ten miles above Port Hudson(, at which
point understand Gen Banks has a
considerable force We have rumors of
several victories he has lately won in his
department 1t also gives US possession
| of the mouth of Black river, which is
crossed ten miles from its mouth by the
Jackson and Vicksburg railroad You
will easily see that if our gunboats work
! their way up the river. and burn the
bridge that the rebel supplies are cut off
and Vicksburg is at our mercy, being
thus entirely surrounded.
Adit Gen. Thomas has been down
here some two weeks He was present
at the taking of Grand Gulf He is
making arrangements to organize negro
regiments, with white officers. The plan
appears to please the army very well, as
we are tired of the manual labor requi-
site and necessary for all movements of
an army as large as ours, and will be
| very glad to shove it ont he black,
! shoulders, If 1t is possible to do so. We
are also well satisfied, that every negro
used by our army, in addition to being
less work for white soldiers to do, is
one less rebel for US to fight against.
This is not the fancy of the moment, but
the settled opinion, after much animated
discussion and reasoning amongst our
selves. The negroes also confirm it, for
nearly every one that comes within our
lines, has been at work upon the Vicks-
burg Notifications at one time or an
other.
The health of our regiment is very
good at present. The hot weather does
not affect US as much as l thought it
would. The greatest objection we have
to the South in summer time is the Buff
falo Gnats. They bother US great deal
more than VickSburg does. They bite
any time, and all the time, take nip at
any part of your person that is exposed,
without the slightest objection. They
fancy the ears particularly, though. The
only cure is smoke, which is applied I'M
til red eyes are common, and cause no
questions in consequence. Red Eye,
however, is entirely another thing, and
is SO tied up with red tape and surgeons
certificates, that the army of the Mssis-
sippi would return home q Temperance
society, i it were not for occasional
Boxes Of Sanitary Stores, that our kind
friends send to us. We have plenty of
eatables, Thanks to the sleepiness or
carelessness of the rebels, who allow US
to move transports through tina blockade
whenever we see fit to do So Our last,
but not least, want is newspapers, and
reading matter, aud the boys tender their