Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-01-23
Army CoTrespon icnoo De:a ware Gazelte.
From tBe 95tt Regiment.
0S BOARD THE IIIawATHA,
January Ssh. 1868.


0s Board THE HAwATHA,
january 5ih. 1868.
We left Memphis December 2lst
with aee3 oi about one LurdreJ boass loaded
with @..lders, ..r,i err, c.v,lr, provisions. and
every .l.ag necessary for u forty Gays trip. on
ouc W. iaagaiius to bum every tcwn or prop
cTty ueaF any poial W. were Cred ilto. The
frsi 3hjn-e Of ja.ecest ihat occurred was at Il
small village called Pryor's Point, where We
haited to TT tIe mea 20 oa shore 10 cook ra-
tioas. 0Io Of our cayalrynen was shot and
wounded; NC ioaul there y,as no Union pee
pl. Ia IL, aud burnt a stora, q printing oiIice,
ard = lawyers office, besides several houses.
From there We weHt slowly bHt pleasantly
dosfn The liver 10 IA place called Mdigan's
Bend, aiirh VIC Teache! tl.e day before Christ
mas airt toll1 possession Of few houses, cot
ton gas ARD piles Of cotton, ali Of which we
Er,si tla Christmas morning General Bur
bridges brigade was ordered 10 march at day
.i-.it. accordingly II vas ready and Il wc
started for a place aaoEt tair'y miles distant.
called Dallas, 30 disturb rebel camp HAT we
heard was there, and had been until recently,
bus tEey had Just gone wien our force got
these. But we that is the brigade, excep; our
company, and / Will tel yen pretty soon ~bat
become Of us) burnt all the cotton. which was
= good deal inslllcd &C. $. A" also q railroad
bridge about two hundred yards long, and took
rebel cavalry. besides some horses, mules and
wagons. They returned tie night OF the 26th.
! viii now reil you what Company G. was
doiug. We started with our regiment and
went abaut seven miles, whea we captured
eight prisoners, IS head of good beef Cattle,
wish some Inu.es horses and wagons, which all
came in very sell. as We had been cut down on
teams VIXEN We left Memphis. On the ,. tn we
went lloEn TO The mouth Of the Yaz3o river
aud up ,hat river about twelve miles, where We
ua!oaacd, and at abou; 8 o'clock thar night
started down seven miles through the swamps
to reinforce Gen. Morgan l. Snith who had
been engaging the enemy nearly all dag in the
woods aboat eight miles from the city of Vicils-
burg, and about one mile from their entre1ch-
meuts. On Sunday morning, the 28th, we
were aroused from an unrefreshing slumber Of
abaut feur hours on our arms, at 5 O'Clock in
the morning by the oPeni1g Of our artillery,
which continued pretty brisk, with some in
fantry. until 10 6'ciock. when the enemy re-
treated across tht bayou iat0 their entrench-
nenfs. We followed as closely as possible till
We found they had batteries planted en- the op-
posi!e hjiI 10 range on the bayou, where there
was but very narr0w place to cross, aud with
their batteries and infantry they pressed US
/ terribly. fer they were in a position where we
couG no, use Infantry 10 much advantage, till
yge could change our position and get across TO
I IL '[n G.;
| teries was briskIv answered, and the shells and
balls fell around Us thick and f4st-ona I2-
FOUNDER bull passing between two Of our boys,
/ Daniel Baker and David Atkinson stunning
/ them both but not seriously hurting either oi
them. The ball went iuto the ground four
! feet The shells burst all around us, put most
OF them went too high to do our regimen, any
damage; but other regiments were badly cut
up, one regiment coming out with only I48
1.cH, and others were badly cut to pieces On
/ the 29th there was very little firing on either
side, except by the pickets oa both sides, who
kept it up pretty steady. Oar regiment was
moved to the front that day, where we con-
tiHucd unti! the 3lst. On tie 30lh there wa-
veiy little firing. except by squad Of rebels
posted behind levec TO pick oG our sharp
shuuters- and occasionally enc Of our boys
would give them 4 dose. During all Of tlla
Both We were planting batteries, and the enemy
VeTeas0t asleep, for we found they had a few
pieces OF artillery posted around. On the night
OF the Both it raued as I never saw it rain
before, aud We had no rents we had TO st
/ by ihe roofs or trees and take a drenching,
! thus passing sicepass night. On the 3Ist
We were ordered ia the rear; very few shots
| that day. January lst the ground was frozen
some, and in the morning We were ordered oat,
at o'clock FILL in liue and marched about a
nliio whore we made an attempt to cross, but
were rePuIsed and brought back We were
then taken 10 another point, where we made a
floating bridge, expecting 20 cross On that, but
as soon as we showed it into he wafer it sunk.
We were foiied at every poiat.
We were expecting the cooperation Of Gen.
Grant and his army, bus We c4npot dnd Out
where he is. We also expected Banks from
| tie Soulb but we did not hear from him.
They had l97 pieces Of artillery. planted so as
to range on Us that we could make out, and a
much larger force, as well as having probably
the best natural f5rtfea'sons in the world
We len in the night Of The lSt for the boats
and they dd mol know it IN ii we Be,e on tbe
boats ard on cur way Up the Mississippi When
7ye will land I cannot tell, but hope we viii all
land home before long to stay, We have over
two hundred sick men in our regiment. l ex-
pect to be Oh that list although l have moi
give up yet, and am taking medicine to pre-
veut it. ] will write as soon as we stop again
E. NJ. EASTMAN.