The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-04-23
An Interesting lLe.ler.


An interesting Letier.
We are permitted to copy the following
letter from a member of the 18th Conn. Regt..
now in Gen. Banks Army, at Baton Rouge
to his sister a resident of this county. The
writer gives a very interesting account of the
attack upon Port Hudson
CAMP GRovEH La.
March 23d, 1858.
DEAR SISTER: 1t is in answer to your in
teresting letter of Feb. 23d, that Inow write.
1 received it yesterday, while on guard, and
you may be sure | was very glad to get it.
No one but a soldier knows how to prize a let
ter. Since writing before, we have endured
a great deal. We were marched up in sight
of Port Hudson and remained there two days.
Why we did not attack is more than | can
imagine. 1t took until dark for all of the
troops to get stretched out upon the road; so
you may judge we had quite an army. 1t
was the largest one l ever saw move togeth-
e, and it was a grand sight. We marched
7 miles that night, and camped in an open
field, with the starry heavens for q covering.
Started early the next morning, marched s
miles, and stopped for dinner. Here we heard
the gunboats firing upon the fort, and could
see many of the shells burst in the air. At
three o'clock, the 18th Conn. was ordered out
in advance, and were marched out in the di-
rection Of the firing, about six miles, when on
emerging from a wood we could see the Rebel
Fort, and the enemy drawn up in line of bat
tie, waiting for us.
They were about two miles away, across a
plain. There we stopped to wait, as we
thought, for the rest to come up, so as to at
tack them; but the rest did not Gomez; and it
was soon known that we were only on picket,
and no attack was to be made until to-mor-
row. At twelve o'clock that night, the gun
boats and mortar fleet opened again on the
Fort, the rebels replying vigorously. | tell
you it was a grand sight. We were in such
a position that we could see the fire from both
sides. A streak Of fire marked the course of
the shells, as they went kissing through the
air. The. noise was almost deafening, the
earth shook all about us, and to add to the
scene, one of our batteries of six guns came
up where we were, and opened fire, throwing
shell clear to the enemy's lines, but fortunate
ly for us, they did not return it. For two
hours, the bombardment was kept up, with
undated fury. Then q bright light was seen
in the direction Of the river. Brighter and
brighter it grew, until the whole heavens were
lit up by it. 1t gradually foated down the
river, and our boats seemed to retreat before
it. At last, a bright flash illumines the sky
for a moment, and all is dark. Then came a
terrible report, and all was still. Not anoth-
gun was fired that night, and we could only
imagine the rebel gunboats to have beaten
ours, or something of the kind, as we
could get no news. The next day at noon,
we were ordered to fall back, and on coming
in sight of the division, we saw they were all
in full retreat. We came up just in time to
bring up the rear guard, wondering all the
time what it all meant. All we could learn
was that we were going to Baton Rouge. We
marched at a quick pace for six miles, when
a terrible thunderstorm came up, and the rain
fell in torrents upon our unprotected backs.
Roads now became muddy, and the mud and
water were soon ankle keep, still we padded
on six miles further, when we were turned
out in a large field to Craze. Here the mud
was deeper than ever, in many places we sank
to the knees. There was no such thing as
sleeping there. All we could do was to stand
still in groups and take the rain as it came in
torrents upon us. All night long it rained,
and think | never passed such a miserable
night before. The two days rations which we
had when we started, had become exhausted
at noon the day before and we were beginning
to suffer with hunger. in the morning, how
ever, the sun shown upon us, and we We're
given two crackers apiece, and a warm cup
of coffee, which greatly cheered our dropping
spirits. In the afternoon we were marched
to the bank of the river, where we remained
for three days. While there, [ was sick
with the swamp fever, but the doctor soon
mastered it, and l was on my feet again.
Here we drew five days r%ations, and cook
ed them, as we thought, to once more adj
vance upon Port Hudson; but when we came
to march We took the Baton Rouge road and
marched right into our old camp, having been
gone just one week, and accomplished moth
ing. We have all lost what little confidence
we had in Gen. Banks, and more than ever
lament the departure Of Butler. 1t is very
discouraging after doing and enduring so
nothing. We have got our tents once more
and are preparing to live a little more pleas
antly.
/ haven't seen a northern paper i'll nearly
three months, and [ don't know any more
what is going on at the north, than as if there
was no north. | sometimes wonder how long
this will last. Surely, the end is not yet.
One OF THE BOYS.
Tire NOni. Ors suII at Charleston,
FoRr MONROE, April 19--Last evening the
steamer Freeborn arrived from Charleston
The Monitors were all lying near the bar none
of them having left, as reported.
Coon REpoRrs.-The CINCINNATI Times
says that the effective force of the 9Th Ohio
infantry has been increased by the return of
prisoners, sick and stragglers, until it now
numbers 500 men, its strength having been
oc Low, of ooa timn &c 100 The COugUpyciOj