The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-01-14

Letter from the 18th Maine, in Texas.
MATAGoRDA, Texas, Dec. %, 1868.
To the Editor Of the Press:
/ was about to wish you "merry christmas"
but alas. long before this reaches you the
"gobbling OF the turkey, will have ceased In
the land"
Still few lines relative to the 18th Maine,
may interest your readers, who, like the sol
diers, love the "Press" for its noble, outspoken
loyalty.
Here in the army, while such papers are ca
gerly read by the soldier until worn out, the
kennebec Courier and papers of that stripe
which occasionally squirm their way into
camp, are treated with marked contempt
kicked about in the dirt, or converted to uses
not very complimentary to their publishers.
Soldiers in the army will read almost any
thing-tracts, old papers, magazines, mission
airy reports, seminary catalogues, old almanacs
advertisements of patent medicine-anything
but northern treason, softly called conserya-
tism.' The soldiers are positiee men, and to
call them conservative, would insult them.
Hence the Presidents Message and Procla-
nation are received with great enthusiasm in
the army; there is not dissenting voice.
But il | am not mistaken there will be bowling
among conservative politicians and church.
men in the North
When left Bath, expected to join my regi-
ment at New Orleans, but after a tedious pas
sage of Is days from New York, found on
my arrival, that the 18th and 18th Maine had
gone to Texas. When left New Orleans for
Texas 1 expected to go to Brownsville on the
Rio Grande, but was landed with some 500
troops on this island Here found the two
regiments before named having arrived three
days before me.
As the results of that expedition have
reached you ere now, will only say that the
two Maine Regiments with some Western
troops, landed at Brazos, and finding the
Union forces in possession of Brownsville, they
started in slight marching ORDER to come to
this place, a distance of about two hundred
miles, leaving the sick with tents and baggage
/ at Brazos.
1t was severe march and the troops were
carried from island TO island along the coast
by steamboats, in attendance.
This island is about forty miles long, and
landing at the lower end, our troops marched
up about 81 miles to the Rebel Fort Esperun-
ri defended by ten large guns and GOO soldiers.
The garrison spiked their cannon, blew up all
they could Of the fort aud having boats, es-
| capped.
| The position is an important one, as il com
mands "pass Cavallo' the only entrance to
Matagorda Bay and the mouth of Colorado
4 river; i glance at the maps win show It's I'M
portance. The place is being strengthened,
the forts repaired, new one built and troops
are arriving daily. Maj Gen. Washburn and
Brig. Gen. Ransom, are in command. Our
| sick soldiers who were left at Brazos, have all
been carried to n. Orleans, and Co. X, of the
18th Maine are still at Fort Livingston, La.
The islands that bound the coast of Texas,
arelong, marrow, sandy and but few feet above
the level of the sea. The channel between
them is too shoal for any craft drawing more
than six or eight feet, except at the ''passes."
Large herds of cattle and sheep are fonnd oil
these islands and few herdmen who left when
|
them, fortunately for us. But of all the
God-forsaken places ever saw, the coast of
Texas is the most so in appearance. For hun
| dreas of miles along these islands, not house,
| a tree or a bush to be seen-one level of sand
The principle productions Of this island are
red ants heas, horned toads. rattlesnakes, CEN
tipedes, sand burs and prickly pears.
| And here found my regiment, three days
| after the fort was taken, but what a situation
Not tent in the regiment except one bor-
rowed by Col. Dyer, for himself and staff into
which / was Hospitality received. But the
soldiers had dug holes in the ground about A
feet wideT feet long and two feet deep. Over
this q roof was made Of two rubber blankets in
form of letter A and into these holes our men
crawled for shelter; for though the weather
here is warm as September in Maine the
dews are very heavy and the ''Northers" blow
right through ones bones,. Into these holes
the men erawled, three in hole, some sllak-
ing with chills and fever and some almost in a
dying state.
And here week, after week, these noble fell
lows have burrowed in the dirt and yermiu.
without change of clothing-without cook
ing utensils or dishes, and bringing all the
fresh water used, four miles in their canteens
and driving their horses every day the same
distance to water. yet not word of murmur-
ing or complaining have heard from them.
God bless them. they endure hardness as
good soldiers yet these are the men for whom
public sympathy must not be shown, nor
prayer offered OH the Sabbath in the sanctua-
ries of the North, lest the Sabbath and sane
tuary be profaned"
The Lord have mercy on such sanctimoni-
Gus hypocrisy. We feel sort OF respect for
the daring bravery of an outspoken rebel
But for these northern sympathizers, with trea-
son in the church, the caucus room or the
rum shop, flor most of them are equally at
home in alb we cannot feel respect, and pos
terity has in store for them record Of shame
that will make their children blush.
But must close. Our troops are in possess
ion of Indianola and you will hear more from
Banks Expedition soon: Our soldiers want
TO be moved. About one hundred of the reg
iment are sick at the hospitals and Gonzales.
cent camps in n Orleans
The following have died in the regiment re
Gently, at st. James Hospital New Orleans:
j. G. Grover, Daniel Lyons, Daniel Kieye
] 4 90. fI,1s \ n.x n II