The Portland daily press., 1864-05-19
COMMUNICATIONS.



GRAND EcoRE, La, April 20, 1864.
To the Edstor Qf The Press:
Your ever welcome paper, the Press, is a
regular visitor to our regiment. Like some
other papers it is subscribed and paid for, or
TO be paid for, mostly by men who, out OF
their Sl3 per month, can afford to take a pa
per for the benefit OF themselves, their less
liberal comrades, and their officers, who can
not afford 10 pay for paper, but still take
several, for when private Smith or Brown is
absent on duty or sick, his paper is read and
used in his commanders tent, instead OF be-
ing sent to him or given TO his messmates.
The Press has been gaining favor among the
soldiers until it is now almost a universal fa-
yorite. At first there were many opposers to
the liberal principles it advocated; but time
has overcome most of the old prejudices and
shown that the Press was right.
At present the troops OF this army are in
very good condition, having nearly completed
long line of Notifications OF earth work and
logs, in the form of a semioircle, each end
resting on the river, and are now laying out
the camping grounds, and making prepara-
tons as II we were going TO stand siege,
while at the same time we have orders 10 be
ready at a moments notice TO move on the
enemy. Perhaps he is in our rear; if So we
shall certainly have to move on him soon, for
at the rate the river is falling, we shall not be
able TO get anything to eat up here long. So
we shall have to 60 back to Alexandria; then
we expect TO be told that the object of the
expedition has been accomplished" Well, If
TO advance TO Mansfield, and in the afternoon
give the enemy baggage train, is pieces of
artillery and prisoners, and reverse our order
OF march, was the object aforesaid, then we
have accomplished it. However, they tell us
that we have come out ahead on the whole
by four cannon, large amount of prisoners
and a very large quantity of cotton, sugar and
corn, that we have either sent into market or
destroyed; but then we might have had
Shreveport as well as not. The only trouble
was, our army went into battle wrong end
foremost. The boys are grumbling severely
about il; somehow, they do not approve Of
skirmishing with loaded mule-teams; and the
only fault the rebels find with The Quarter
master, is that we wore out most of the shoes
coming TO see them.
Long before this reaches you, you will have
had the details of the battles, and if justice is
done, the records will show that Maine did
her duty on these bloody fields.
1t is grand and wild scene to witness the
maneuyers and contests of contending armies
on a battlefield. and strange to see how easi-
ly men sometimes become panic-strcken, and
retire before heavy fire or a charging foe,
often, too, when on the eve OF success. Men
seldom seem TO remember that they lose more
on a retreat than il they remained in line of
battle; and If they do their duty and do not
break, the enemy certainly will. Acting on
these principles, 500 in line would be inyinci-
BILE against three times their number as armies
ordinarily fight.
In the battle of Pleasant Hill one could
easily distinguish the different troops by their
manner of fighting. The rebels fought and
charged with short, sharp yell; the Western
corps with a more prolonged half YELL half
whoop; the Eastern troops fought more stead
lily, with less noise, If we except their musket-
ny.
The Fifteenth Rsgt. is anxious for the cam
paign TO close, so that they may be permitted
10 see the promised land" again, hoping
that they may be allowed to rendezvous in
Portland. CENTINEIA