Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-28
BATON Rouor. La, May Q.


BATON ROUGE, La, May 8.
DEAR MorHER-Sad sad ! is the tale |
have to tell you this time. l hope L may
never have such horrid thing TO relate
again while in the army. Last Sunday our
bows received orders to move on board
TRANSPORTS for Red River. The steamer was
n very large one and took on board the
whole regiment and some of the 22d Ky.
They left here Sunday afternoon at o'clock
in high glee. Everything went right
until Monday about 2 p. nj. They were
then about twenty miles from Alexandria.
But, alas for them then. The cursed reb-
els Law in ambush with six pieces of artil-
lery, and as they rounded bend they raked
the boat from stem to stern, nearly every
she'll bursting in the cabin where all our
gallant officers we're. The boiler was struck
by a shell and scalding water flew in every
direction. The boat was disabled by one of
the first shots, and was unable to run either
backward or forward. SO there they lay
floating in the river and exposed to the lire
of six guns, the fiends and devils on shore
CRYING out all the time "no quarter" while
our poor men were. being slaughtered by
the dozen, the boat all the time flying the
white flag. Lucky for the few who escaped,
the boat drifted to the opposite shore from
the rebels. Now comes the saddest part of
nv story. Nine of the boys came down this
evening, they have succeeded in getting
through to the Mississippi by swimming
Red river lying in swamps by day and
marching at night. The report they bring
is horrid. Our brave and gallant Colonel
is killed. He stood on the hurricane deck,
cheering the men until the fatal ball struck
him. Col. Slocum and Major Mckinley
succeeded in making their escape, and have
gone to Alexandria. Our regiment num-
bered over four hundred, and all the boys
gay that only seventy-five men escaped.
The rest jumped into the river and were
shot or drowned or taken prisoners. Capt.
Ben. Miller and Capt. Rummell are said to
be killed. One of the boys tells me he saw
Al. Smyzer shot.
some of the boys left with them. The John
Warner soon came along, under the escort
of two tinclads or musquito boats, and took
them on board. This boat had not proceed
ed far, before the ambushed curses, devils
or demons, opened on them the secondtime,
setting the John Warner on fire. The
wounded were moved on board the tinclads,
but they were also disabled and destroyed.
So that all our poor fellows who were
wounded are gone.
The 59th Ohio veterans were also on the
John Warner, on their way home on fur
Tough. They, poor fellows, suffered like
our regiment, all being killed, or wounded
or prisoners. Twenty-nine of their men
were killed and wounded by one shell. |
can hear nothing from Billy Bixler, or any
of the rest of the boys from Wooster, but
the supposition is they are either killed or
prisoners. Oh! / forgot, poor old Captain
Moffit was on board going up Red river to
q; ;,I, ~, lie huc urnip home
What became of him cannot say as
many poor fellows lie in the bottom of Red
river that will never be heard from again,
while others are prisoners.
Two other Colonels who were on the boat
were killed. The rest of the men that es-
caped to Alexandria, will be down as soon
as the river is cleared. Everything belong
ing to the regiment was on board and Is
total loss.
Lieutenant Spear also remained here, on
Colonel Sheldon's Staff so he is safe. Several
are here in the Conva!escent Camp sick, but
only few, so our regiment, once so happy,
is now mere nothing. | cannot describe
these things this evening, feel too bad. /
will write more as soon as can gain the
full particulars, although you may see them
all in the daily papers, long before this
reaches you. The rebels got big mail OF
ours, also on the boat which l think con-
tanned some letters for me, rs l have not
had any lately.
| can assure you, that Col. Speigle is kill
ed. He is the only one we can gain any cor
rect information about at present. One
thing though is certain, over two-thiIds of
our gallant regiments either killed, wound
ed or prisoners. no
From Your Affectionate Son, ID.
ii. d. HILL.