The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-01-06
CAMP OF 2lst Iowa, MATAdoRDA Bar,
Texas Coast, Dec. 9th. 1SB3

| A)e'' Nos' eahcti III NY regular
ration OF 'commissary," and feeling some
what enlivencd after its cutting influence, I
sit down once more to have a bit of q chat
with you, and as it detolves on me to open
the communication, I will commence By
giving you short and very imperfect &C.
count Of our life and travels since last writ
ing to you from Brasher City. We were
at that time on the eve Of what we supposed
an active campaign against the enemy in
western L.. and Texas. Never was an a..
my advanced more caui1usly, or with eyes
wider open than were ours, expecting to
find an enemy in every bush. 1t had been
read to us on dress parade that the troops
would leave everything that would encum.
Der them in any way, taking nothing but
their guns, equipments, and gum blank.
ct; that the country through which they
had to pass was infested by the enemy in
force, and that our lives depended on our
powers Of endurance and the condition of
arms, and that in ten days We might expect
to 60 into comfortable quarters. With this
understanding, on the I'd of Oct. we hoisted
the starry banner, and once more the 91st
was on the war path. Our line of march
was up the Bayou Teche, through ono Of
the most rich and fertile countries that it
has been my lot to behold. We advanced
from 10 to II miles per day, until we ar.
rived at Vermilion Bayou, passing through
the towns of Patterson, Franklin, (near
which General Scott owns large plants-
tion,) New Iberia, and St. Martnsville, 70.
| ing into camp on the banks of the before
| mentioned Bayou. On Oct. 11tb, the 10th
Army Corps, and two Of our Divisions.
| went as far as OpelousaS, hayng q few
small skirmishes.with the enemy, but Griv-
ing them at every point and getting posses.
sion Of the place. We remained encamped
at Vermillion guarding the Brigade and
Corps headquarters until the morning Of
the 9th OF Nov, when We had orders to fall
| back as far as Camp Pratt, or Spanish Lake.
This was the point the rebels collected their
conScripts for instruction. They had com.
menced the building Of wooden barracks,
but instead of atfordins comfortable quar-
tffeS tfeS Held des Rf'Su u Sutth61l ruftiof 9hApJ
| o. Nov. Sth, when We received orders to re-
| port to Gen. Lawler at New Iberia, distance
| i miles. After marching around through
the camps until about II O'clock trying to
! find our brigade, our Col. told Us to stop
where we were and stack arms, lay down
and get what sleep we could, as We would
march to Brasher City, distance 55 miles,
| in fv,rn lnxrc \
for any thing but shouts of joy from the
boys, and many were the curses and impre.
cations heaped upon the heads Of the de-
partment, and it in the next world the
curses aud imprecations Of this are to be
transformed to crowns, the men connected
with the Department Of the Gulf will have
some to spare. But 3 o'clock came, and
SO did revelle, and the usual routine of cook
ing breakfast in camp, which requirees no
great amount of skill, as We had nothing to
cook with except what We carried Oh our
backs, and you can judge of the consisten-
cy of this move when l tell you, in all can
dor, that We were compelled to carry our
own tents and cooking utensils when va
had an empty train of over 100 six mulo
wagons that was following US back to Bra.
sher City. We fell into line at 6 a. m., and
in few minutes were on our way and
marched to within miles Of Franklin, dis
tance 26 miles, made in less than 10 hours,
by Division of men. Going into camp
at sundown and then having our supper to
cook, and grub to prepare for the morrow's
march which took unit! long after midnight.
Revellie again at o'clock, and commenced
our march at g. Marched as far as Frank.
lin, when the lst Brigade was taken aboard
transports, and The ID and Sd were left to
foot the distance to Berwick, 81 miles. We
marched on until 3 o'clock in the afternoon
when Col. Harris, of the llth Wis, then
in command Of the I'd brigade, halted U.S.
We were then within miles Of our dcsti.
nation, and telling our officers to go into
camp, and that he would 60 on and report
the brigade encamped five miles cut, and
Gen. La~er might make the best of it hs
could, he would take the blame, if there
was any, on himself. The 2lst Iowa wen,
into camp that night with So men, and It
was not until the next morning that the
foot sore and lame, all came up, and it will
be the last long march for some of them.-
The next morning We were marched into
Berwick, and ut noon we were snugly en-.
camped in one corner Of the village grave.
yard, near which stood two wooden build.
ings once occupied by rebels, but now va.
cant, and were soon demolished and appro.
priattd TO the use and comfort of the 2lst,
but in the course OF two or three days our
commanding officer was presented with tho
nice little bill of only 81 500 for the prop.
erty destroyed, and recommended him 10
stop it from our pay. 1t may 60 down, but
| doubt it the -.
We remained in camp here from the l 1lth
until The 18th. nothing to do but to stand
picket and headquarler guard. No signs
OF the enemy or any way for us to get
away from here, until the evening of the
18th, when The orderly came ground after
We had gone to bed, (but not to res,) Col.
did you ever Sleep out in the open air when
there was heavy dew falling, in . Macki-
nav blanket? lfyou have not, ! will give
you some Of the dreams in such cases.
Hospital Flag neal by; grave yard Just be
yond and in the far. of distance. the
ghost Of some comrade that has reached
that happy shore, and is promenadins the
J golden sands in blue Mackinaw blanket
in front OF his camp fre,l with the word.
ever fresh in his mug, "Boys, Revells q
So'clock; march at g." That morning ",
crossed the bay in an old diving. bell boat
and at noon We went into camp at Bsashea
City once more. Here the Colonel told a
something that came nearer the truth tina
: anything we had heard for some tim
: SAID he: Boys. stack arms. Stay risl
!. where you are. We may leave here
three hours, and We may not for thr
days" 1t proved that we did not start u
I til the night of Nov. 3lst. We we're ords
. ed to report on board the train for Algie,