The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1864-06-04
Gen. Taylor's Address to his Army.
HEAD QUARTERS
DISTRICT WESTERN LOUISIANA,
In the Field, Nav Ord 1894

-. Z
In the Field, May 23rd 1864.
GENERAL ORDERS No. -
Soldiers OF the Amy Of West louisiana
On the 18th of March. the enemy, with an
army OF Thirty Thousand men, ACCOMPANIED hy
| fleet o! iron clads, mounting one hundred and
fifty guns, fnaved forward for the conquest of
Texas and Louisiana. After seventy daps cor.
tinued fighting, yeu stand band of conquering
heroes, on the banks of the Missieippi. Fifty
pieces OF cannon. seven thousand stand of small
arms, three gunboats aud eight transports cap
tured or destroyed, sixty stands Of eoiors, over
ten thousand OF the enemy killed. wounded or
captured, these are the trophies which adorn your
victorious banners Along three hundred miles
afriver you have fought his feet, and over two
hundred miles of road you have driveHbis arn,y
lon have matched your bare breasts SSsainst his
iron ,elads and proved victorious in till contest.
You have driven his routed columns 49, ad the
Mississippi. although fed by rciuforssssshts Of
fresh troops, while many of yoHr gallant bonn
rsdss were Withdrawn to other fields The bs eted
feet which lately sailed frGmnLapkyver our wa
ters. has fed in dismay, after destroying Guns and
stripping off armour in its eagerness TO escape
yon. Like recrcant knights :he Iron Clads have
ned the field, leaving shield and sword behind
he devotion and censtancy you have dis
played In this pursuit have neveEbeen surpassed
IN the annals ofwar, and you have removed from
the. Confederate soldier the reproac. that, lie
conld win battles but ceuid not improve victories
Along hundred miles of his Path the flying
foe with more than savage bafbarity, burned
every house and village within his reach You
extiug,ished tie burning ruins in his base blood
and We're nerved afresh 10 vengeance by The cries
of women and children, left without shelter or
faad.
Lang viii The accnrsed race remember lie
great river of Texas aud Louisiana. The charac-
teristic hue of his tlrhd waters has darker tiaae
from tue liberal adnixtare of Yankee blood.
The cruel alligator and 'ravenous gartish wax
fat on rich food. and native vuture holds high re-
velfy over many a fostering corpse.
If the stern ralor of our well trained Infantry
was ILLUSTRATED on the bloody felis of Mansfield
and Pleasant Hill. this long pursuit has covered
the cavalry of His army Will, nrlayiag rsnown
Like generous hounds with the game in full
view, yon have known neither hunger nor fa-
tigise, and the I.earse cannon and the ringing
RITZ, have replaced in This Stern chase the sonor
oGs llaf and jayags lislioo. Whether charging
on feet, snnlaef to shoulder, with our noble IN
fantry. OF hurting your ssHadrors OF, the masses
of the foe. or hanging on bis flying columns u it!a
more than the tenaety of the Cossack, you have
been admirable in all Conqner your own vices
and you can conquer the wofid.
Oar artillery has been the admiration of the
the heavy metal of the hostile fleet, nnlimbering
often witlioa. support within range Of nausketsy,
or remaining last On the field to pour grape and
canuister into advancing columns, our batteries
have been distinguished in exact proportion as
opportunity was afforded.
. Soldiers thes. are great and noble deeds, and
they will live in ehfoaiete and in song as long as
the Southern race exists to honor the earth The
fairest city OF the Sout!. angushes in the inyad-
er's grasp. Her exil.d sons mourn her fate in
every land. The elleesss of her fair daughters
yet mantle with the blush raised by HE brutal
Tyrant's insnlt,--nos Confederate soldier re- |
turns to lis eolors from this sad Venice Of the
South. but reconnts with sllrobbing heart and
fearful eyes, how amidst danger and insult, these
noble wofnen, angels upon earth-eleered his |
confinement and relieved Ills wants To view
the approving Smiles Of these fair DANES, will be
q soldiers proudest boast, tho brightest leaf in
bis cEaplet OF laurels.
Soldiers thisarmy marches towards New Or
leans, and though it do not reach the goal, the |
hearts Of her patriot women shall bound high with
10Y, responsive to the eelsoes of yonr guns. :.
II. TAYLOR. dzaior General