Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-03-24
CORRESP0NDENCE.
QUARTER MASTERS OFFICE, 10TH ILL., Vols, I
FoRT BARRANcAs, NEAR PENSACOLA, Fla,
FEBRRuARY 13TH 1868

QUARTER MASTERS OFFICE, 10TH Ill. Vols,
FoRT BARRANeAs, NEAR PENSACOLA, FLA,
FEBRUARY 18TH, 1865. J
Dear Mother, and Folks at Home:
With great pleasure seat myself this evening to
pen few lines for your perusal The last letter /
wrote home was from New Orleans, dated Feb, s.
in which stated we were under orders for Mobile
Point, Ala, or Fort Morgan, which is located on
Mobile Point / will endeavor to give you brief
sketch of our movements since writing that letter.
On the 1lth, four companies of our Regiment en-
barked on the Steam Ship Nashua and started
by the Gulf of Mexico for their destination On the
18th, four more companies, myself with them with
Regimental Headquarters, embarked on the ship
George Peabody and started for our place of rem
devious leaving two companies in camp, to embark
the next day on the "Belyidere" Our boat. the
peabody arrived at the mouth of the Mississippi
River on the afternoon ofthe 18th, and put to sea
Immediately. There was a stiff breeze when we first
entered the 'briny Deep and it kept growing worse
and worse, until about midnight, when it could no
longer be called breeze but OF the most terrific
storms on record. Our craft was not built for a
heavy sea, and the consequence was we came very
near being lost. The ship became disabled and un-
manageable, and the captain and crew gave her up
as lost-they said no earthly power could save her
iR.
We had thousand troops on board, and one hundred
and fifty head of mules and horses, and wagons and
other camp equipage and army supplies in proper
ton never expected the sun to rise again. NV
mind was made up to die right there. It is folly
for me to attempt to describe the scenes on board
that boat during the storm. Nearly every man was
sea SICK and could not stir without vomiting Some
were praying, and some swearing, some crazy with
fright and others calm and resigned to their fate
Some trying to save the ship but the majority
WEI clnr IN sIal1
too sick to standup, so / laid down, and expected
and with it came new hope. The storm had abated
waves run mountain high. No land was in sight
We were thirty miles from the mouth of the Missis
sippi, the nearest port. The captain said after a
few hours work at repairing, he could run us into
the Mississippi, with the assistance OF the soldiers
Accordingly we rugged up patent steering appara-
Ins and started for the port At four,o clock the
afternoon of the crossed the bar at the mouth
OF the nyer, and were thus saved from watery
grave used to think the Mississippi River was
large slream and dangerous to travel on, but looks
very small now alter having been to sea twenty -four
hours, and tossed about on an old wreck If our
boat had went 10 pieces there would not have been
man left to tell the tale After entering the riy-
er, we started for New Orleans where we arrived on
the afternoon of the 10Th, with our craft in a sink
| ing condition. Another boat was ordered tn take
us aboard and start right back again. but bnrnt
child avoids hre, SO refused to 60 on the old tuh
that was sent TOR us, considered her unseawor
thy The Colonel reported the condition of affairs
70 General Candy and be ordered the boat to be IN.