The National tribune., 1886-12-09

for some shot for hunting. aud asking leave of
his commanding private was given a written
pass Of which the following is a copy:
uEADQ'Rs DETACHMENT 18TH ME- RECT.
W PLANTATION. La, Feb. -. 1863
Private = *, OF Co. H. has permission TO
60 to Point a Ia Hache and return before sunset.
GEORGE q. X.
Acting Corporal. Commanding Post.
While the regiment remained at the forts it
became 30 thorough in both infantry and heavy
artillery drill, as well as the bayonct exercise,
that it was very highly commended by the
inspectors from New orleans. shoulder scales
and white gloves were the order Of the day,
and the 18th became known as a bandboX regi-
ment The next Winter these shoulder scales
were scattered along the coast Of Texas from the
mouth Of the Rio Grande to the head Of Mata-
gOrda Peninsula.
RATS AND ALLIGAToRs
As the glacis and parapets ofthe forts were the
only permanently dry ground for several miles,
they became the home Of an exceedingly nu-
merous colony of rats, and were thoroughly
hOncycombcd with their holes Rat hunting
was standing amusement of the boys on moon
light evenings and many rat fell before a
well-aimed club. What the rats lived on is
entirely beyond my comprehension, unless they
ate moskctoes; IL that was the case they had
plenty of food most of the time. They were a
terrible pest 10 the Commissary Sergeant re-
quiring incessant care 20 prevent the destruc-
tioa of stores.
Alligators were a very common sight during
the warm season, and, as familiarity breeds con-
tempt frequently party of soldiers would go
in bathing within few rods Of a large aliiga-
tor, aud were never molested by them. One
day some negroes caught gait" about eight
feet long and dragged him by a rope into the
parade ground of the fort While there "Old
ff.,rfa Il hsc nt him
TO make him snap, and succeeded beyond his
expectation, for at the lrst snap Mr.. Alligator
neatly aud eNPedtiously amputated the end OF
Coihns shoe, just escaping his big toe.
In themoat at Fort jackson was one over - feet
long, which was known as the Provost Marshal,
as he was of great service in preventing the
escape Of rebel prisoners, a large number Of
whom, many of them desperate characters, were
confined in the casemates Of the fort
FOOD AND WATER.
The water for the forts was of course procured
from the river, but as the water of the MiSsis-
sippi in its natural state is decidedly muddy,
IL was pumped with firc-engines into cisterns,
holding several Thousand gallons each, inside
the forts. After settling a few days il was pure
and wholesome, but j never heard any ones
teeth chattering by reason Of IFS coldness.
As a rule the food was all that could be de-
sired. Brick ovens were built, in which our
cooks soon learned TO bake good biscuit The
less desirable portions Of the army ration could
be sold or exchanged at fair rates for potatoes,
both sweet and Irish, as well as other vegeta-
bles in their season, and oysters, the largest
! and best i ever saw, were very cheap. Much
of the time fruit could be bought reasonably.
Oranges were only 10 cents dozen till after the
capture of NicRsburg and Port Hudson, when
the price Immediately more than doubled. Oc-
casionally a fruit schooner from Havana TO New
Orleans not having clean bin ofhealth, would
be delayed at Quarantine tabOut five miles up
river and her cargo could be bought at very
low prices. Swarms Of wild bees were in hollow
gums i'm the woods, and parties were sometimes
successful in hunting them. Blackberries in
the vicinity were large, excellent and very
plenty. They commenced ripening the last Of
March and continued about six weeks and,
! being used freely, were OF much service in
checking disorders Of the bowels On the 9th
of April, 1863, the writer, with four others of
Co. Il, picked barrel Of blackberries near the
wreck Of the gunboat Yaruna in less than
three hours.
1t is said that "There is no good
thing but what is sometimes made a
bad use of," and that was the case with the
| oranges. One Of the officers Of Co. b made a
| barrel OF orange wine, and on some anniver-
sary, do not remember the date, he distributed
! il pretty freely among the boys of his company
after dress parade. The result was taps were
not noticed, and for the larger part of the night
Co. BIS barracks were noisy if not musical.
MUD AND MALARIA
The slopes Of the fort were grassed over. but
the large amount Of travel in some places killed
the grass, leaving the soil exposed. This caused
no difficulty in dry weather, but after heavy
shower one or two inches Of the surface would
be about the consistency of pea soup and very
slippery. Sometimes a soldier stepping care
4 lessly would execute a sudden change OF base
and seat himself forcibly, If not gracefully, in
the soft Louisiana mud. In spite of the penalty
provided in the regulations, his decension
would usually be followed by the rendering of
choice selection of army oaths, the extent and
variety Of the selections being about in proper
tiOn 10 the depth of the mud.
The health OF the garrison on the whole was
| rather poor. The sicl, list much Of the time was
quite large, and very large proportion of the
sickness was caused by malaria. Nearly every
man suffered severely some part Of the time from
shakes or chronic diarrhca. and most of them
who are now living still feel the effects Deaths
and discharges seriously reduced the strength
of the regiment while in garrison, and when
the order came 10 move most of the men gladly
welcomed IL.
Aug %, 1863, the regiment was relieved by
the 4th La. Corps d'Afrique, and the next day
went TO New Orleans. there relieving the 26th
Mass, the same regiment whose place it had
taken at the forts