Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-12-08

Indeed for an instant this impression pre-
vailed on the writer's mind
The water in the bayou was 30 little
below the surface level Of the country and
the stream being very narrow, all helped to
make the boat seem to be moving on dry
land instead of on the water.
Here was an instance of a boat seeming
so much and the water SO little; on the
great Mississippi, however, with which the
writer's regiment had already had so much
to do, the water appeared vast and i'm
mense while the boat dwarfe1 into mere
speck in comparison.
The scene of General Weitzeps and Com
modore Buchanan's fight in the January
previous and of General Emory's about the
middle Of April, was passed before reach.
ing Franklin. Here was seen the wreck
Of the burned Confederate gun-boat Cotton
By the way, Commodore Buchanan, who
lost his life here on board the calhoun
and whose first name was Mexican, was an
officer on board the Congress-" destroyed
in Hampton Roads in March, 1862, by the
Confederate 'Merimac'' commanded by an
oaU1s brother, Franklin Buchanan, of the
Southern navy. Thus in the the great civil
war was brother pitted against brother in
deadly strife.
Franklin, a considerable town on the
bayou, was reached, and here the command
stopped for time, but, after a little, sew.
eral regiments, including the writer's,
were pushed on to New Iberia, another
important place on the Teche.
Nearly all the inhabitants were French
and many of them could not speak En-
glish, the latter fact was true Of the ne
groes as well, and it was amusing to hear
them talking in foreign tongue.
A black face had so long been associated
with "negro talk'' that this departure was
curious and interesting.
The well-to-do people lived in quaint,
many-gabled, old houses.
Some of them before the war were very
wealthy. These French were genuine
creoles The October days spent at New
Iberia were delightful in the extreme
soft hazy weather. The foraging parties
brought in plenty of honey, sweet pota-
toes, chickens, and turkeys, and milk in
abundance was procured of the inhabit-
ants. Pecans were found in plenty and
oranges delicious in quality were ripening
in the orchards.
A printing Office was found complete;
this was taken possession of by some ex-
perts Of the writer's regiment, and, upon
the plain side of sheets Of wall paper,
new periodical was started, called the
Unconditional Surrender Grant. OF course,
but few numbers were published, but
these were of much interest to members
of the command.
For time here the writer assisted in
ubClnB up CuuTcu LOT a hospital. Inc
pews were taken out and cots put in at
convenient distances.
A cavalry brigade had gone further on,
to Vermillion Bayou, and here had an en-
gagement with the enemy. There were
quite number wounded, and it was for
the reception of these that the church was
extemporized into a hospital. In the
afternoon when they were expected coffee
and tea were made, and soup, beef tea,
milk punch, toddies, etc., prepared. The
ambulance train, however, did not get in
till in the night The wounded were
transferred from the ambulances to cots
in the church, nearly all of which were
finally filled. Most of the injuries re-
ceived were from musket balls.
The wounds had, however, been dressed,
and well cared for before starting, and
any needed amputations made at the time
or soon after injury. In day or two the
wounded were all put on a boat, and went
in this way to general hospital.