Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-02-22

70: servants. We live on fresh beef. corn
cake and buildings, pancakes. strip,
fresh fish. eggs. ducks and chickens.
am not exaggerating; this is all SO.
burn kerosene in a splendid center-lamp.
have vases Of flowers, and splendid IL
brary You will wonder how all this can
be so. Well. my house is on sequestered
estate, and l am at liberty to use the
mansion, furniture, horses, mules. ne
groes, books. etc. This parish is one of
those excepted in the emancipation
proclamation, and have my hands full
to answer the claims of masters and
negroes as to their status. and what
to my military duties as captain of a
line of pickets am assistant provost
marshal for the district of Latourche.
"The evening before left Bayou
Boeuf dined at the house of planter
named Pointer. His wife played the
piano beautifully; she reminded me of
home by giving Monastery Bells The
Gondola' Three Bells Polka ETC. She
mixed in several southern airs. and
wound up with Dixie in revenge for
which l played Columbia Star
Spangled Banner and America
In the following April the writer of
the letter from which the above is an
extract was Frustrated after several
weeks service in the exhausting cam
paign that preceded the investment Of
Port Hudson. and was sent to New Or
leans to recuperate. The following IS
from letter dated there May %:
Making up my mind that might as
we'll stay in the city till got we'll. we
took furnished rooms at No. 1G3 st.
Charles street. We are on the first
floor. have room II feet high. marble
fireplace. bed ten feet high. mirrors,
Turkey carpets. bureaus and gas chande-
liers; in short. it is the front parlor of
an elegant house. Here We vegetate:
rise at eight. go to the city library. get
our books. read and write till four D. M.
dine-and such dinners! They would
make an epicure sigh After dinner
(Which is supper as welD we take a cab
and. ride out on the shell road to the
lake. or down to the battle ground. come
in, visit restaurant for ice cream.
come home. dismiss the carriage and 90
to bed. It is lazy but an elegant life.
If you could look in on me at this mo-
ment you would find me in my morning
gown. smoking in the highest style Of
elegance. and making the most of my
sick leave generally. This afternoon
we took barouche TO the lake. From
the city out over the shell road there
was one string Of flying carriages. Ar
irving at the lake. you may take refresh
ments. shot in the pistol-gallery, a
~clk in the garden. or ramble out on the
pier and watch the waves rising and
falling, out to the purple edge of sunset.
Then as the shadows fall, shutting in the
white sails of the schooners and the
black smoke of the steamers, We return
to the carriage. to find that the driver
has lit the lamps, and back We roll to tn.
city. Sometimes you will find 300 teams
at the lake at sunset. So much for where
| am. and what I am doing. shall re-
join my regiment next week at Brashear
City. We expect to be ordered up to
Baton Rouge, but there is no certainty.
I am in hopes the war will terminate
soon, so that I can get home. shall
come as soon as the river is open to
travel. anyhow. I think I can get
leave of absence. trust shall not
come home with only one change OF
clothing. and myself in it., wearing
loose pine or walnut overcoat."
A: postscript to the same letter gives
the stirring news which reached New
. :. r.. .-;. - ..:- s., x ~~s =. 3 y