Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-12-26
A WARTIME CHRISTMAS
RecoIleciions of Member of Co. X 18th
Wis. in 1864.

For several months the Twenty
Ninth had been connected with the West
Mississippi Reserves. Our business was
to be ready at all times to hustle after
the enemy who frequently interfered
with the navigation of the river.
From our camp at Morganza, Louis
lana, just below the mouth of Red river.
we moved rapidly, some times on foot.
sometimes on boats depending on To-
cation and distance OF the place or
places occupied by the rebels who were
doing the mischief. Our forced marches
were hard in the extreme, especially if
we Were crowded on boats day or two
before landing to make the run. Our
aim was To surprise them in camp and
cripple them as much as possible by
capturing men, horses, batteries, muni-
tions, etc. Some days were twenty
four hours long with but little rest.
We had succeeded suffici entity to make
it comparatively safe for unarmed
transports when in September, we
broke camp az Morganza ard moved b.
boat TO the mouth of White river, Ar
kansas. about four hundred miles fur
ther north. We were comparatively
inactive there, and had lots of time for
writing and reading For a while we
and our home friends had fine mixture
of news dates. While we camped at
MorganZa our letters to them and theirs
to us went via New Orleans But after
we moved, Memphis, Tennessee, was
our distributing postoffice, so the late
letters were received before the former
ones We soon embarked again and
moved 50 miles up the White river to
st. Charles, little burg that had been
partly fortified and then abandoned.
Here we formed camp and gathered
supplies, but had little to do besides
guard and picket duty. In few weeks
it was rumored that we were to winter
there; so each set of tent-mates put
up fairly comfortable huts with fire
place and sticiI-chimneys well mudded,
using our sc-calied shelter tents for
roof. In a short time the order came
to break camp and pepare to embark.
We were taken to Du Walls Bluff, 80
miles further up. There we went into
camp in the thick woods on q high hill.
The weather was getting cold and we
went to cutting logs for winter quarters.
Some had huts half built, when on the
second day we we're there, orders came
to break camp and board the cars for
Little Rock We rode till ten O'Clock
at night on fiat cars the night as dark
as nights ever get, and as wet as rain
eyer m9Ees them. The 9th Wis. was
at Little rock ia snug winter quarters.
Having heard we were coming, they
prepared hot suppers and dry beds for
us. Own brothers could not have treat
ca rs better than those German soldiers,
who were. personally, strangers to US,
III iH EaA -,
cut ard haul logs for winter quarters.
I Hurrah for good time this winteri
The work progressed finely about two
days, when orders came for us to re-
port TO Memphis as soon as possible.
We returned to the mouth Of the White
river the way we came up, and pro-
ceedtd d UP the Mississippi to Memphis.
There we were supplied with wedge
tents which were many times better
thar TIE shelter rents we used te,c
years, and directed to form camp on
some high vacant lots. The ground was
frozen too hard for driving tent stakes
without fist cutting through the frost.
Cavalry, batteries and infantry were
GATHERING here for q raid We left on
tents ana heavy camp equipagc behind
well guarded We loaded up with a
GOJ9 t0bkFtE 8i IabIbjiS anu AiliiullllOll
and started with the infantry in the
l@,A We never had seen so much
cayalrE together before. 1t was said
that there were seven thousand of
them They passed US before Christ
mas. On Christmas day, the Twenty
Ninth were guarding the supply train in
a nice grove on, the west bank of a
small river, few days march back of
Melnphis The wind was brisk and
snow fell most of the day We busted
ourselves chopping down trees, and
rolling up logs for wind breaks and try
ing to keep warm between our wind
breaks and our fires. We had rather a
disagreeable, smoky time, but we had
good rati3ns in abundance, and good
news from several armies that were
crushing the rebellion, so we were
hopeful and happy. Our exchange of
Merry Christmas greetings was mutu-
ally earnest and sincere.
Retreat, Wis, December 20, 1906.
L