 |
Make HNN Your Homepage |
|
|
|||||||||
| « prev | next » |
Posted on:7/29/2007
Another letter from Lewis Bullard During the Civil War
by Martha DeWolfe
Camp Farr
Bayou Gentilly Lousiana
March 4, 1863
Dear Mother & Brother
I received your letter of Feb. 8 together with three papers which were welcome as usual. Camp life the same as ever except that it grows harder & more severe every day. We go on guard ever two nights after every other night, have our usual battalions & company drills in addition to these we have a brigade drill twice a week.
At our last brigade drill our officers having had a slight taste of what was in store for those who did not understand their business showed the white feather & remained in camp. Of all our officers but two lieutenants with the adjutant had the courage & confidence to pass through the trying ordeal of a brigade drill.
After camp we marched nearly through the city before we found the other regiment. we then marched a long distance & found a field suitable for the drill. Such a cussing scolding & damning as the officers had when they made a blunder [was] never before heard.
I can tell you it was fun for us privates, to hear our officers (who order us round & treat us as though we were of no consequence in camp) scolded at in the way they were. I thought I had heard high flown language before but the language used by Co. Farr toward the officers who do not understand their [drill] beats all of the kind that I ever heard. I do not doubt but that they would gladly change places with the privates for the time being. Even Colonels & Majors do not escape a severe chastising when they make mistakes.
After the drill, which lasted five hours, we marched back to the city & passed through the handsomest & busiest portion of it. We passed by the St Charles Hotel & many other fine buildings but we were so tired & fatigued that we took but little notice of them. We were all anxious to get back to camp & the most I can remember of the march in the city is that it attracted a large crowd.
In front of the Custom House we found the three companies who were taken
prisoner in Texas* drawn up in a line. Marched past them & they fell in our rear. We then took up the march for camp, passed the other regiments who presented arms. Reached camp at dark, halted at headquarters where the Colonel made a speech to the men; told them that he trusted the time was not far distant when they would have the pleasure of another fight with the rebels.
The new colors which the governor has furnished us with were shown to us for the first time. There was quite a contrast I assure you between the prisoners & their escort, most of them were quite dirty, many were barefoot & they all looked as if they had fared hard & had a tough time of it. The Colonel, they say, paced to and fro during the fight as cool as ice. How he escaped being hit from the hundreds of balls & shells which flew past was a mystery to them.
All they have to eat most of the time while prisoners was a quart of cob meal a day. The officers fared the same except that a very little flour was furnished them which they found to be decidedly more tough and unpalatable than the meat which the boys here call salt horse.
The boys have a rather poor opinion of Texas & its inhabitants who they said were not more than half civilized. The women were very insulting to them & called them all kinds of names told them that this was where they got their bounty & found their mules. These prisoners are encamped near us in the same fields they have an easy time of it, having nothing to do.
You inquired how we spend our Sabbaths, well the first thing in the morning is company inspection, after this, dress parade & then we have services of some kind. Last Sunday our Chaplain Sanger o
Camp Farr
Bayou Gentilly Lousiana
March 4, 1863
Dear Mother & Brother
I received your letter of Feb. 8 together with three papers which were welcome as usual. Camp life the same as ever except that it grows harder & more severe every day. We go on guard ever two nights after every other night, have our usual battalions & company drills in addition to these we have a brigade drill twice a week.
At our last brigade drill our officers having had a slight taste of what was in store for those who did not understand their business showed the white feather & remained in camp. Of all our officers but two lieutenants with the adjutant had the courage & confidence to pass through the trying ordeal of a brigade drill.
After camp we marched nearly through the city before we found the other regiment. we then marched a long distance & found a field suitable for the drill. Such a cussing scolding & damning as the officers had when they made a blunder [was] never before heard.
I can tell you it was fun for us privates, to hear our officers (who order us round & treat us as though we were of no consequence in camp) scolded at in the way they were. I thought I had heard high flown language before but the language used by Co. Farr toward the officers who do not understand their [drill] beats all of the kind that I ever heard. I do not doubt but that they would gladly change places with the privates for the time being. Even Colonels & Majors do not escape a severe chastising when they make mistakes.
After the drill, which lasted five hours, we marched back to the city & passed through the handsomest & busiest portion of it. We passed by the St Charles Hotel & many other fine buildings but we were so tired & fatigued that we took but little notice of them. We were all anxious to get back to camp & the most I can remember of the march in the city is that it attracted a large crowd.
In front of the Custom House we found the three companies who were taken
prisoner in Texas* drawn up in a line. Marched past them & they fell in our rear. We then took up the march for camp, passed the other regiments who presented arms. Reached camp at dark, halted at headquarters where the Colonel made a speech to the men; told them that he trusted the time was not far distant when they would have the pleasure of another fight with the rebels.
The new colors which the governor has furnished us with were shown to us for the first time. There was quite a contrast I assure you between the prisoners & their escort, most of them were quite dirty, many were barefoot & they all looked as if they had fared hard & had a tough time of it. The Colonel, they say, paced to and fro during the fight as cool as ice. How he escaped being hit from the hundreds of balls & shells which flew past was a mystery to them.
All they have to eat most of the time while prisoners was a quart of cob meal a day. The officers fared the same except that a very little flour was furnished them which they found to be decidedly more tough and unpalatable than the meat which the boys here call salt horse.
The boys have a rather poor opinion of Texas & its inhabitants who they said were not more than half civilized. The women were very insulting to them & called them all kinds of names told them that this was where they got their bounty & found their mules. These prisoners are encamped near us in the same fields they have an easy time of it, having nothing to do.
You inquired how we spend our Sabbaths, well the first thing in the morning is company inspection, after this, dress parade & then we have services of some kind. Last Sunday our Chaplain Sanger o
|
||
| « prev | next » |
Powered by 
written permission is strictly prohibited. ©2012 HollistonNetNews.com