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diff --git a/26747.txt b/26747.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fd56ba8 --- /dev/null +++ b/26747.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1101 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Reminiscences of two years with the colored +troops, by Joshua M. Addeman + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Reminiscences of two years with the colored troops + Personal Narratives of events in the War of the Rebellion, + being papers read before the Rhode Island Soldiers and + Sailors Historical Society. No. 7, Second Series + +Author: Joshua M. Addeman + +Release Date: October 1, 2008 [EBook #26747] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO YEARS WITH COLORED TROOPS *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + + + + + + * * * * * + + +-----------------------------------------------------------+ + | Transcriber's Note: | + | | + | This e-book contains archaic spelling which has not been | + | modernized. To avoid confusion a list has been provided | + | at the end of this document. | + | | + +-----------------------------------------------------------+ + + * * * * * + + + + +PERSONAL NARRATIVES + +OF EVENTS IN THE + +WAR OF THE REBELLION, + +BEING PAPERS READ BEFORE THE + +RHODE ISLAND SOLDIERS AND SAILORS + +HISTORICAL SOCIETY. + +NO. 7.... SECOND SERIES. + +[Illustration] + +PROVIDENCE: +N. BANGS WILLIAMS & CO. +1880. + + + + +Copyrighted by +N. BANGS WILLIAMS. +1880. + + + + +REMINISCENCES + +OF + +TWO YEARS WITH THE COLORED TROOPS. + +BY + +J.M. ADDEMAN, +[LATE CAPTAIN FOURTEENTH R.I. HEAVY ARTILLERY, COLORED.] + + + + +PROVIDENCE: +N. BANGS WILLIAMS & CO. +1880. + + + + +Copyrighted by +N. BANGS WILLIAMS. +1880. + +PRINTED BY E.L. FREEMAN & CO. + + + + +REMINISCENCES OF TWO YEARS + +WITH THE + +COLORED TROOPS. + + +The circumstances attending the organizing of a colored regiment in +this State are well remembered. In the summer of 1863, white men were +no longer eager to enlist for a war the end of which none could +foresee; but nevertheless the war must be prosecuted with vigor; +another draft was impending and the State's quota must be filled. With +difficulty Governor Smith obtained permission to organize a company, +and, as this rapidly filled, then a battalion, and finally a full +regiment of twelve companies of colored men for heavy artillery duty. +In common with many others I did not at the outset look with +particular favor upon the scheme. But with some hesitation I accepted +an appointment from the State as a second lieutenant and reported for +duty at Camp Smith, on the Dexter Training Ground, in this city. After +serving here for some weeks in the fall of 1863, in the organizing of +companies and forwarding them to Dutch Island, where the regiment was +in camp, I successfully passed an examination before what was known as +"Casey's Board," and after some preliminary service with a company of +the third battalion, was assigned to the command of Company H of the +second battalion, with whose fortunes my lot was cast till the close +of our term of service. On the turtle-backed crown of Dutch Island we +remained amid fierce storms and the howling winds that swept with keen +edge over the waters of the Narragansett, until the 20th of January, +1864, when, as I was about to make a visit home, the transport, Daniel +Webster, appeared in the harbor and orders were issued to prepare for +embarking on the following day. At the time appointed, we were on +board, but the sutler's arrangements were not completed until early +the next morning, when we got up steam and were soon out of sight of +our familiar camp. + +The incidents of the voyage it is not necessary to recite to any +comrade whose chance it was to make a trip in an army transport, which +had long since seen its better days, and which had been practically +condemned before Uncle Sam found for it such profitable use. The men +packed like sheep in the hold, the officers, though far better off as +to quarters, yet crowded too much for convenience and comfort, the +inevitable sea-sickness, the scanty rations, and what was worse, the +extreme scarcity of water, were annoyances but the counterpart of +those endured by many brave men who preceded and followed us to the +scene of duty. But in the main the weather favored us, and on the +hurricane deck we spent the hours off duty, gazing far across the +illimitable waste of waters, as day after day we approached a warmer +clime with its glowing sunshine and glittering waves and the deep blue +sky bending down in unbroken circle around us. The rebel cruisers were +then in the midst of their destructive work and it was natural, as we +caught sight of a distant vessel, to speculate whether it was a +friendly or a hostile craft. When we were in the latitude of +Charleston, a steamer appeared in the far distance, then a flash, a +puff of smoke and a loud report notified us that it was sending us its +compliments. It approached nearer, a boat put out and officers from +the gunboat Connecticut came on board, examined our papers and soon +allowed us to proceed. The weather rapidly grew warmer and our winter +clothing proved very uncomfortable. The steamer's supply of water was +exhausted and we had to depend on sea-water, distilled by the vessel's +boilers, for all uses. The allowance of an officer was, I think, a +pint a day. Warm and insipid, its only use, as I remember, was for our +morning ablutions, which were more a matter of form than of substance. +In rounding the coast of Florida we bumped one evening on a sand bar +or coral reef. I was very unceremoniously tumbled over, and the game +of back-gammon, in which I was engaged with a brother officer, was of +course, ended at once. Rushing on deck we found ourselves clear of the +obstruction and again on our way. But the breakers, in plain sight, +gave us assurance of the peril we had so narrowly escaped. + +In the early morning of February second we crossed the bar and noted +well that line stretching far to the right and left of us, drawn with +almost mathematical exactness, which marked the demarcation between +the clear waters of the Gulf and the turbid waters of the Mississippi. +In going up the river the buckets were constantly dropped into the +muddy stream, and their contents, when allowed to stand for a few +minutes, would soon furnish an abundance of that luxury we all craved +so much,--clear water, cooled by the ice and snows of the far north. +Reaching the inhabited portions of the river, we saw the planters busy +with their spring work, and though the air was chilled with the icy +breath of northern climes, the orange trees in blossom and the green +shrubbery on the shores, gave indication of the semi-tropical climate +we had reached. Arriving at New Orleans in due season, our senior +captain reported for orders. I must not pause to speak of the strange +scenes which greeted our eyes in this, the most cosmopolitan city of +our land. A delay here of two or three days proved almost as +demoralizing as a campaign, and I, for one, was glad when the orders +came to move. For reasons that afterwards transpired, we dropped down +the stream some fifteen miles to a point called English Turn. It +derived its name, as I remember the tradition, from the fact that as +the commander of some English vessel was slowly making his way up what +was then an unknown and perhaps unexplored body of water, he was met +by some French explorer, coming from the opposite direction, who gave +him to understand that all the country he had seen in coming up the +river, was, by prior discovery, the rightful possession of the French +monarch. Though no Frenchman had perhaps seen it, yet with his facile +tongue he worked persuasion in the mind of the bluff Englishman, who +at this point, turned about and put out to sea--hence its name, +English Turn. We found here relics of very early times in the form of +an old earthwork, and an angle of a brick wall, built, when, and +whether by French or Spaniard, none could tell. Here we soon selected +a site and laid out our camp. The time rapidly passed in the busy +occupations which each day brought, in little excursions into the +surrounding country, in conversations with the colored people whose +sad memories of the old slavery days recalled so vividly the +experiences of Uncle Tom and his associates in Mrs. Stowe's famous +tale. Nor were the days unvaried by plenty of fun. Music, vocal and +instrumental, we had in abundance. The mimic talents of our men, led +to the performance of a variety of entertainments, and in their +happy-go-easy dispositions, their troubles set very lightly on them. +Their extravagancies of expression were by no means an unremarkable +feature. When I at first heard their threats to each other, couched +sometimes in the most diabolical language, I had deemed it my duty at +once to rush into the company street and prevent what, among white +men, I would suppose to be the prelude to a bloody fight. "Oh, +Captain," would be the explanation, "we'se only a foolin'." + +While here, we had a little flurry of snow, which reminded us of what +we had left in abundance behind, but which was a startling novelty to +the natives, few, if any, of whom, had ever seen anything like it +before. Their explanation was that the Yankees had brought it with +them. In the course of a week or two, an assistant Inspector-General +put in an appearance and gave us a pretty thorough over-hauling; but +what astonished him the most, was to find us in so healthy a +condition; for it appeared that because of a few cases of measles on +board ship, we had been represented as being in very bad shape, and it +was for sanitary reasons that we were sent to English Turn. + +We now began to hope for some change. The place was decidedly +unhealthy. Our men were dropping off rapidly from a species of putrid +sore throat which was very prevalent. The soil was so full of moisture +that we had to use the levee for a burial ground. Elsewhere a grave +dug two feet deep would rapidly fill with water, and to cover a coffin +decently, it was necessary that two men should stand on it, while the +extemporized sextons completed their task. + +Washington's birthday was duly celebrated, and foot-ball, wheel-barrow +and sack races, among other sports, furnished fun for the whole camp. +Even the inevitable greased pig was provided, but he was so greasy +that he got over the lines into the swamps and--freedom. + +Our battalion commander, Major Shaw, arrived on the third of March, +and on the following day, it was my good fortune to witness, in New +Orleans, the inauguration of Gov. Hahn, who, by some form of election, +had been chosen the chief executive. The unclouded sky, the rich +foliage and the beautiful atmosphere, combined to make a glorious day, +and the spectacular arrangements were in keeping. The place was +Lafayette Square. Flags of all nations waved in the breeze. In seats, +arranged tier above tier, were five thousand school children of the +city, dressed in white with ribbons and sashes of the national colors, +while many thousands of the citizens were gathered as spectators. +Patriotic songs were sung by the little folks; five hundred musicians +filled the air with sweet sounds, and in the anvil chorus which was +sung, fifty sons of Vulcan kept time on as many veritable anvils; +while some half dozen batteries of artillery came in heavy on the +choruses. These were fired simultaneously by an electrical +arrangement; and the whole was under charge of P.S. Gilmore, a name +not now unknown to fame in grand musical combinations. An elaborate +address by General Banks, then commanding the department, was an +interesting feature of the occasion. + +Our life at English Turn, was varied by little of special interest. Of +course there was no enemy at hand except those foes which a hot +climate breeds so rapidly. A mysterious order came one day, to detail +one hundred men "to join the expedition," and we were notified that a +steamer would call for them on the morrow. Details of picked men were +selected from each company. Five days' rations and forty rounds of +ammunition, were dealt out to each, and in light marching order they +waited several days for the steamer to appear. It was in vain, +however, and we reluctantly gave up the prospect of some little +excitement. We came to the conclusion that somebody at headquarters +had forgotten to countermand the order, or, like Mr. Toots, had deemed +it of no consequence. + +We discussed the varying prospects of change, sometimes coming as a +rumor that we should be ordered to Texas, where was the first +battalion of our regiment; sometimes that we should join the Red River +expedition, which was then forming, or the expedition against Mobile +which was in contemplation. But after six weeks delay at English Turn, +we received orders to move up the river to Plaquemine, a point some +one hundred and twenty miles above New Orleans, a few miles below and +on the opposite bank from Baton Rouge. This town was at the entrance +of the Bayou Plaquemine, of which Longfellow makes mention in the +story of Evangeline's search for her lover; a description which gives +so good an idea of the bayous by which Louisiana is intersected, that +I quote it in this connection. + + "They * * * entering the Bayou of Plaquemine, + Soon were lost in a maze of sluggish and devious waters, + Which, like a network of steel, extended in every direction. + Over their heads the towering and tenebrous boughs of the cypress + Waved like banners that hang on the walls of ancient cathedrals. + Deathlike the silence seemed, and unbroken save by the herons + Home to their roosts in the cedar trees returning at sunset, + Or by the owl, as he greeted the moon with demoniac laughter." + +Here we relieved the Forty-Second Ohio, and went into camp. As we +marched through the streets of the village to the site of our camp, +the scowling looks of the white spectators, sufficiently indicated +their sentiments and especially their wrath at being guarded by +"niggers." + +We found the state of affairs very different from the tranquil +neighborhood we had just left. The surrounding country was infested +with guerilla bands, and in the jail were a number of rebel prisoners +who had been captured in recent raids. The latter received from the +town's people very gratifying evidences of sympathy, and in their +comparatively comfortable quarters and abundant supplies, afforded a +vivid contrast to the treatment received by our boys at Libby and +Andersonville. Intimations were quite freely expressed by the +prisoners, that it would soon be their turn to guard us, and we were +cautioned by friends and from headquarters, to be on the alert against +a sudden attack. + +In the evening of the day after our arrival, we were startled by a +steamer approaching the landing, all ablaze from stem to stern. The +entire heavens seemed illuminated, and it was light enough to read +with perfect distinctness. The vessel was loaded with some three +thousand bales of cotton, and in landing at a point above us, the +sparks from the torch--a wire basket filled with pine knots, and used +after dark to light the loading and unloading of the steamer,--had set +the cotton afire. The motion of the boat and the perfect draft from +her construction, peculiar to nearly all the river craft, of course +spread the fire with great rapidity, and only time sufficient to +rescue the passengers was permitted. The vessel had a large freight of +live stock, some of which escaped to the shore, but most of them +perished in the flames, filling the air with their piteous cries. Our +particular attention was devoted to our magazine, which was an +ordinary store-house and exposed to some danger. Its contents we could +ill afford to lose, and their explosion would have made a sensation +much more lively than even the destruction of the steamer. + +At Plaquemine an earth work had been begun by our predecessors. It had +four bastions, one of which was assigned to each of our companies. The +work was in a very incomplete condition, and except for the protection +its parapets afforded, would have been of little service. In the +threatening aspect of affairs, it became necessary at once to +strengthen our defences, and under the direction of an engineer, +details of men were set to work, and rapid progress was made. + +In April parties of guerillas and rebel cavalry began to operate +actively in our neighborhood. At Indian village, a few miles distant, +they burned a large quantity of cotton which had been sent in by +planters or collected by speculators and was awaiting transportation. +About the same time mysterious signals attracted our attention, and +soon afterwards, we learned that a body of two hundred cavalry had +crossed the Grand River for the purpose of attacking us. The men slept +on their arms, but no attack was made. A week or two afterwards, I had +occasion to visit New Orleans on business, and while there, heard a +report that Plaquemine was "gobbled up" by the rebs. I was very much +relieved on my return to find everything in _statu quo_. A raid +shortly afterwards on Bayou Goula, a trading station a few miles below +us, resulted in the destruction of considerable property, but no +captures of prisoners. + +On the twenty-fifth of May the gunboat 54 was sent to cruise on the +river in our neighborhood, and it was a welcome reinforcement to our +meagre numbers. On the twenty-eighth of May the cavalry of General +Banks' army, on their retreat from the Red River campaign, passed +through our post, remaining a short time in our vicinity. Among them +was a portion of our Third Rhode Island cavalry, and no hospitality +ever gave greater mutual pleasure than that which it happened to be in +our power then to grant. The record of that expedition has been made +up, but there was a refreshing vigor of opinion expressed by our +comrades on the conduct of the campaign. It seemed very lonesome when +they left us with their commander,--a true Rhode Island son, General +Richard Arnold. + +Orders came within a day or two from Baton Rouge, announcing a change +of commanders of the district, and exhorting us to get everything into +fighting trim. It will be remembered that flushed with victory the +rebels followed close on the heels of our retreating army, and were +only stopped by the lack of transportation to cross the swift and deep +Atchafalaya. Of course we presumed that they would make one of their +raids down the coast and attack our post, and that of Donaldsonville, +some twenty-five miles below us, which constituted the principal +defences on the river above New Orleans. With the exception, however, +of capturing some of our cavalry pickets, we had no trouble, though +frequent alarms kept us on the qui vive. The beating of the long roll +was almost a nightly occurrence; but this I should not mention to +soldiers, except to refer to an instance that now occurs to me in +illustration of the rapidity of the mind's movements, at times. About +the time of the raids on our northern frontier, I was dreaming one +night, that we were ordered home to proceed at once to some point on +the border. All the movements incident to our departure and to our +arrival at Providence, were before me. As we were halting in Exchange +Place, with arms stacked and men at ease, I obtained permission to go +home for a few minutes to see my family, to whom our arrival was +unknown, when the roll sounded and we were ordered to fall in at once +to take the train. Of course my momentary disappointment was great, +but awaking at once, I heard the drums beating in reality, and +jumping into my outer clothing and equipments in a hurry, was shortly +at the head of my company. The first beat of the drum had probably +started the long train of the incidents of my dream. + +In the midst of these rumors of attack, in the early morning of August +sixth we were visited by a body of mounted men. They dashed upon our +pickets who made a bold stand for a short time, and then scattered for +shelter. The rebels had caught sight of the officer, Lieutenant +Aldrich, who was in command, and while a part of them made diligent +search for him, the remainder dashed into the town, and breaking up +into parties raided through the various streets, firing somewhat +indiscriminately, but more particularly at what contrabands they saw. +The companies gathered in their respective bastions in the fort and we +expected a lively brush. As I stood on the parapet and got a glimpse +of a portion of the enemy, I ached to let fly a shell, but the danger +to innocent parties was too great to warrant it just then. I remember +how amused I was at the appearance of the gallant commander of our +post, as with his coat and equipments in one hand, and holding up his +nether garments in the other, he was "double-quicking" from his +quarters in the town, to a place of security in the fort. After that +he selected quarters nearer us. The prospect of being "gobbled up" was +not particularly gratifying, especially to a "nigger" officer, who had +Fort Pillow memories in mind. As the rebels did not appear to be +coming to us, a strong detachment under command of Adjutant Barney, +was sent out to exchange compliments with them. They gave us no +opportunity for this but soon retired, taking with them three of our +pickets and one cavalry vidette, whom they had captured. We +understood, the next day, that our men were shot in cold blood. +Lieutenant Aldrich and the men with him, escaped through the friendly +protection of an osage orange grove. Others swam the bayou and thus +escaped certain death if captured. I think our casualties were, +besides those taken prisoners, one man killed and a few wounded. +Several of the rebels were said to be killed or wounded. One of the +latter, as I remember, fell into our hands and was taken into our +hospital where he received the same treatment as our own men. +Subsequently we learned that the raiders were Texans who boastfully +declared that they asked no quarter and gave none. In consequence of +the barbarous treatment of our men who were captured, some +correspondence passed between General Banks and the rebel commander, +but I am not aware that it amounted to anything. + +On the eighteenth a scouting party of our cavalry was captured at +Grand River and others in our nearer vicinity. We had two companies of +the Thirty-first Massachusetts mounted infantry, who were used for +vidette duty. Being more exposed than our own pickets they suffered +occasionally from guerilla raids. One party of them, were surprised, +probably in consequence of a little carelessness, and were taken +prisoners with the exception of one man who was killed. He had been a +prisoner once before and fought to the last, rather than again be +captured. On some of these occasions the attacking parties were +dressed in our own uniform. + +All through the country back of us, a constant and merciless +conscription was going on, sweeping in all able-bodied men between +fifteen and sixty years of age. Of course many refugees and +occasional deserters came within our lines. + +During the fall of 1864 we received from time to time re-inforcements +of several companies of colored engineer troops, who continued the +work on the fort which we had begun. Though not comparing with the +arduousness of field service, our duties were by no means slight. It +must be remembered that we were in a semi-tropical country, where to +an unacclimated person the climate was itself almost a deadly foe. The +extreme heat produced a lethargy that was depressing in the extreme. +In a few days of dry weather, the surface of the ground would be baked +like a brick. Then would come most violent storms, converting the soil +into a quagmire and covering it with water like a lake. At this time, +there was no small danger of falling into the deep ditches with which +the fields were intersected, for drainage. In this way I lost one man +of my company. Of course it will be understood how productive of +disease would be the malaria from the soil and the adjacent swamps. +Our men with all their buoyancy of disposition, had not the resolute +will of white men, when attacked by sickness, and would succumb with +fatal rapidity. As captain of a company, my most arduous duty, when +not on special duty or detached service, was as field officer of the +day. This necessitated the visiting occasionally during the day and +night, our videttes and picket posts which were stationed on the roads +into the country, and at intersecting points in the fields; and also +crossing in a skiff the Mississippi river, to visit the troops +stationed to guard a telegraph station on the other side. This station +was in the vicinity of a famous duelling ground,--a path not far from +the river bank,--to which in former days the young bloods of the town +and vicinity would resort to repair their wounded honor, according to +the rules of the code. As we were too short of horses always to +furnish a mounted orderly, the officer of the day would at night, have +to make his rounds alone. There was a picturesqueness in those rides +in the solemn hours of the night, a portion of the way over deserted +plantations where the weeds would be as high as one's head on +horseback, the path at times fringing the borders of swamps where the +moss hung in festoons from the stately cypress trees, past lonely +negro cabins, where sometimes I heard the inmates in the midnight +hours, singing some plaintive melody in tones the most subdued. + +In addition to our routine work, our officers were largely detailed +for staff, court-martial and other duties. The frequent attempts at +smuggling contraband goods through our lines, also necessitated +military commissions for the trial of these as well as various other +civil offences,--on which duty some of us were always engaged. As a +consequence, we were always short-handed, and tours of duty came as +often as was agreeable. The fall months of 1864 were marked by +occasional raids in our vicinity, with orders, at times, to sleep on +our arms. The capture of a large supply of revolvers, which were +surreptitiously landed near us, indicated the necessity of strictly +guarding the lines, and at the same time, furnish those of us who +needed them, an ample supply of that weapon. + +During this period, we organized schools for the instruction of our +men. While some of them were comparatively well educated and were very +serviceable in various kinds of clerical work, a large proportion of +them were destitute of the most rudimentary knowledge. Through the +Christian Commission, of which Ex-Mayor J.V.C. Smith, of Boston, was +in our department the efficient agent, we were amply supplied with +various kinds of books and utensils, embracing primers, arithmetics, +slates and pencils, besides a liberal allowance of reading matter. Our +men were eager recipients of these and made good use of them. We tried +to stimulate their pride in every way possible, and the great majority +of them learned to sign their names to our rolls instead of making +their mark. I had some pride in having my rolls signed by the men +themselves, but I remember one of my men, however, whom I +ineffectually ordered to do this. He admitted to me that he could +write, but in consequence of some trouble he had in former years, got +into by the use of the pen, he had made a vow never to write again, or +something to that effect. My impression is that it was some kind of +forgery he was engaged in. It is possible he may have been an +unfortunate indorser; if so, his determination would not seem so +strange. + +At the same time, we were trying to make a permanent improvement in +the way above indicated, we were troubled by difficulties, which were +incident to army life at all times. Liquor, of course, would make +trouble for us, and I think I never knew of any stimulant more +demoralizing, in its way, than Louisiana rum. This fiery fluid would +arouse all the furies in a man when it had him under its control. +Gambling was another vice against which we labored with more or less +success. Sometimes, after taps, I would make a raid on some of the men +who were having a quiet little game. When winter came, we had replaced +our worn out tents with shanties built from the materials of +confiscated houses. These would be darkened, and in voices hushed to +the lowest whisper, the men would indulge in their favorite pastime. +On one occasion, I remember that suddenly forcing the door open, I +dropped, most unexpectedly to them, on a small party of gamblers. As I +scooped in the cards and the stakes, one of them remarked that it was +no use to play against the Captain, for he got high, low, jack and the +game. + +In the preparations that were making against Mobile in the winter of +1864-5, we anticipated an opportunity to change our comparatively +inactive life. But General Sherman (T.W.) said he could not spare us +from the important post where we were stationed, and it was with +regret that we were deprived of a share in that brilliant affair which +has been so well described in a former paper. During this winter, the +rebel forces in Western Louisiana, under command of General Kirby +Smith, were comparatively inactive, though raiding parties gave us +occasional trouble. Towards spring they began to move, and attacks on +parties of Union cavalry were not infrequent. Unpleasant rumors of the +capture of the Third Rhode Island Cavalry reached us, but proved to be +unfounded, except that several couriers were taken. Some rebel +prisoners were captured by the scouts, who were encamped near us, but +our freedom from attack, was probably largely due to the inundated +condition of the country. Owing to the neglect of the levees, the +river at its high stage in the spring following broke through the +embankment above and overflowed a large tract of country west of us. A +raid contemplated by the rebels, which would have given us sharp work, +and a force which would have been large enough to annihilate us, +unless in the meanwhile reinforced, were prevented by the condition of +the intervening country, from giving us trouble. + +As an illustration of the disastrous effect of this overflow, I am +tempted to give a brief description of a trip I made through a +portion of the country that suffered in this way. Before the waters +had subsided, I was ordered by Brigadier-General R.A. Cameron, +commanding the district of La Fourche, in which we were located, to +report at his headquarters in Brashear City, for duty on his staff. +Taking a steamer to New Orleans and then the train at Algiers, which +is opposite New Orleans, I proceeded very comfortably to a place +called Terrebonne, where steam travel came to a sudden stop. A +hand-car for a mile or two furnished transportation and then we found +the railroad completely washed away by the flood above named. The +General's quartermaster and myself secured a boat and with a crew of +colored soldiers, we rowed some twelve miles to a place called +Tigerville, on the Alligator bayou. Our route lay over the bed of the +railroad, the track washed to one side of the cut, and a stream of +water several feet deep on top of the bed. The road had been built +through what seemed, most of the way, a primeval wilderness. The rank +growth which skirted both sides of the stream, with no sound to break +the silence, save the measured stroke of the oars, for even the birds +which occasionally flitted across our path, were songless, though of +brilliant plumage; the sight of an occasional moccasin or copperhead +snake coiled on the stump of a tree, and not infrequently of an +alligator sunning himself on a log, were features of a situation that +must be seen to be fully realized. The few small settlements through +which we passed, were drowned out. Some of the houses were nearly +under water and large quantities of debris were afloat on the slowly +moving current. Through the long weary hours of our boat ride, the +sun poured its rays upon us with unmitigated fervor. Reaching +Tigerville, we found an ugly little stern-wheeled boat tied up in +what had been one of the thoroughfares of the village, and which the +quartermaster at once ordered to take us to Brashear City. The +captain of the craft, incidentally remarked that his boiler was in +bad shape and might blow up at any time. The quartermaster was +willing, however, to take the risk, and getting up steam, we were +soon on our way. But with the remark of the captain in my mind, as I +looked at the stagnant bayou with its waters black as ink, and gazed +off upon the interminable swamps on either side, and thought of the +monsters from which it took its name, I concluded that the extreme +bow would be a little the safest place, and taking passage on an +empty water cask I found there, I lighted my pipe and tried to feel +as tranquil as the circumstances above suggested would permit. +Through the winding bayous, we pursued our way and sometime after +dark, we safely reached Brashear City, or that portion of it which +was visible above the waste of waters. Speaking of the bayous, it +would be difficult to give a clear conception of their peculiarities. +Equally strange are the people who inhabit those solitudes. Time +would not permit me to describe the "Cajans"--corruption of +"Acadians,"--descendants of the exiles who early settled the +territory of Louisiana, but who have been driven from their first +places of settlement by those more ambitious and unscrupulous. +Living in isolated communities, with their artless and unambitious +characteristics, their simplicity and exclusiveness, they would +furnish material enough for an elaborate paper. + +Many reminiscences occur to me in connection with my service on +General Cameron's staff, but any attempt to detail them would +transgress the proper limits of a paper. In spite of the surrender of +Lee and Johnston, a show of hostilities was kept up in the +trans-Mississippi department, it being supposed that Jeff Davis was +making his way in that direction to still retain a semblance of power +in a country which had not felt the severest ravages of the war. Upon +his capture, however, the rebel army in western Louisiana, rapidly +crumbled to pieces, and while the rank and file were seeking their +homes, the officers were continually coming in to our headquarters, to +make their peace formally with Uncle Sam. Having occasion to remove +our headquarters from Brashear City, to a place called Thibodaux, +probably not more than fifty miles distant by rail, we were obliged, +by reason of the overflow, to take a steamer and make a circuit of +some four hundred and fifty miles, going up the swift flowing and +extremely crooked, Atchafalaya, much of the way through a very +desolate country, then down the Red River and the Mississippi to +Algiers, and thence, by rail, to our place of destination. On our +journey we had the company of several rebel officers, some of high +rank, who availed themselves of the General's courtesy to reach the +Cresent City. In a few weeks the General was mustered out, and soon +afterwards, I returned to my company, which, with the battalion, had +in the meanwhile, been ordered to Donaldsonville. Among the duties +here assigned to me, was service as Provost Marshal of the Parish, an +office which combined as varied a responsibility as can well be +imagined. In certain civil cases I had, as judge, jury and executioner +of my own decisions, plenty of employment. With an occasional call to +join in matrimonial bonds sundry pairs of hearts that beat as one, I +had much more frequent cause to settle disputes between planters and +employees, where neither party was disposed to meet the other halfway. +Vexatious and varied as my employments were, and anxious as I might +be to do justice, I was liable to be overhauled by headquarters from +misrepresentations made by angry and disappointed suitors. One event +in my administration of the office, caused quite a sensation for the +day. In the presence of a crowd of whites and blacks, I heard a case +in which a colored woman, who had till recently been a slave, was +plaintiff and principal witness, and a white man who was defendant, +and gave judgment in favor of the former. This may seem to you a very +simple matter, but it was evidently no ordinary occurrence in that +place, and I presume this was the first occasion in the experience of +many of the spectators, in which the sworn testimony of a negro was +received as against that of a white person. I seem now to see the +glaring eyes of one indignant southron as he scowled upon the +proceedings with the intensest malignity. It was not difficult to +guess at his opinion of the changed order of things, while to the +colored people, it was evident that the year of jubilee had come at +last. Thus with comparatively tranquil incidents, the summer of 1865 +passed away. Peace with all its attendant blessings, had come. But +disease laid its hands heavily on some of us, and death was not an +infrequent visitor to officers as well as men. From one scourge of +that climate, we were fortunately exempted. Thanks to the thorough +policing, on which our commanding officers insisted, "Yellow Jack," +who in former seasons had been master of the situation, gave us no +trouble. But many of our number, particularly those of us who, during +the summer, were on court-martial or other duty in New Orleans or its +vicinity, had some uncomfortable experiences with the "Break-bone +fever," a species of malarial disease, whose name is sufficiently +indicative. The services of our regiment were sufficiently appreciated +to delay our muster-out till the second of the following October. The +three battalions were consolidated at Carrollton, and a few days after +we embarked for home on the good steamer North Star. Some of our +officers who took passage in the ill-fated Atlanta, lost their lives +by the foundering of that vessel. In the fearful storm, the beginning +of which we felt as we passed the Jersey shore, more than a hundred +vessels were wrecked on the coast, and among the number was the +'Daniel Webster,' which took us from Dutch Island to New Orleans: In +New York we made a parade which was witnessed by crowds of people with +apparently hearty demonstrations of favor. On our return home, we +received a cordial greeting from the authorities, and in a few days +our regiment was disbanded at Portsmouth Grove and ceased to exist +except in history. + +It had endeavored to do its duty, and by those who knew it, I believe +it had been fully appreciated. General Banks complimented it in +orders, and so strict a disciplinarian as General T.W. Sherman, +pronounced it a noble regiment, which, from that source, is no small +praise. But though most of its officers had served in former +organizations during the war, and our lieutenant-colonel was also a +veteran of the Mexican war, and with many of his associates brought to +the discharge of their duties, the advantage of enlarged experience, a +reputation for courage and a high degree of skill, it was not given to +the regiment or its several battalions, to participate in any of those +engagements or campaigns, some of which it has been the pride and +pleasure of comrades here to describe. It was, however, from no +hesitation or unwillingness of theirs. The call was hopefully +expected but disappointedly unheard. Yet, may they not fairly claim to +share in the glory of the result, and to them may not the words of the +poet justly apply,-- + + "They also serve who only stand and wait." + + + + + * * * * * + + +-----------------------------------------------------------+ + | Archaic spelling not corrected in text: | + | | + | statu quo | + | guerilla | + | Atchafalaya | + | | + +-----------------------------------------------------------+ + + * * * * * + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Reminiscences of two years with the +colored troops, by Joshua M. 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