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REBELLION REMINISCENCE8.Written by One Who Participated Inthe Wanc ;e ;h o-a-8-!fiyer-. ore96At this juncture, we were ordered to “put up winter quarters,” and thus prepare to spend the winter of ’63 and ’G4 in New Iberia, La. What we had expected soon came to pass. We finished our quarters and remained in them until Dec. 9th, when we again broke camp, and started toward Berwick bay, passing through Franklin on the second day's march. The evening of the 3rd day’s march, or the 12th of December, we halted at Berwick bay. On the 22nd we crossed the bay, took the cars and started for Algiers, La., where we arrived just after dark. Here we have an exciting time. A majority of the boys had re-enlisted at New Iberia as veterans, and now General Banks has issued orders “that we start for Indiana as veterans, as soon as our quota is full and transportation can be obtained. Others are enlisting every day. On Christmas we drew our old tents, and moved camp. Some are having a jolly time Veteran volunteers are all the go here now.Dec. 26th drew two months’ pay. When some of the boys find they will be transferred to the Eleventh Indiana they re-enlist. Dec. 31st we were mustered out and sworn into the veteran service, for three years more and the remainder of the Twenty-fourth (who are now styled “dead woods”) were transferred to the Eleventh Indiana zouaves. Very cold rainy weather, the ground is frozenhard enough to bear the weight of a horse. This is the coldest weather that has been known here for 28 years, so old settlers say. Half of the Twenty-fourth are in New Orleans all , the time. All roll calls have been dispensed with except those called for at Poydras’s Market and even they ’ place the significant term “hot rolls, when they call for any.We find that entering the veteran I service has saved us quite a trip, forin all probability, ere this, we would have set sail for Texas ,and it would be quite a task to cross the gulf at this season of the year.We also, later in the season, missed N. P. Banks’s celebrated raid upon Dick Taylor’s forces at Alexandria, La. In which he, Banks, attempted to charge the enemy’s line with a long wagon train, loaded with ice and paper collars. Banks managed his forces so adroitly in this campaign that he had his whole army slaughtered by detail, for he never suffered more than one brigade or division to engage the enemy at one time, until General A. J. Smith came on the scene. Banks ordered A. J. to send one brigade. “No, sir, my division all go together; all must be in at the death.” Smith broke Dick Taylor’s lines and gained a permanent victory. Right here we recalled words of Old Hickory Jackson on an important occasion, viz., “By the eternal, we want no more banks.” Jan. 9, 1864. The paymaster arrived, and paid us all on the old enlistment, and $76.00 on the new. We staid here until Jan. 13th, when we crossed the river, and went on board the J. C. Swan. We lay here until the evening of the 16th, raised steam and started for Indiana.Jan. 18th, passed Vicksburg, and on the 23rd landed at Cairo, 111., took the cars and started at 12 p. m., changed cars at Mattoon and next morning at 2 o’clock, on the 25th, arrived at Indianapolis, left the cars, marched to the Soldiers home, and ate breakfast. Then we took up quarters in a large two-story building on Meridian street, in the center of the city. Jan. 26th, marched on a grand parade through the city, down to the Soldiers home, where the ladles of the city had prepared a fine dinner for the Twenty-fourth, Seventeenth and Forty-fourth Indiana veterans. After dinner all marched to the state house and heard Governor O. P. Morton, General Ho-vey and others speak. In short, the V. V’s received much applause.SERGEANT L. B. JESSUP.(To be Continued.)
Newspaper Details
La Porte Weekly Herald
La Porte, Indiana, US
Thu, Aug 25, 1904
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Stuart S.
USA 10 Jun 2019
Other Publications Near La Porte, Indiana
La Porte Weekly Union
La Porte Weekly Herald
