30th Illinois soldier writes from Decatur, AL – May 27, 1864

Lt. David W. Poak of the 30th Illinois Volunteer Infantry was at Forts Henry and Donaldson, Corinth, Vicksburg, Atlanta Campaign , March to the Sea, and the Carolina Campaign . He was awarded a 17th Corps Medal of Honor for the Battle of Atlanta when he was conspicuous in Rallying his men, advancing to the front, encouraging his men,firing muskets rapidly at the enemy, and by his service and gallant example materially assisting in bringing his regiment again into action.

HdQrs 30th Ill Infy
Decatur,Ala.

May.27th,1864

Dear Sister Sadie,

I take my pen to drop you a few hasty lines. We arrived at this place yesterday or last night rather and march again this morning . We are on our way to Rome Georgia . Do  not know what time we will arrive there . Weather beautiful and men in excellent condition for campaigning . Our force consists of the 3rd and 4″ Divisions of our corps under command of Maj. Gen. Blair. I suppose you will not hear from me again until we reach Rome as there will be no communication open to the rear. Excuse this hastily written note as I have but a moment until our march. I recd’ a letter from Emma last night. Will answer it at my earliest oppertunity.

Your brother,D W.Poak

/P.S. Enclosed please find Photo of E. Runsen, Private Close “A” Co. and myself. How do you like mine? Sadie I think you ought to answer those letters right away I thought you could answer these letters right away I thought you could answaer them more satisfactory  I answered one I would have sent those letters sooner but did not know where to Direct untill Olive got a letter from your aunt Mary Poak

The Wallace-Taylor boys of Southwestern Indiana (Gibson and Vanderburg counties)

This article is about blood-relatives on Lori’s side of the family.

Fighting for the Blue: The Wallace-Taylor Boys (circa 1860) of
Gibson and Vanderburg Counties (Indiana)

Most hailed from Gibson County, Indiana. A few would call Vanderburg County home. Many were brothers. If they weren’t brothers, they were first-cousins. All forty-two of them were grandsons (or married to granddaughters) of John Wallace (b. 1782) and Francis Jane Taylor (b. 1787). Young men, and some just plain boys, like Eli Daniel Bryant, Patterson Witherspoon Wallace, Abraham Gudgel, Solomon Reavis and Thomas Jefferson Williams. Sixteen of the young men had the last name of Wallace. The Wallace-Taylor clan was of typical spirit that was passed down from the earliest pioneers of Gibson County, Indiana:

“The early settlers of Gibson County were principally from the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. They were a hardy and sturdy people, who possessed more intelligence and piety than usual for new settlers, and the moral tone of their influence and example has left impress on their descendants.”
The Pictorial Story of America. Part Three – Gibson County. 1895: page four.

What of the name Wallace and the patriarch John? John Wallace (b. 1782) became the first American-born Wallace descended from Arthur Wallace (b. 1730) in Longford (78). Ireland. John was the youngest of five sons. The Wallace family was apparently rooted in the faith of the Covenanters (72). The Covenanters were a Protestant group that had experienced nearly a century of persecution from French Catholics in Scotland. As a result, many Scotland Covenanters immigrated to Ireland and the American colonies in the 1600 and 1700s. Arthur Wallace came over to Maryland from Ireland in the late 1700s.

John Wallace (1782 – 1855) married Frances Jane Taylor (1787-1856) in August of 1804 in Jefferson, KY. Frances Jane was the daughter of Captain Edmund Taylor (b. 1744) and Sarah Stubbs, of Orange County, Virginia. Edmund (1) was one of at least eight brothers, all whom faithfully served in the Revolutionary War and were handsomely rewarded with generous land grants after the War. Edmund and Sarah gave birth to Frances Jane Taylor (73) in 1787.

When the Wallace’s married in 1804 the Louisiana Purchase had been signed one year earlier, Thomas Jefferson was President, Lewis and Clark were just beginning their famed expedition, and Indiana was still part of the Northwest Territory and would not become a State until 1816.

When John Wallace and Frances Jane Taylor married (circa 1804), two family lines merged from distinct, noble and patriotic heritages. The Wallaces moved to Ohio County, Ky, shortly after they were married where John engaged in milling in Rough Creek (69). He did well in milling but eventually decided to leave Kentucky because of the presence and support of slavery.

In 1829 they moved to Gibson County, settling in a place known as King’s Station (70) for several years until they located on the canal below Francisco. John (74) was a Whig and a Republican. John experienced success as a ‘botanic doctor’ though his main occupation was that of a farmer. When they moved to Gibson County they brought with them eleven children; six sons and five daughters (76). John and Frances found a home in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Gibson County.

When the Wallace’s moved to Gibson County (75) in 1829 the locomotive had just been invented by George Stephenson in England, Andrew Jackson had just been elected President, and Harriet Tubman was just nine years old. The nation was just thirty-two years away (circa 1861) from facing the crisis of secession. They both died within one year of one another in the mid 1850’s, thus John and Frances did not live long enough to watch their numerous grandchildren go off to war in the early 1860’s. They are both buried in Forsythe Cemetery.

Though grandmother Frances (d. 1856) was not alive when the Civil War broke out, one can only imagine how many times she must have pulled one of her fifty-plus grandsons up on her knee to tell him about their grandfather Captain Edmund Taylor, or one of their great-uncles, who fought valiantly during the Revolutionary War. What is for sure is that Grandmother Frances had a tremendous impact on her family, especially her grandsons. One of her grandsons – Thomas Jefferson Williams – describes his grandmother in a family letter as the “the best and most patient woman who ever lived.” (77) She also probably told her many grandchildren of how they were related to President Zachary Taylor (elected in 1849) since she was first-cousin to President Zachary Taylor.

The decade of the 1850’s was a turbulent decade for the United States. The United States was just coming off a major war with Mexico (1846-1848), President Zachary Taylor died barely one year in office (d. 1850), a stronger Fugitive Slave Act was enacted (1850), Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1851), in 1854 the Kansas-Nebraska Act overturned the Missouri Compromise of 1820 allowing Kansans and Nebraskans to determine if their respective states would be free or slave states, the Dred-Scott decision of 1857 effectively made slavery legal throughout the United States, John Brown and his followers attempt to seize the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry (1859), and Abraham Lincoln barely won the national election in 1860.

As we all know, the 1860 election split the country between southern Democrats (though there were northern Democrats too) who were pro-slavery and northern Republicans who were by-and-large against the ‘peculiar institution’. In December of 1860 South Carolina issued an Ordinance of Secession. Several other southern states shortly followed the lead of South Carolina.

In the spring of 1861 Abraham Lincoln had a difficult decision to make. If he were to re-supply the Federal fortifications at Sumter, S.C., the newly formed Confederate States of America, led by President Jefferson Davis, would take this as an ‘act of War’. Well, Lincoln attempted to re-supply Ft. Sumter and 67-year old Edmund Ruffin, and southern sympathizer, is popularly credited with firing the first short of the Civil War at 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861. Within twenty-four hours Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to quell the rebellion. Most northerners believed the rebellion would be put down within 90 days.

As the rebellion was nearing its 90^th day the nation saw the first major Battle at Manassas, VA on July 21^st 1861. Over 60,000 total forces were engaged that hot summer day near Fairfax Courthouse. A little known general by the name of Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson would save the day as he and his Virginia brigade stood like a stonewall. The Union Army, 28,000 strong, was shattered. The embarrassing defeat under Union Gen. McDowell convinced the Lincoln administration that the was going to be a potentially long engagement. On August 16, 1861, Abraham Lincoln officially declared the southern states in rebellion. Lincoln had issued a second call for volunteers on July 2^nd – this time for 300,000 eligible fighting men – and on August 6^th he issued another call for 300,000 more men.

The August ‘61 call for volunteers resulted in ‘war fever’ sweeping across the entire country, and the young boys and men of Gibson County, Indiana caught it too. Within four days of the August 16^th call for volunteers three of the Wallace Taylor-boys enlisted. Brothers James Henry and David H. Wallace donned the blue uniform on August 20, 1861, mustering in to Company A of the Indiana First Cavalry (also known as the 28^th Indiana Infantry). Their first cousin, Theophilus Alanzo Wallace also mustered in to Company A, 1^st Cav. The first three Wallace-Taylor boys were from Vanderburg County.

On November 12^th (1861) alone, sixteen Wallace-Taylor boys roused to patriotism and enlisted to take up arms on behalf of the Union by representing Gibson County, Indiana. The fall of 1861 would see a total of twenty-four Wallace-Taylor boys putting on the blue on behalf of the Hoosier State. Most of the boys were either from Francisco (68) or Princeton, Indiana. Other places listed as residences at the time of enlistment include Oakland City, Owensville, and Newville.

Gibson County would provide as many as 2,100 boys to fight for the Union during the Civil War (66). “Gibson County not only gave her best and noblest blood, but also subscribed liberally her money and other means necessary to carry on a great war (67).” The county offered a total bounty to support the war effort that exceeded $100,000.00.

The Wallace-Taylor boys were mostly just that – boys becoming men in 1861. The average age at enlistment was barely twenty years of age for these boys. One of the boys, Henry Lafayette Wallace (2) was just thirteen years old when he enlisted with Company F, 44^th Indiana. Henry would see action at Perryville, Shiloh, Corinth, Stones River, and Chickamauga. He survived the war. Twenty-one of the Wallace-Taylor boys served in the 58^th Indiana Infantry, thirteen of whom served in Company A. That means that about 15-20% of the soldiers who fought in Company A of the 58^th were Wallace-Taylor boys. The 58^th Indiana saw action at Corinth, Stone’s River, Chickamauga and Chattanooga. In April 1864 they were assigned to the Engineer Dept and took charge of all pontoon trains for Sherman’s famous March to the Sea.

In all, the forty-plus Wallace-Taylor boys would serve in ten different Civil War regiments: Indiana and Kentucky. A regiment was roughly composed of 7-10 companies, usually around 1,000 men total (3). At the time of enlistment the ranks of the Wallace-Taylor boys ranged from Private, Corporal, Quarter Master Sergeant, a Musician, to pontoon builders. Most would live to see the end of the war but four of the Wallace-Taylor boys were not quite so fortunate. Indeed, three (4) of them would fall at Stone’s River in Murfreesboro, Tennesee, in January of 1863: David L. Bryant, Isaac Witherspoon, and Joseph Reavis of Princeton. The average time of enlistment was 30 months for those who survived the war, and 90% did.

The Wallace-Taylor boys enlisted together, drilled in camp together, fought together, worshipped together, and sadly, died together. Seven different Regiments with Wallace-Taylor boys would fight together during the Atlanta Campaign in 1864, six different Regiments at Franklin, TN (November 30, 1864), and four different Regiments at Shiloh, Perryville, Chickamauga and Chattanooga. Six brothers served together in the 28^th Infantry (1^st Indiana Cavalry), three of them, teenagers, served together (5) in Company A. Altogether, the Wallace-Taylor boys fought in over ten major Civil War conflicts, shedding patriotic Hoosier blood in seven states, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Atlanta, Illinois, Arkansas, Alabama, and North Carolina. The Volunteer state of Tennessee would absorb most of the Wallace-Taylor blood.

One of the boys, William Witherspoon, Company A, 58^th Indiana Infantry, was wounded at Lavergne, TN on December 27, 1862. His chaplain – John J. Hight – describes the situation as follows:

He was “taken with a series of severe convulsions. He was wounded in the charge of his company on Lavergne . . . having been struck on the top of the head by a ball [a mini ball or bullet]. For a long time he has been well and hearty, but I have no doubt his present affliction is a result of the injury received in that battle.” (79).

Gibson and Vanderburg Counties, the state of Indiana, and the United States of America owe much to these brave young Wallace-Taylor boys who fought to preserve our great Union during the Civil War. As mentioned earlier, twenty-one of the Wallace-Taylor boys fought in the 58^th Indiana. The Chaplain of the 58^th, John J. Hight wrote this poetic, albeit romantic description of the “bold soldier boy” whom he compiled in his mind’s eye by watching the boys who fought for the 58^th. He mentions many of the Wallace-Taylor boys in his history (71) of the 58^th.

“Oh, the wild, glorious, roving life of a bold soldier boy! With all thy faults, I love thee still. How pleasant the sweet consciousness that God gives to him that he fights in a good cause. His soul is unfettered by the trammels of civilized life. Does he desire to worship? Where he is is church. Does he wish for sleep? He says with Tecumseh, ‘The earth is my mother, I will repose on her bosom.’ No pent up Utica contracts his powers; he travels far and near, seeing many lands. He sails on the ocean, steams on the river, rattles on the cars, trudges on the mud road, and climbs the cold mountains. He bares his breast to the storm and says, ‘Thou art my brother.’ The gentle rains fall upon his brow, and he welcomes them as a mother’s kiss. He would not exchange the cooling draught of water from the sparkling fountain for all the drinks of the most fashionable saloon. His fare is rough, but then his appetite is good, and he has not sickened over dainties. He lives a life of toil, but his muscles are strong and his heart is brave. He exists amid dangers, but he heeds them not, for the smiles of the fair, the prayers of the good, and the hopes of the oppressed cheer him on. When he stands in battle, his soul sinks not in fear, for above him is the flag of the free, and beneath him the soul he would lie, rather than yield to tyrants. The canon’s deadly roar, the crash of arms, the shout of the charge is his music. If victory comes, his soul is filled with indescribable joy. If he fails, full well he knows, ‘Whether on the scaffold high, — or in the battle’s van, — The noblest places for man to die – Is where he dies for man.’ If he perish, true hearted comrades will dig his grave. ‘No useless coffin will enclose his form; he will lay like a warrior, taking his rest, with his martial cloak around him.’ Why need he dread death? Is not the grave the common receptacle of the young, the beautiful, the beloved? Let not the brave then fear to die. His memory shall be cherished by those who love him. The mighty deeds in ‘which he bore an humble part shall live in the traditions of a thousand generations’.

Notes:

(1) Edmund was son of Col. George Taylor (1711-1792). George’s father (Edmund’s grandfather) was James Taylor, II (1674-1728). Edmund Taylor’s great grandfather was James Taylor I (b. 1635) who was originally from Northumberland, Carlisle, England; but who emigrated to Virginia in 1650. James was a lawyer and wealthy landowner in the colony of Virginia.

(2) Henry Lafayette Wallace was barely thirteen years old when he enlisted with the 44^th Indiana Infantry.

(3) Indiana Regiments: 28^th In (1^st Cav), 33^rd, 42^nd, 44^th, 58^th, 65^th, 80^th, 120^th , 125^th (10^th Cav) and the 143^rd. Kentucky Regiments included: 17^th, 28^th and 48^th.

(4) Killed at Stone’s River were: Joseph Reavis, David L. Bryant and Isaac Witherspoon. Charles F. Wallace was killed at Tuscumbia, Alabama. A Robert L. Wallace is listed by Hight (p. 184) of Company B, 58^th Indiana as killed in action. However, to date, this author has not found a connection of Robert L. to the Wallace-Taylor boys.

(5) Theophilus A., Giles Smith and Lemuel Brazzle served in Company A of the 1^st IN Cavalry. Their respective ages were 16, 17 and 18.

(66) The Pictorial Story of America. Part Three – Gibson County. 1895: page 10.

(67) The Pictorial Story of America. Part Three – Gibson County. 1895: page 10.

(68) Francisco: “was platted and laid out in January 1851, by John Perkins. It is on the line of the old Wabash & Erie canal, and during the time that canal was in operation the town was very flourishing. It is now [ circa 1895] a thrifty little village of about 500 people.” The Pictorial Story of America. Part Three – Gibson County. 1895: page 14.

(69) History of Gibson County, 1884: page 211.

(70) King’s Station, “on the line of the E. & T. H. R. R. The family lived there for a number of years, then moved to a timbered tract of land on the canal below Francisco,’ where they built another farm. In 1855 John moved to Section 23, Township 2 South, Range 9, where he resided until his death.

History of Gibson County, 1884: page 211.

(71) Hight’s History of the 58^th Indiana Volunteers. Stormont, 1895.

(72) The Covenanters: “The Covenanter’s stand for political and religious liberty led to almost a century of persecution and their widespread migration to Ireland and the American colonies. Their struggles brought an end to 500 years of French (Catholic) influence in Scotland and contributed to a close alliance with England. And their refusal to acquiesce in the face of overwhelming odds eventually led to the union of the thrones of Scotland and England in 1603 and over time, the invitation to the Protestant William of Orange to take the throne in 1690. This move ultimately led to the political Act of Union in 1707 between Scotland and England.” http://www.tartans.com/articles/covmain.html

(73) Frances Jane Taylor Wallace is buried in Forsythe Cemetery. She died October 3, 1856.

(74) John Wallace October 4, 1855 and is also buried in Forsythe Cemetery.

(75) The county of Gibson was formed in 1813. What is now Gibson County was originally part of Knox County. Gibson County derives its name from Gen. John Gibson, a solier who serve din the French and Indiana War as well as the Revolutionary war.

(76) The Wallace-Taylor line can be viewed here: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~bryajw/wallace/pafg03.htm

(77) Family letter written by Thomas Jefferson Williams (1845-1935), in possession of Mrs. William Redding of Pendleton, Indiana.

(78) John’s father, Robert, was born in Longford too (b. 1756).

(79) Hight, p. 159.

The Wallace-Taylor line can be viewed here: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~bryajw/wallace/pafg03.htm

To learn more about Gibson County: http://www.tristate-media.com/pdclarion/gibson_county

4th KY Cav (US) soldier writes May 19th, 1862, from Wartrace, TN

Wartrace Tenn
May 19, 1862

Dear Wife,

I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am tolerable well at present and hope these few lines may find you and the children and all the rest well. I have not heard from you since I wrote my last letter although I have been anxiously watching the mail. It appears to be a month between times that I hear from you. I try to write once a week but sometimes I do not get time to write when I am in the notion. We are still at this place yet and doing nothing except scouting once every day or two. Everything appears to be at a standstill waiting for the fight at Corinth which will take place in a few days I think. And everybody thinks that will be the winding up of the war and I hope it may for I would feel proud to be at home once more with you and the children. I don’t know whether I will get home any more until it is over without it lasts until next winter. Our boys that were wounded in that are doing very well except Wm. Smith, he is right sick yet. One of them, Henry Rose, has come back to the regiment today. He was shot in the arm as he was carry the colors and another shot struck the staff of the flag just above his head. Wm. Atcher and two others that were wounded have got a discharge and will go home in a few days. There has been some of the hottest weather that ever I saw in May. I don’t know whether it has been so everywhere or not but it has been scorching down here until yesterday it turned a little cooler. I don’t know when we will leave this place. Some say we will leave in a few days and others think we will stay until the war is over or until fall. I want you to write as often as possible and manage the best you can. Take good care of them sweet little children & especially the baby and if I never get back there is One who is able to protect you and I pray to Him to do it. Tell Mother and Father and the children that I would be glad to see them and that they must write to me and tell John & Kitty they might drop a few lines to Jo & me. Jo has been complaining for two or three days but he is getting better all the rest of the Hardin boys. Well, there is not much sickness in the Regiment and all that is just diarrhea. That is about all the sickness that the soldiers have had down this way yet. We hear that Col. Boyles takes command of this reg. again and it causes a great confusion in the regiment. All the captains & lieutenants talk of resigning. The officers & men all thought there was nobody like Col. Smith. He is a nephew of old Henry Clay. I expect father has met him. He is from Bourbon County, Ky. I must bring my letter to close. So nothing more at present but remaining your affectionate husband until death.

A. A. Harrison

*********

Absolom A. Harrison
Company D, 4th Regiment, Kentucky Calvary Volunteers (Union)

A. A. Harrison sent the following letters to his wife Susan Allstun Harrison. Susan’s grandmother was Nancy Lincoln Brumfield, Thomas Lincoln’s sister and President Abraham Lincoln’s aunt.

These letters were transcribed by A. A.’s great-grandson Ronald A. Harrison who introduces the letters with the following background:

“A. A. Harrison and his brother Jo (Joel) apparently got caught up in a recruiting drive and enlisted in the Fourth Kentucky Calvary, U.S.A., without even going home to tell their wives, Susan and Martha. The first letter appears to be letting Susan know what has become of her husband. The two brothers served honorably for roughly a year. At the end of that time A. A. was medically discharged. At roughly the same time Jo died in a military hospital in Nashville. Only recently has anyone in the family known Jo’s fate.”

Letters found on this web page January 2008.

4th KY Cav (US) soldier writes May 10th, 1862, from Wartrace, TN

Wartrace, Tenn.
May 10th, 1862

Dear Wife,

I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well at present and hope these few lines may find you and the children and all of the rest of the folks well. I rec’d your letter of the 4th of May this evening and was glad to hear that you was getting along so well although it brings the tears every time I get a letter to think that I am so far from you and the children. Yet I think that if I die in the struggle that I will die in a just cause. Our regiment just got in yesterday from Lebanon, Tenn. where they had a desperate fight with a body of rebels under a notorious Ky. robber by the name of Morgan. The rebels were about 800 strong while ours did not amount to more than 600. But our boys whipped them badly, killing seventy odd and took 200 prisoners, 155 horses, 180 stand of arms and chased the balance of them 18 miles. All of the Hardin boys were in the fight except me & John (Vine?) & Wm. Branch & Hugh Patterson. There was one of our company killed and 5 wounded. The one killed was from Spencer Co., Ky. Among the wounded was Wm. C. Smith & Henry Rose both from Hardin. Jo took a splendid pistol in the fight worth about $30. Some of our boys had their clothes shot all to pieces and some had their horses killed under them. Our Col. was shot in the knee. The fight took place about 40 miles from here. When the regiment started the quartermaster could not spare me or I would have went with them. The wagoners had to stay behind too with their teams. There is no chance for me to get into a fight unless the rebels come to our camp to fight which they will hardly do. I don’t know how long we will stay at this place but I don’t think we will leave here for some time yet. I have just now found some use for Masonry. I have got acquainted with several citizens by that means who would do anything in their power for me. Last week there was one, a Secesh too, came and warned that we would be attacked that night and I told the Col. and he had everything prepared for them which they found out some way and did not come. There was another one of our men got poisoned today and will die tonight and we have to be very careful about eating and drinking about here. I would have wrote sooner but I waited for the boys to get back from that fight so I could give the particulars. You must write as soon as you get this and write every week if you can for I am half crazy if I don’t get a letter every week. Take good care of yourself and the children and kiss them all for me. I never go to sleep without thinking of you and them. So nothing more at present but remaining your affectionate husband until death.

A. A. Harrison

*********

Absolom A. Harrison
Company D, 4th Regiment, Kentucky Calvary Volunteers (Union)

A. A. Harrison sent the following letters to his wife Susan Allstun Harrison. Susan’s grandmother was Nancy Lincoln Brumfield, Thomas Lincoln’s sister and President Abraham Lincoln’s aunt.

These letters were transcribed by A. A.’s great-grandson Ronald A. Harrison who introduces the letters with the following background:

“A. A. Harrison and his brother Jo (Joel) apparently got caught up in a recruiting drive and enlisted in the Fourth Kentucky Calvary, U.S.A., without even going home to tell their wives, Susan and Martha. The first letter appears to be letting Susan know what has become of her husband. The two brothers served honorably for roughly a year. At the end of that time A. A. was medically discharged. At roughly the same time Jo died in a military hospital in Nashville. Only recently has anyone in the family known Jo’s fate.”

Letters found on this web page January 2008.

“All things work together for good to them that love God.”

Just days before Stonewall Jackson died, he had this conversation with his aide-de-camp James Power Smith:

“Many would regard them [his injuries] as a great misfortune. I regard them as one of the blessings of my life.”

Smith replied by quoting one of Jackson’s favorite Scriptures, “All things work together for good to them that love God.” “Yes!” Jackson responded. “That’s it! That’s it!”
- As cited in Robertson [1997:744].

11th Wisconsin soldier writes of Red River Campaign

Joseph Minis, Private, Co. H, 11th Wisconsin

Vicksburg

May 6th 1864
Dear father & mother

I now take my pen in hand to write a few lines to you to let you know that I am and in good health at present and hope since I have wrote before for I have no time we have been on a pretty long trip and have just got back you have probly heard of our trip up red river before this time we have ben gone almost three months and when we started we thought we would be back in thirty days well I will give you the most interesting parts of our journey for I cant think of anyhing else to write I cant remember half of it but I can remember that we have been fighting most ever day we was out the first fight we had was at fort derusey but that was not much of a fight we had ten killed and twenty seven wounded then we got on to boats and went up to Alexandria and stoped three or four days then we started for shareveport up the river we was fired into every day and night by the rebs but they did not hurt many of us we went as far as grandecore then banks got whipped so we stayed thare four or five days then started back we had a great time coming back for our corps had to stay in the rear and cover banks retreat so the rebs would attacked us in the morning and we had to fight them all day then banks would be so far ahead that we would have to march all night to catch up with him he kept us a going so far about three weeks while we got so tired we could not do hardly anything then he put the thirteenth and the nineteenth corps in the rear for a while our cavalry had the hardest time of it for they was fighting all the time both night and day they had to do all the scouting thare was to be done they lost .. they said that the sechs in lousiana were the hardest fighting men that they ever had to deal with you could not feare them by shooting into them they would stand until we came right up to them and when they fell back they swould go very slow just as if they hated to and I gues they did about the hardest fight we had with was on the 19th of May they attached us in the morning about nine oclock and fought us all day the sixteenth corps was in first then we went out about eleven oclock to help them then the thirteenth came out about four oclock in the afternoon they fought mostly all with the artillery the cavalry made two charges on the rebs we had about two hundred killed and 97 wounded the rebs don’t know how many they lost we took over three hundred prisoners and when we was going out through the field after we had chase them we went through a piece of wood and the rebels were laying so thick on the groun where out artillery played on them that you could hardly walk through without steping on them that was the last time they attacked us on the other side of the river we from thare to Vicksburg they had moved our camp so we dont know where it is yet we are not going to stay here but two or three days they say we are going to cairo I will write soon.

Joseph Minis who was a private (joined 1863, 18yr) in Co. H., of the 11th Wisconsin. He recounts exploits from Bank’s Red River Campaign, which the 11th Wisconsin was not involved in. Minis served with the 33rd Wisconsin which took part in the Red River Campaign, Minis transfered to the 11th in 1865.

Source: http://www.blog4history.com/?p=241