Oxford Times, May 20, 1863
Letter from the 176th Regiment
Hauma, Southern, La. Apr. 26, '63
Friend Times: I have to confess to a decided neglect on my part, in not writing to you until this late day. If you will accept a few lines now, I will try to present to our friends of Chenango some facts relative to us and the country we are in. Perhaps it would be well in the first place, however, to give you a brief of our experience since leaving New York and previous of our occupation of the little village I now address you from.
We left New York Harbor Jan. 17th, in the ship Alice Counce, and had a pleasant trip of two days and a half to Fortress Monroe. We lay at Fortress Monroe ten days, going on shore one afternoon in that time, were transferred to the ship William Woodbury, and on the 29th started out of the harbor for New Orleans. Soon after rounding Cape Hatteras, a heavy gale arose almost dead ahead, which lasted eight or ten days, and drove us eastward into the ocean some six hundred miles. At the end of the eight days we were about as far from N.O. as when we left port.
Soon as the storm had subsided, we unfurled the white canvas and once more pointed our prow toward the warm lands of the "sunny South." We had fair winds and pleasant weather most of the remainder of the voyage. We had it a little rough the night we were off the Florida Reefs, and were becalmed a day or two soon after entering the Gulf of Mexico, also were delayed two or three days at the mouth of the Mississippi, getting over the bay, otherwise we were kindly favored until we reached our destination, which we did, and dropped anchor early in the evening of the 17th day of Feb., with the lights of the "Crescent city" twinkling down the long levees and intersection streets and winding around to the left in half circle until the beautiful night pageant was lost in the distance.
We were detained at New Orleans and kept on board the vessel two days and a half waiting for orders from Gen. Banks. Finally on the morning of the 20th a tug came alongside, threw out her rope and we started up the river for Carrollton, a place 14 miles from the city proper, but a part of its suburbs. But it was not to be our fortune to exchange the hard planks of the vessel's desk for terra firma yet. And if you had ever experienced a voyage of five weeks duration on board a government transport, you could form some idea of our impatience at this continual delay. Two days longer we were doomed to endure that old prison house in which we had been incarcerated for 38 mortal days. But there is an end to all troubles, and so there was to ours. About noon of the 22d, the long wished for order came to "pack knapsacks and be ready to go ashore," and if a military order was obeyed with cheerfulness and executed with alacrity, that one was. Arriving on shore, we were marched about a mile back from the east bank of the river. We pitched our tents and made ourselves as comfortable as possible in our new quarters. I will not go into detail about our accommodations during the voyage. We have, however, one gratifying record to make, to wit: we had no sickness, except sea-sickness, during our confinement of forty days in the old ship's cabin, and to run up the account to the present date, we have not lost, by death, but seven men since the regiment was organized, and there is not another regiment around here with as few sick on their list, as ours.
But to continue: we remained in Carrollton only about a week, when we were ordered to Terrebonne Station, a depot fifty-five miles west of New Orleans, on the railroad called the N.O. Opelousas and Great Western Railroad. This railroad is the grand highway, over which the vast products of Texas were formerly conveyed to market. Gen. Banks has possession of it now as far as Berwick's Bay, eight miles west of N.O.
Our regiment was posted along this railroad by companies, from Bayou Lafourche, another station three miles below Terrebonne, to Berwick's Bay, four companies remaining with ours at Terrebonne. We remained there three weeks, when two companies of us were ordered to Bayou Hamos, within four miles of the Bay, to guard two bridges, one the railroad bridge over that Bayou. The next day after arriving there, Weitzel's Brigade, stationed at the Bay, began falling back to Bayou Boeuf. Soon as his brigade had passed we received orders to follow on, which was accordingly did, and kept on down to our old position, Terrebonne. During all these transitions from place to place, we were fortunate enough to be conveyed by water or railroad. But the moving mania had not subsided yet. We were ordered to remain at Terrebonne two weeks, when our company was ordered to occupy Hauma, where we have been permitted to stay now two weeks.
Hauma is a small town almost entirely deserted by the "aristocracy." What few people there are remaining being mostly poor French people. They have all to take the oath, but they are at heart as disloyal as Jeff Davis himself. All of them, as far as we have seen, have turned a cold shoulder on us, but I believe Hauma goes a little beyond them all. They are respectful towns, coldly respectful, but there is a certain air about them, an unmistakable disdain, that shows plainly "which way the wind blows." It would need only a reverse in the success of our arms, to create an uprising in those portions of La. now occupied by our troops, and then a fearful vengeance would be taken upon companies detached like our own from their regiments and scattered over the country, doing guard duty on plantations and in small villages. They have suffered so terribly from the loss of property, that a hatred is engendered in their bosoms, deep and impenetrable as the root of an oak. Almost every plantation is deserted, and plantations here are measured by the mile. I have been upon one which was three miles long by two wide. This in it prosperity, was manned by two hundred negroes, one hundred mules, from forty to sixty carts, while droves of cattle, horses, hogs and sheep "lived in clover" on its broad, green acres. Add to this the mansion, with its rich furniture and beautiful pleasure grounds almost equaling in splendor and costliness the palace of a king, and you have some idea of the wealth of a plantation in La. And all this has been deserted, the accumulation of years given up in a moment, the owner of millions, reared in luxury, turned a beggar and braving death in the ranks of rebellion. Who can doubt that such men will fight to the death.
All the negroes, as far as we have possession, are now free, but the government has entered into a contract with their former owners (what few are left) that the negroes shall work for them one year for one-twentieth of the year's crops or a fixed monthly compensation, as follows: Mechanics, sugar makers and drivers, three dollars each; able-bodied field men, two dollars; able-bodied field women, house servants and nurses, one dollar.
All that are not otherwise employed, are required to work upon the public works and none capable of labor, will be supported at the public expense in idleness. The negroes employed upon the plantations under the above contract, are to be fed and clothed by their employers. They are to be properly treated and are to maintain a respectful deportment towards their employers, are to work diligently from sunrise until sunset, and at the end of the year will receive their compensation.
Aside from all contracts, however, is a permission given to every negro, to enlist into the army. It seems to be growing more and more into the minds of our loyal people, that the negroes ought to help fight this war. Stern necessity is beginning to open the eyes of men. They see before them means not employed, strong, friendly arms not raised, sober calculations and deep reasonings begin to occupy the minds of our leaders, and, though I am no prophet, I venture to predict that the slaves of the South are yet to form an important element in the crushing out of this rebellion. Take away their slaves and you take away their chief resources. Form them into regiments, properly drilled, armed and officered, and you have a force of an hundred thousand men, accustomed to the Southern climate and acquainted with every pass and bayou of the South. Shall the North reject such an ally, in her present emergency. Some at the north seem to doubt their courage to fight as also their loyalty with arms in their hands, but both have been tested satisfactorily, and from what I have observed of their character and nature since coming here, I could repose perfect confidence in their loyalty, and as to their courage I think they would fight like bulldogs. Setting them free has made them warm friends to the North, and remembering as they do their cruel treatment while in bondage, they cherish a corresponding hatred towards their old masters of the South.
Our company is quartered in the heart of the village, the officers living in the upper part of the town in a fine house richly furnished with confiscated goods taken from different deserted plantations around Hauma. We have good "bunks" to sleep in, with mosquito bars, which we purchased ourselves. We find them indispensable for the mosquitoes are so thick that they would torment us to death without them. We have plenty of fresh beef, (under the confiscation act) have good, soft bread and manage, by purchasing a few eggs and a little butter now and then, to live very comfortable for soldiers.
Butter can be bought here for thirty-five and forty cents per lb, cheese fifty cents, eggs thirty to thirty-five per dozen and milk ten to fifteen cents per quart. Our regiment was paid off about three weeks ago to the first of March, and we expect two months more pay now in a few days. O.E.B.
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