John Lester Barstow to Laura
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I have again an opportunity to send you a few lines, and as I do
not know how long it may be before I can do so again I
gladly improve the chance, though I wish, and wish, a
hundred times a day that I was where I could talk with you instead of writing. We have
been up the Red River within about 30 miles of Natchitoches,
but the rebels run on their horses, faster than we could go
on foot so we did nothing but take a few prisoners and a
great deal of cotton. After getting 18 miles from here, we
came upon. The piney woods, as they are called here - the
pine is hard pine. The soil sandy & abounding in springs
- most of them warm, and having a strong taste
of
sulphur - The piney woods are said to be over 300 miles long
and 50 broad - perfectly barren of anything but pine and
scrub oak - Even the snakes do not live in them - but they
abound every where else - night before last I found one
crawling over my face. I threw him off but did not trouble
myself to strike a light to find out whiter it was a
moccasan or not last night my Lieut want day another close
by our shanty of rails just before we went to bed.
Rattlesnakes are very common
- We are resting here one day - & to-morrow morning at
4-o-clock we start for the month of Red River to co-operate
with Gen-Grant in the reduction of Port Hudson or Vicksburch
- what part in this great operation, we may be called on to
take, I do not know - as we were in the front, when we
advanced on the enemy - we shall now be in the
rear to protect the main body in thier retrogade movement
for as soon as the rebels find we are leaving they will
follow us up, with thier cavalry and harass us all they can
- though it will not amount to much, it will make us a great
deal of Extra work I suppose there must be some excitement
at the North about the draft, that I suppose is coming off
in a few months We have heard that we should have men enough
to fill our Regiment about the 1st of
August. Please write me what is said & thought about the
Draft in Shelburn How are any times in a day do I think of
you & Freddie, & wish I was with you and then again
as we are passing by the mansion of some planter. I wish you
could be with me to see the sight Which at the North would
be strange and novel - but here is of every day occurrence
The nigroes came rushing out to welcome
us while
the family look on in fear and silence. I do not know of any
garden or grounds in Burlington that can compare with those
around these country residences it is just in season for
nearly all kinds of flowers and the quantity and variety of
them is past computation - on place I particularly noticed
where the fence on each side of the
road for over two miles, was a hedge of
swetbrier roses over 15 feet high - in full bloom - nothing
but white flowers could be seen from top to bottom. In the
garden the flowers are of the rarest kinds - Feilds of corn,
which is now about 5 feet high, stretch out on each side of
the bayons, many of them have 500
acres in a feild, one on Gov. Moores plantation had 1100
acres 0 there is very little else planted, the rebels being
afraid of Starvation - they have plenty of corn meal fresh
beef, pork, & chickens, but not much else - at first
thought you may think that that was enough for any body
but if you were diprived of salt, pepper,
coffe, tea, pins, paper, ink candles &c &c you would
soon think if a hard case - they have fallow & hard but
no alum or other hardning substance and so can make no
candle
- Warm weather is coming on, and already the weather in the
middle of the day is very oppressive - some cases of sun
stroke have already occurred - threr I think have died in
our brigade - the most tragic events pass here almost
unnoticed - Yesterday morning a man drew his gun to his
shoulder and shot one of his best friends dead - they were
not more than 3 feet apart, and never nohad had the least trouble but
the murderer had shown signs of insanity for a few days and
is now confined as a lunatic I stood
about 5 rods from them
160th N. Y. Regt.
last week one of our Surgeons found a small
bottle
labelled "Quinim" and supposing it to be such, he deact it
out to the sickmen, and killed 5 of them before he found
that it was poisoned.
My own health is good and I endure as much as any one and ardently hope that we may take Port Hudson & Vicksburgh - after which I shall consider that I have done my duty to my country & try to get home and keep trying
- I am expecting another Letter from you every day, [and hope to hear that your health continues to inprove I worry about it a great deal, but am sure you must be nearly or quite well before this time. I think you done very well in letting Ind. Van Sicklen have your money, although I am not much acquainted with the ruler, or solvency of the Bank - Please write often] Why dont you write something about Freddie. I suppose he has changed from the fitenss I have of him. Give my Love to all your folks, and believe me my dear Laura.
as ever Your most affectionate
HusbandJ. L. Barstow