[Louisiana] Thursday. A very cold raw day—have found it hard to keep comfortable in the tent, even with our little cooking stove. Finished my Ordnance Return. In afternoon there was a short Batt[alion] Drill—our Co. out with the Lieuts.
This evening a small mail arrived—but there was no letter for either of us Officers. The letters for our Co. were nearly a month old—few of them having been mailed later than the 8th of Jan. There must be another mail soon, I think. Poor John Loud gets sad news—the death of his mother. He is one of the best of boys, stead, moral & amiable, & had a very warm affection for his mother, who is spoken of as having been worthy of his deepest love. I remember seeing her for a moment as the cars were moving out of the depot at Newport—had a few words with her & her husband, & as we moved away, her last words to me were, “Take good care of Johnnie—he is a good boy.”
May the loss be the means of bringing him to the Savior, & may he find him a present help in his affliction.