Saturday. Turned out & got breakfast before daylight, but did not start till after sunrise. I staid behind nearly two hours making a descriptive list of Edwin Young, & writing a letter to secure lodgings & board for him at Brashear City, where he is going. He has never entirely recovered from the sickness he had at Baton Rouge, & now has a chronic diarrhea that is reducing his strength. He might get a discharge if the Medical Director were here, or even our own Surgeons, I think, but nothing can be done as things are. After getting through with Edwin I mounted one of the Chaplain’s horses & rode on in company with him after the Reg. but did not come up with it till we got to Washington—five miles from Opelousas. Here the Reg. turned into the woods but the side of the road & stacked arms. We hear today that Commodore Porter is at Alexandria with a portion of his fleet, & that we hold the place. We are to stop here till the arrival of a large provision train from Barre’s landing on the Atchafalaya 12 miles from here. We are to go to guard the train to Alexandria, about 90 miles from Opelousas. Just before dark we marched through the streets to a fine smooth field in the suburbs & encamped for the night. The officers lodged in a fine house that had been deserted by its late rebel occupant, (Dr. Prescott) & where we found beds & mattresses to lie upon. A well of excellent water was found in the yard & fence rails afforded fuel. Much of the splendid furniture of the house still remained, defaced though, by rude hands. A large lot of valuable books lay scattered about the house, exposed to mutilation & plunder. Had a good night’s sleep & did not turn out till after sunrise.
Diary of Isaac Winslow Case [Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection]