mvanders

Wednesday.  Reveille beat at 3 o’clock this morning.  Turned out & had a warm breakfast of baked beans from the Co.  Commenced the march just before sunrise.  The road for the first two miles was very dusty, but after that we marched across the prairie, & there being a cool north wind blowing we got along very comfortably.  The 114^th N.Y. marched ahead of us, & we halted about 10 o’clock in a fine grove of China trees 10 miles from New Iberia.  Made coffee & ate our dinners & then many of us lay down in the shade & took a nap.  Started about 2 p.m. & marched across the prairie about seven miles further.  Stacked arms before sunset & permission being given to draw fresh meat, the boys soon brought in fresh port, & young pigs enough for all.  Corp. Herrick went out with Houston & got a fine veal calf, but as we had made a supper on fresh port, kept the veal for breakfast.  Lt. J. & Myself camped down in our blankets without any tent & slept well in spite of the fleas that tried their best to keep us awake.

Diary of Isaac Winslow Case [Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection]

Sunday.  Attended Sabbath School at the Methodist church at 9 o’clock.  Only about 20 scholars present.  The teachers all ladies, & no man present but the Superintendant & the preacher.  Just before the close the roll of the School was called, 10 classes & about 50 Scholars’ names on the roll I should judge.  At 10 ½ [a.m.] attended meeting in the same house.  Preaching by the Methodist minister from Rev. 21: 3d & 4^th, subject “Heaven.”  The sermon was written & was a very good one.  The Singing was Congregational—hymns—“There is a land of pure delight”, “Jerusalem my glorious home”–& to conclude “Lord dismiss us with they blessing.”  In the Sabbath School as well as the meeting, the Congregation knelt during prayer—think everyone in the School, Scholars & teachers knelt.  Notice was given that there will be preaching every Sabbath—next Sabbath by the Chaplain.

Diary of Isaac Winslow Case [Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection]

Thursday.  In forenoon finished the case of Theodate Melancon.  The witnesses called by him for the defence really knew little about the matter he was tried for.  Their testimony being introduced chiefly to prove that the prisoner told them he was going to the negro Capt. to get back a couple of horses that the gang had taken from him.  After getting through with the witnesses, he made quite a long statement through the interpreter, asserting that the negroes compelled him to go with them, & that he escaped from them as soon as he could safely.  Two members of the Commission decided him to be guilty of that part of the  Specification that declared him to have unlawfully joined a band of armed negroes with whom he proceeded to St. Martinsville for the purpose of plundering, & as they were on a majority, they sentenced him to “Six months hard labor with a b all & chain attached to his left leg.”  I felt obliged to vote “Not guilty” on both charged & specifications, there appearing to be ground for a very reasonable doubt in regard to his guilt, & I felt bound to give him the benefit of it.

Diary of Isaac Winslow Case [Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection]

Wednesday.  Spent the day as a member of a Military Commission appointed by  Genl. Emory, consisting of Col. Jerrard, self & Capt. Long, of the 52nd Mass.  Maj. Lieber of Gen’l. Emory’s Staff, Judge Advocate.  Engaged all day, trying the case of a creole named Theodate Melancon, who is charged with leading a gang of armed negroes in plundering & outrage on the citizens of St. Martinsville.  Examined a large number of witnesses who all testified that the prisoner was with the gang, which was commanded by a negro named Pierre—that they were all apparently in liquor, & that on being fired upon by the people in the village of St. Martinsville when their leader & another negro was killed, the rest took to flight.  The prisoner was not seen when the gang was fired on, & was arrested on the prairie a mile east of the Bayou while apparently trying to escape.  He was alone, the negroes having fled in other directions.  The witnesses were nearly all French & their testimony had to be interpreted to the Court.  The case was not closed today and from all the testimony thus far, it seems probably that the accused, as he claims to have been, was compelled by the negroes to join them.   Tomorrow is the day of “muster for payment,” but the Col. has decided to omit it.

Diary of Isaac Winslow Case [Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection]