Isaac Winslow Case

Friday.

Started at 6 a.m. & after marching a mile were ordered to put two men with each wagon, & having thus “deployed” our Company, Lt. J., Capt. Wood, & myself got on a baggage wagon, & “took it easy.”

The plantation where we camped is the largest we have seen, having immense fields of corn & cane growing, all of which is growing well, the negroes having remained till now on the place; but this morning, they are joining in the “Exodous,” leaving home for they know not where.  There are said to be more than 200 teams loaded with negroes in our train, & nearly 100 Army wagons.  Many of the negroes, male & female, are on foot, & there are constant acquisitions, making to the train.

Stopped at noon in a beautiful oak grove on the border of the Teche, & cooked dinner.  Here for the first time a party was detailed to drive in cattle to be slaughtered for rations, a thing that ought to have been done all along.  The Col. being unable to ride on horseback on account of a fall yesterday, gave up his horse to me for the afternoon, Lt. J. starting with his little mare.  The Quartermaster states that there are now 400 wagons in the train, which must be near 4 miles long.  The ride across the prairie this afternoon was a delightful one, & I was even better pleased with the Country than with that on the march up.  Halted about 5 o’clock, & the fresh meat—beef & mutton—coming in early, the men had ample time to cook a good supper.   Slept finely on the ground.  Heard heavy guns in the night in what we supposed to be the direction of Port Hudson.

Diary of Isaac Winslow Case [Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection]

Thursday.  Went into the Hospital where the wounded rebel prisoners are.  Found most of them doing well & pretty cheerful.  The ladies of the place attend them constantly, & provide many comforts for them which add greatly to their happiness.  Most of those I saw looked like intelligent men, and they are apparently among the better class of Southern soldiers.  10 o’clock A.M.  Orders have just come to cook 1 day’s ration of beef, & take that, with 1 day’s ration of raw pork and two of hard bread, & get ready to move as soon as possible.  It is supposed we are to go up the Bayou by Steamer to New Iberia.  Got away—not by Steamer, but afoot—about 2 P.M.  Marched about 9 miles to a place on the bayou called “Indian Bend.”  Reached there about dusk.  Made coffee, ate supper, & camped down.   The men nearly all slept on the ground without their tents.  Self & Lieuts. slept on the floor in a house with the Field Officers & some others.

Diary of Isaac Winslow Case [Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection

Wednesday.  No beef has yet arrived for the Regt., & only pork & bread enough are on hand for the day, so at present two days cooked rations are out of the question.  Sent for storage the box of Co. cooking utensils & my large mattress, so that we now have nothing on hand but what we are to take with us when we march.  A small mail arrived from N.O. bringing Northern dates of the 26th of March, but there was nothing for me from home.  Rec’d notice from the Marine Hospital, New Orleans, of the death there, on the 27th of March, of Stephen S. Buzzell, of consumption, & of the discharge from service of Albert Brown, on the same date, on surgeon’s certificate of disability.

Diary of Isaac Winslow Case [Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection]