The following letter was written by Manly S. Leiby (1845-1894) to his sister, Anna M. Leiby (1836-1907), the children of James and Elizabeth (Manly) Leiby of Williamsport, Pickaway county, Ohio.

Manly’s letter was written in late May 1864 while serving in Co. K, 114th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). He enlisted in the regiment on 22 August 1862 when he was 18 years old.

The letter informs us of his experience in the Red River Campaign, or the Red River Expedition as it’s sometimes called. The campaign was an offensive by the Union army under the overall command of Gen. Banks designed to cut off the use of Shreveport by Confederates as an outlet for sugar and cotton as well as split the Confederate lines. It was plagued from the start by poor management and planning. Manly places the entire blame on Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand who deserves some but not all the credit for the failed expedition.

See also—1863: Manly S. Leiby to Anna M. Leiby on Spared & Shared 22.

Transcription

Baton Rouge General Hospital
May 27th 1864

Dear Sister Anna,

It is with pleasure I sit down this morning to write you a few lines to inform you that I am well and doing finely. I came here last Sunday morning from Alexandria. I wasn’t sick when I left the regiment but had been on picket the day before and owing to the weather and having nothing to sleep under but my gum blanket, I caught cold and it settled in my legs so I could hardly get around. So they was going to start on the retreat and ordered all that was not able to march to the boat to go that way so of course I was one of the number that had to go.

Well, I will tell you when we got to Alexandria. We arrived there on the 26th of April, disembarked in the evening, and lay on the bank till morning and marched to the front 5 miles west of the above named place. The cavalry were skirmishing with the enemy when we got out there. Our regiment was put out to support the cavalry which held the Rebs in check all day and night. We lay there all night and rested well till morning. Thursday I was detached for picket, went out, and hadn’t been there an hour before the rebs advanced on our cavalry and begun to drive them back. It wasn’t long before Old Gen. McClernand came out to the picket post and seeing what was going on, sent back orders for the Division to move to the front which was done in less than no time and a line of battle formed, then [sent] out a line of skirmishers and skirmished with rebs about half an hour and was ordered to fall back. Fell [back] about 2 miles to a bayou and formed a new line of battle and by that time it was getting dark and the firing ceased and everything seemed calm as if there hadn’t been any fighting going on.

Thursday night we dug a line of rifle pits thinking the enemy would attack us in the morning but in the morn there were no signs of any such thing. We laid there until the 2nd of May when we advanced and [had] a considerably hard fight in which we routed the Rebs and drove them seven miles, capturing a number of prisoners. Our loss was one killed and 4 wounded. This is way we done all the time we were up there until we started on the retreat.

Friday 13th, the Army started from Alexandria & they destroyed the whole city. We were fired into 6 times coming down Red River but didn’t do much harm. They killed one man and wounded one. I don’t see how they missed so many for the boat was crowded with sick men. We run down the Atchafalaya ten miles to Simmesport where the army crossed on a pontoon which were formed by transports. It took from Wednesday until Friday at 4 o’clock to cross all the troops over. We run to the Mississippi river Friday night. I  don’t know what the troops are going to do now. We were entirely surrounded when we started from Alexandria but we cut our way out. The cavalry done the most of the fighting coming down. I think if we [would] have had a good general, we would have whipped the Rebs there. Well, I hope Gen. Grant will be successful.

I will close. Write soon. Love to you and the rest of the family. Compliments to Aunts and Uncles. I am well and will go to the regiment as soon as the doctor will let me. I saw Nelson Norman up above here. He is well. The boys were all well when I left the company. Love and kisses from your affectionately brother—Manly S. Leiby

[to] Sister Anna