Category Archives: Red River Expedition

13th Connecticut Infantry, Red River Expedition

1862-64: William Wallace Jones to his Sister

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I would not find an image of William but here is Edwin L. Nickerson of Co. C, 13th Connecticut proudly wearing his newly issued epaulets or “brass kettles.” (Cornwall Historical Society)

The following letters were written by William Wallace Jones (1839-1896) of New Canaan who enlisted in Co. B, 13th Connecticut Infantry. Company B was recruited by Captain Apollos Comstock of New Canaan who travelled the state looking for marksmen to create a company of sharp shooters. He had to give up his test of marksmanship by the middle of December in order to fill out his company.

William was taken prisoner at the Battle of Winchester on 19 September 1864 and later paroled. He mustered out of the regiment on 29 December 1864. In the 1880 US Census, William was still single and enumerated in his father’s home in New Canaan as a 36 year-old carpenter. His parents were John Jones (1801-1891) and Ann Tong (1811-1853).

Letter 1

13th Regiment Connecticut Vols.
Barracks New Haven [corner of Chapel & Hamilton streets]
January 14, 1862

Dear Sister,

I suppose you think it is time you heard from New Haven. I started from Stamford the 6th at 5 o’clock. Got in barracks at 7 Thursday evening. I got a pass till 9:30 o’clock and went to see Sophia Humsted. After some little difficulty, I found the place. Tell doctor’s folks that I am glad that I went. Saturday we received our brass epaulets or brass kettles as some called them, and then we had to sew then on and fix for a dress parade on Monday. Sunday we went to church in the morning and evening. The whole regiment went. They filled the church full.

Well, I suppose you would like to hear of the dress parade we had yesterday. In the morning we had a Battalion Drill. In the afternoon the whole regiment turned out to escort the 1st Connecticut Light Battery through the city to the steamboat. We marched up Chapel Street above the Depot and then turned to the left and marched to the north side of the city when we met the battery which was all equipped except two carriages which had not their guns yet. The other four was brass rifled guns making six in all. We throw the salute and then marched down through the city. In front was an independent company of horse in showa [?] uniforms and presented a splendid appearance. Next the 13th Regiment C. V., then a company of cavalry, and the the 1st Connecticut Light Battery. As we marched through Chapel Street, the side walks was densely crowded. You may form some idea of the appearance we presented when I tell you that our company was in about the middle of the regiment and I could [not] see the head of the column except when they were going up a ridge of ground. Every window was full of people waving their handkerchiefs.

Well, I must bring my letter to a close. I am enjoying good health. Give my love to all the folks. From your brother, — Wm. W. Jones

P. S. write and let me know how you all are and what the folks are doing.

Direct to Wm. W. Jones, Capt. [Apollo] Comstock, S. S. [Sharp Shooters] 13th Regiment, New Haven

Letter 2

[Note: This letter contains a good account of the Red River Expedition in which the 13th Connecticut Infantry participated.]

Camp 13th Regt. Ct. Vols. on the west bank of the Mississippi River
Above St. Francisville, Louisiana
May 25th 1864

Dear Sister,

I received two letter and a Harper’s Weekly the other day from you and Helen. You say you would like o know who is in command of the regiment. C[harles] D. Blinn is Colonel. [Homer B.] Sprague [is] Lieutenant-Colonel. [William E.] Bradley is Captain of our company. We are in the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Army Corps commanded by Gen. Griver. Colonel Mulnor is in command of the brigade.

I have not heard from Haze [Hurlbut C. Hayes] or [Edward C.] Lockwood since leaving Thibodaux. Lockwood went to Napoleonville and Haze [Hayes] to Homer. I received a letter and that Memorandum book while at Alexandria. I wrote two letters. I suppose they were captured by the rebs on Red River. I never received a letter from Helen last winter that you speak of in your letter. I suppose you have heard long before this of our retreat from Alexandria. Our men had to build a dam below the falls on Red River to get the gunboats over. We had some fighting coming down. I wasn’t in it much as I was sick most of the way down. I was quite sick at Simmerport [Simsport] for a day or so. I had to ride some in an ambulance. None of our company got hurt as I know of. Hotchkiss is missing probably taken prisoner. I don’t see as the 13th Army Corps are so badly cut up as you tell for there wasn’t only part of the Corps in the fight.

The rebs only drove us the first day. They had to come to a halt when they came to the 19th Corps. One of our regiment was talking with one of Nims Battery men. He said they only had four men hit in the whole battery and they were in the thickest of the first days fight. When they had orders to retreat, they were mowing the rebs right down with grape and canister. I suppose you hear all sorts of stories from Red River. The men are down on Gen. Banks and I don’t blame them much. He don’t march into enemy’s country and treat them as enemies as Smith an other generals do. He would use half of his army to guard rebel plantations. If I were a reb, I should like him first rate. He would guard my property while the army marched through. I was not in the retreat from Grand Ecore. Some of the boys told me that the 19th Army Corps would put on a guard at the plantations [and] when Smith’s men came by, they burnt the plantation dwellings that the 19th Corps were so careful to guard.

We stayed at Pineville outside Alexandria some 18 days before we left on the Alexandria side of the river. The ground was level while across the river is hilly and we got good spring water. We left Alexandria the 11th. Our Division had the advance. We lay still the 12th three or four miles below Alexandria. Started down the river the 13th. We got where the rebs had the river blockaded in two days march and camped for the night. The next morning we marched through woods, crossed a small bayou, and came out on an open prairie. In the afternoon, formed in line of battle and rested some half hour and then moved on till near night. Reached a small village [where we] thought we were going to camp for the night. We suffered some for the want of water. We had orders to fall in and our brigade started with a battery on the double quick through the village over a mile to where our cavalry was fighting the rebs. I don’t see how I double quicked it as far as I did as I had been unwell all day. Our cavalry and the rebs were firing at one another. It was so dark and dusty we could only see the flash of the guns. When our brigade got there, our cavalry gave the three cheers and firing soon closed. I did not get on the ground as quick as the brigade.

The next morning I with another man went back with some canteens to the village after water [and] filled our canteens out of a cistern. I never had water taste so good in a long while as that did. When we got back, the brigade had gone. I was glad to find [John W.] Brown left back to help us carry our canteens. I rested a few minutes and then started on. Troops were forming in line of battle all around us and advancing. I was afraid we should not find the boys very soon. I had not eat anything for a day or so and could not go but a little ways at once with the load I had to carry. There was some artillery firing ahead for a little while in the morning. Brown finally saw that I could not keep up so he took my canteen and went on. I could go a little further after getting rid of three canteens. I traveled as far as I could that day and lay down by the side of a fence and slept till morning. I started at sunrise and got up to the regiment that morning. I made up my mind that hospitals are a very nice thing but one can’t go there without he is most dead. I told the doctor I could not walk much further. He put my gun and equipment in an ambulance. The boys in our company wanted me to go on Ephraim’s horse and ride. I told them I did not feel strong enough to hold on to him. I did though and we soon reached Simmerport [Simsport].

The next day they had to cart me in an ambulance. We lay around there two or three days. I got better and marched most of the way down here. Colonel Sprague carried my rifle one day. Now I am getting better. I am glad I have not got to go through what I have been again. We have got good river water to drink and use. I hope you will not send any medicine. It will be perfectly useless. I don’t know what to do with silk if it was thread. I should have some use for it. The best medicine I have found for the diarrhea is sweet gum. We can get plenty of it here. I don’t know how long we shall stay here. I hope till I get entirely well. I suppose the troops will be posted along the river. I don’t think we have been very badly defeated yet. The rebs have lost two or three men to our one. We lost some of our baggage train and I think Banks would do a good thing to burn some of the rest. We have got baggage wagons enough now to whip out any army.

Give my respects to all—yourself as well. I am much obliged to Helen for that paper. — William W. Jones

To Miss Mary F. Jones

114th Ohio Infantry, Red River Expedition

1864: Manly S. Leiby to Anna M. Leiby

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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

Red River Expedition, USS Black Hawk

1864: Kidder Randolph Breese to Unknown

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Kidder Randolph Breese in his midshipman’s uniform (1850s)

This letter was written by the commander of USS Black Hawk, Commander Kidder Randolph Breese (1831-1881). Breese began his naval career as a midshipman in 1846 aboard the US Sloop of War Saratoga during the War with Mexico. He participated in Admiral Perry’s expedition to Japan and then several trips to other foreign ports. When the Civil War began, he was serving aboard the San Jacinto, the ship that stopped the British steamship carrying Mason and Slidell (see Trent Affair). He then helped capture New Orleans and served with Rear Admiral David Porter on the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Coast.

Commander Breese wrote this letter from Alexandria, Louisiana, while on the Red River Expedition. That expedition was a failure as the annual rise in the Red River failed to materialize that year making it impossible for the Union’s heavy gunboats to pass over the rapids in the river. Breese’s letter refers to the battles of Sabine Crossroads and Pleasant Hill which were fought on 8 and 9 April 1864. The battles convinced Banks that his campaign against Shreveport should be abandoned. Though the battle of Pleasant Hill may have been a Northern victory, the retreat to Grand Ecore was a strategic defeat. In less than a week, the USS Black Hawk would be ordered to “Get out of the [Red] River whilst there is a chance.”

Transcription

Mississippi Squadron
U. S. Ship Black Hawk
Alexandria, Louisiana
April 10, 1864

Dear Sir,

General [Carvier] Grover has received instructions tonight to take his whole force to Loggy Bayou leaving here only enough force for police but as he is to move by transports and they now are not to be had, I can’t tell when he will start. Phelps gave me the news of the defeat of the Army. General Stone’s two dispatches to General Grover say 1st, the enemy attacked us at Pleasant Hill and were signally repulsed with loss of many killed and prisoners. This is all he knows about it. 2nd. Bring up immediately all your force to Loggy Bayou. I told him all the rumors &c. and I judge he is about of the same opinion of General Banks as the rest of us.

Nothing new here. No signs of the [pump-boat] Champion yet. River falling slowly. The Mississippi has fallen eight feet but is now rising again which I hope will check the fall in this. I shall send up the Champion immediately on her arrival; if you do not want her, please inform me as Mr. Tennyson thinks there is no doubt but what she can raise the Woodford in a very short time. Shall I keep a barge of coal here all the time—that is, when the one here is gone? Shall I send the Price for another? I wrote to [ ] that he must hurry coal down here—that there were but six barges at the mouth and if the river should rise suddenly that won’t last long. I also told him that he wouldn’t see any of the town boats except the Ike Hammett & Wilson and that he might make his arrangements accordingly and also begged him not to send any more provisions down for at least a month.

Give my kindest regards to all with you and believe me respectfully yours, — K. R. Breese, In command.