Part 18 of 25 in Civil War Letters of Algernon H. Scribner. The date below is the letter’s historical date; the article retains the collection’s publication date.
Letter transcription
Algernon H. Scribner to David M. Scribner Envelope addressed to Mr. David M. Scribner, Otisfield, Me. Postmark: New Orleans, LA., Mar 30 64
Alexandria, March 27th 1864 Dear Father,
Yours of the 8th received last night and was very glad to hear from you but sorry that you were sick. I am so as to be round have got the shits like thunder and it begins to whittle me down to a peg since I wrote you before I have seen some pretty hard time that is so. [Maine 30th has been involved in the Red River Campaign] I have Marched 172 miles and carried my hump averaging about 17 miles per day we are stoping here two days to rest then we start for some other place. God knows where but I don't it is about 90 miles from here my feet are both blistered sore as the Devil I threw my boots awat on our second days march and took some Brogues. There is about 40,000 soldiers here this place was captured about 10 days ago by our gun boates after about 2 hours fighting there was about twenty thousand rebels here when our boat came up the river but they all skedaddled carrying away every thing and burning what they could not carry they think that we are whiped and about starved out It would astonish you to see the Fleet in the river there's about 15 monitors and 43 Gun Boats and anny quantity of River Boats that are armed with heavy cannon and mortars[.] our rations are sp damed poor that anny body would almost starve rather than eat them[.] on our march 2 or 3 hard breads [hard tack] was all that we could get to eat except some Fresh Beef which Is worse than nothing it gives the boys the Diharea like thin water this morning we got some potatoes and a little pork which tasted as good as anny chicken that I ever eat. I will ask what the trouble was about Annah staying down to Patches I should not trouble them anny more I think[.] I know that I never shall if I get home. They are played out with me that is so you did not write when you was stoping but I suppose you was at Grandfathers tell Grandmam that I should like to be at home and get some Hull Corn this spring but my hull Corn will be Corn Beef we have got some Corn beefs layed down in the mud to keep us out of the Mud and glad to get that I guess that I have written as much as you will want to read as it is not verry plain.
From Algernon H. Scribner Direct to 1st Div. 3 Brigade 30th Me Vet Vols, 19th Army Corps, New Orleans, LA
Source
Transcribed by Jean F. Hankins in 2011 for the Otisfield Historical Society, with permission of owner Hal Ferguson of Otisfield. Original spelling, uncertain readings, and editorial notes are retained.
Read the original transcription (PDF, starting on page 17).