Saturday, March 7.
Order came this morning before I was up, to go out with my
regiment as escort and guard to wagon train outside the lines. There reported
to me quite a little force for the expedition, which I disposed of as follows:
In advance I sent a troop of cavalry, McGee's Massachusetts, armed with
carbines and sabres. Next, seven companies of the Forty-ninth Regiment, under
Lieutenant-colonel Sumner. Next, a section of a battery of regulars, Glosson's
Battery, twelve-pounders, rifled. Then came the train of seventy-five wagons,
reaching half a mile. In rear of these, three companies of the Forty-ninth,
under Major Plunkett, as rear guard. The whole command extended nearly a mile.
I rode ahead with the cavalry advance guard. It was quite a pretty little
force. Captain Hodge, Assistant Quartermaster, U. S. A., had immediate charge
of the wagon train. We marched about three miles beyond the outposts, fairly
into the enemy's country. The plantation where we were going for wood, dried
and corded, belonged to a Dr. Laycock. It covers about a thousand acres. He
raises splendid sugar, molasses, and cotton.
Just before we got to the place, the Clay Cut road, which we
were on, turns to the right, and you approach the plantation through a thick
belt of woods by a narrow avenue.
I sent half a dozen troopers up the Clay Cut road half a
mile, to halt and keep on the look out. I sent one company of the Forty-ninth
up the same road quarter of a mile, to support them, give alarm, and resist
attack. I then rode through the woods with the cavalry, and found everything
clear. The house stands in the middle of a large clearing of fifty acres of
perfectly level land, a fine mansion, newer and in better repair than most of
the southern houses I have seen. The owner was on the verandah when we rode up.
He is a professed Union man, has a safeguard from the General, etc. While
waiting for the column to come up, he invited me and the officers who were with
me, two of General Augur's staff, Ben and Dr. Rice, to go in and take some
whiskey.
The others went in; I went on with the cavalry to the other
side of the clearing, where the wood of many years' seasoning was piled. It was
near the sugar-house, which was filled with sugar and molasses. Here I posted
the infantry and artillery, and went with a few of the cavalry to the farther
sides to reconnoitre. An old darkey told me that five rebel cavalry men stopped
him in the morning, a little while before we got there, and asked him if there
had been any Federal pickets there lately. I divided the cavalry into three
parts, guarding the three approaches to the place, and kept one squad with me.
I posted the artillery where it could hold two roads, and let the men rest on
their arms, while the teams were being loaded. This took about an hour and a
half. When we were ready to return, I started the rear guard, now become the
advance, then the teams, then the artillery and infantry, and after they were
well off, I drew in the outposts and videttes and followed with the cavalry. I
dare say the enemy was watching us all the time, but wisely determined not to
molest us. I was rather hoping they would, for I was all prepared for it, and
had a very pretty little force under my command. We got back to camp about four
P. M., after a very pleasant little trip into the country, accomplishing all we
went out for, and returning without loss. The men got their canteens filled
with rich New Orleans syrup, and sugar enough to sweeten their coffee .for many
days.
SOURCE: Francis Winthrop Palfrey, Memoir of William
Francis Bartlett, p. 68-70
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