Virgil
Shreveport, LA
July 8th, 1864
My truly dear friend I cannot express the great pleasure I experienced last evening when a package of letters was brought me to find one from you my dear Mrs. Galt, it had been so long since I had heard anything from you. I had almost made up my mind that you never had received the letter I wrote immediately on my arrival in Dixie. I should have written again but to our great distress and grief we heard shortly after I wrote that Dear Willie had died of the Scarlet Fever you wrote me about. We met Colonel Bradford at a dinner party and at the table he said to me “by the way you knew Miss Willie Lyne did you not.” I said yes ??? Have you heard that she is dead? You can imagine how much we were shocked. I said oh you must be mistaken no he said he was sure of it that he had been in Richmond at such a time mentioning about the time of Willie’s sickness. That he had heard of it from various sources. Among them that he had met Mrs. Camp from Norfolk who also told him of it still I cannot believe it and Colonel Bradford became almost angry with me for doubting it at all saying Miss Lyne was just as surely dead as I was surely alive at that minute. Well as you may imagine I scarcely knew what to think however hearing such a thing suggested, even was most distressing and I went directly home + got your letter and read it
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over and over and finally came to the conclusion that she probably had a relapse and had died from that. I cannot tell you when we had heard anything that shook us so much. I had a good cry and the Colonel said he would write to Genl Huger to know about it. That if it was so you would have informed Mrs. Huger and they certainly would know whether or not it was so. He did so the very next morning and when Eustis replied he said he never had heard of it and he thought his mother certainly would have mentioned had anything of the kind happened. So, I feel better satisfied although not easy as long as there was a doubt on the subject and I could think of nothing else but your ??? and could not bear to write to you indeed I was sorry that I had written at all for I know I had said a good deal about her and I was constantly thinking what a trial it would be to you to read those things if it were really so. Well Ben Huger wrote immediately to his mother on the subject and after some six or seven weeks she answered the letter and said tell Col Anderson I met Willie Lyne this morning on the street and she was looking very well indeed it was a great relief to us I assume you and I want to shake Colonel Bradford for giving us such a fright about that time. My dear friend we were in a great state of excitement from the approach of the enemy threatened on all sides and knowing our force to be very small. We naturally felt the most intense anxiety when I passed through Little Rock I knew we were to be beset on all sides for the feds were so confident of success they did not hesitate to tell one their plans and the result proved they had
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told some the trick which was to approach Shreveport by three columns one under Genl Banks by way of the ??? a large fleet to come up Red River under Porter and another column under Genl Steele from Little Rock. With all of this in anticipation as you may imagine I did not consider my stay here a permanent one by any means and look with perfect horror on the plan of going to Texas knowing the Federal army to be perfect in it’s organization numbers means and equipments when I saw the contrast between our poor little hastily gotten together army and there my heart sank down to zero and I at once made up my mind that we should all be forced into that horrid state Texas with great anxiety we awarded the development of affairs and about the later part of March we learned that Banks had started for Shreveport the fleet was to come up the river and Steele with 1200 men had left Little Rock with the purpose of forming a junction with Banks at this point on they came Banks came up and after a short attack on Fort DeRussy is surrendered and the whole Federal Army occupied Alexandria 180 miles from here you can well imagine my dear friend the long long weary days and sleepless nights we pass for weeks not knowing how things were going to turn out General Taylor commanded below and reinforcements not having reached him being too weak to risk a general engagement he fell back to this place Gen Banks perfectly confident of victory confident of occupying the whole state and by so doing being run as a candidate for the presidency came on supposing from General Taylor.
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Backward course that he would find the subjugation of LA a very easy matter. But after long anxious waiting at last General Taylor received a division of Texas troops in addition of his own 6,000 Louisianians. With this he determined to make a stand the two armies met a few miles from Mansfield Banks with 40,000 men. Taylor with about 10,000 the Federals came on not supposing for a second that they would meet any resistance until they reached Shreveport. Here they thought behind our fortifications we might make a show of opposition which they could easily overcome by their superiority of numbers. Many of the prisoners say were told they would have no fighting to do at all and were perfectly amazed at our making any stand Well as I was saying the contending armies met and fought the great Battle of Mansfield in which by the blessing of God we were entirely victorious after several hours of hard and desperate fighting the enemy gave way our victorious troops driving them 10 miles capturing 2,000 prisoners, 20 pieces of artillery, 200 wagons, and killing many. Our loss in this engagement was very heavy greater than the feds from the fact that they had thrown up ??? and ??? in a great measure protected still our heroes and brave ??? band drove them at all points this was the 8th of April the evening of that memorable day saw our gallant troops in quick possession of the battle field ready at the first dawn to
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pursue early the morning of the 9th two divisions of Arkansas and Missouri troops after a forced march of forty miles came up and then began another terrible battle in which the Good Lord once more smiled upon us after six hours of and fighting the discomforted & ??? fled leaving us all their dead and wounded. The Federal loss in this engagement was frightful five to our one. Here again we took many prisoners, a good deal of artillery-wagons-missiles-horses. Small arms in abundance and a very large train of commissary stoves- besides any quantity of blankets, knapsacks, and everything they flying Joe could throw away that would have retarded their course. Thus ended the Battle of Pleasant Hill. Our Cavalry followed up the success pressing the enemy at every point and forcing them to evacuate Natchitoches after burning "Grande Ecove" the shipping port on the river all this time the fleet had been coming steadily on and timely God did not desert us there The Red River proved as disastrous to the federals as did the Red Sea to Pharoah and all his hosts - after the vessels had gotten above Alexandria coming on as they supposed direct to Shreveport the river fell very rapidly and after the defeat of Banks they attempted to go back but found themselves in a bad way - our Battalions on shore making terrible work with them. One shot struck a transport filled with men exploded her boiler killing one hundred men outright + scalding eighty to a hundred more whom it was said would die. The loss of life in these transports was fearful, but the gun boats would not cease firing so of course we had
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to go on living too. I expect they will make a great handle of this and say we fired on vessels after they had surrendered without ever telling of their own proceedings we have captured or destroyed nine transports and four gun boats Keeping up an incessant fire on them until by cutting a sort of channel by which they got more water they finally succeeded in getting the remnant of the fleet off Banks after his retreat to Alexandria seeing that the whole expedition was a total failure and that his chance for the presidency was over determined to embark all of his men and return to New Orleans. He had only waited to see the fleet safely out of Red River and when they made their way out by great efforts he put the crowning point on his iniquity by ordering Alexandria to be burnt every house and town was fired and thousands of women and children left without a shelter or a mouthful to eat. Nearly everyone had been forced to take the oath by all of their provisions being destroyed and the families made dependent on the US authorities and after the town was fired many of the oldest inhabitants had to accept the offers made by Federal Officers of taking them on their vessels to New Orleans provided they would swear allegiance to the Lincoln government a bitter pill for them to swallow but with starvation and suffering staring them in the face what else could they do? Finally General Banks embarked part of his force + part ??? to march and men were not sleeping and General Taylor having planned ambuscade carried it and most successfully he had masked batteries planted leaving on the road.
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The Feds would have to take and the wholly unsuspicioned of danger came on when to their great surprise they found themselves surprised of course not being prepared for any attack they were thrown into great confusion and lost a great many some say as high as 3,000 our loss was nothing this was a pretty fair parting testimonial don’t you think so? This ended all operations against Banks but I must now tell you how General Steele was handled. He left Little Rock with 12,000 men in order to occupy Arkansas and advancing into the interior to form a junction with Banks before Shreveport. Our forces being so small all of the infantry with General Price who commanded in Arkansas had to be brought over here to take part in the battles below and of course he could do nothing at first to stay the advance of Steele who came on confident and expectant carrying desolation and ruin wherever his course led him. Price had only 5,000 raw cavalry so being too weak to offer battle or risk a general engagement kept falling back drawing Steele on. Knowing the further he came in the interior the better knowing too that at the very first they could be spared moment reinforcements would be sent him so he with great cheerfulness and patience bided his time hoping soon to be strong enough to try the material of his brave boys it was desirable that Steele should not hear of Banks defeat in which event he would probably return to Little Rock and our object was to draw him on and obtain as much time as possible in order to bring up the infantry from below but by some chance Steele did hear of Bank’s
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misfortune after he had gotten as far as Prairie D’Ann about two days march from Shreveport but instead of going immediately back to LR he took possession of Camden and thought he would sustain himself behind our fortifications. (we! having had to evacuate the place) until reinforcements could reach him from Pine Bluff and Fort Smith. This suited us very well giving us time to get our poor tired men up from below. General Smith took the ??? in person and soon Steele found himself almost entirely surrounded. The question of subsistence becoming a very serious one he about this time sent out a foraging party with an escort of three thousand men they carried with them several pieces of artillery and a very large wagon train the party had orders to deprecate on the country whenever they could find any provisions blunder and destroy anything that came in their way. Well they had done so and were returning when our men made an attack on them completely routing the whole party killing and wounding many capturing all of their wagons and teams to say nothing of the contents of the wagons all of the artillery many small arms and quantity of blankets and knapsacks. In fast we got the whole concern in about the same time reinforcements started from Fort Smith to go to the relief of Steele in number 3 or 4,000. This party was meant by our cavalry under General Fagan and again by the blessing of God was victorious the whole command was annihilated all their artillery taken wagons and supplies many prisoners taken and many killed mostly colored troops who ??? quarter.
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after this brilliant affair Steele began to think his situation was becoming very critical and three things only remained for him to do - to stay in Camden + with the women and children starve! to surrender himself + troops to Gen Smith who invested the plan or to make an effort to escape secretly the latter plan was the one decided on - and one dark rainy night they got out and away they went followed closely by our cavalry and troops from below just did get up in time to participate in the fight we hoped to have come up with the Federals before they crossed the Saline River and succeeded in catching them just as they reached the crossing - they had gotten there first and selected good position and we had to attack under great disadvantages - our poor weary men after a forced march of forty or fifty miles went into action without a minutes rest and after having had nothing to eat for the two previous days but parched corn here was fought one of the hardest and most desperate. battles of the war - our men to their waist in mud + water + so exhausted that many of them fell from pure fatigue and falling into the water too tired to move were drowned never did men fight better than they did + when the circumstances are taken into consideration the only wonder is they did so well, after ten hours of terrific fighting the enemy fled leaving everything behind that could retain their flight. Night closed "the Battle of Jenkins Ferry" Raining + storming the enemy have gotten across the river and we were to have pursued at light next day but unfortunately the river rose in the night and we
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had no means of getting across. some of our cavalry swam the river and followed the flying foe whose way was marked by burning wagons, blankets, broken guns spiked artillery much of which we captured and our men pursuing were constantly taking prisoners at this battle we took fifteen hundred prisoners, thirty pieces of artillery + many small arms. Genl Steele's army was completely demoralized and if we could only have gotten a few thousand fresh troops we should now be in possession of Little Rock. Some people not knowing the difference under which we labored during this campaign are disappointed + disposed to blame Genl Smith for not following up his victory at Jenkins Ferry but we who are knowing do all think he + his gallant men deserve the highest praises - Just think what our little army did when on the approach of Banks their services were needed the divisions from Texas marched all the way to Louisiana so alas did those from Arkansas. They fought the glorious Battles of "Mansfield" + "Pleasant Hill" and were marched immediately from La to Arkansas arriving by forced marching as I mentioned just in time to take part in the defeat of Steele without any rest whatsoever. Now whatever some persons may think to the contrary, there is a point even with soldiers beyond which human endurances could go and I honor + love a General who shows such compassion on his men even when he knows some spirits may answer him. After the Battle of Jenkins Ferry was over the soldiers absolutely fell on the ground too weary to move hand or foot + even one step farther
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would have saved the Confederacy they could not have taken it - Officers + men all alike have nothing but parched corn for those two dreadful days of suffering. Our loss in this campaign has been fearfully great so many splendid officers have been killed + nearly all with families. I cannot express to you my dearest friend the long weary days + weeks of anxiety we suffered before we know of our safety. For the present at least we are safe and if the terrible struggle now taking place in Old Virginia should by the mercy of our Heavenly Father terminate favorably for us I do really + truly believe we should soon have peace - What a happy day that will be for those who have come safely out of this trial - I am fearful my dear Mrs Galt you will think I am very tedious telling you so much that you must have seen in this newspaper but I really thought you would like to know exactly how we have been situated from myself. The Col I am most happy to say is safe he did not go into the field when Gen Smith went. He is second in command and was left to administer the affairs of the Department in the Genl' absence. We have all settled down quietly after the excitement + confusion we had so long to contend with. A blessed change I assure you. I cannot tell you dear Mrs Galt how truly I wish we were nearer so that we might hope to meet! I think of your Dear Willie constantly + wish oh so much to see you both your most affectionate and highly interesting letter gave both the Col + myself unalloyed pleasure. I was going to say but it was not that for it pained us greatly to hear of your being so uncomfortably situated but we were
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delighted to hear of your both being well. I say sincerely that next to the letters I receive from my dear sisters yours afford me more gratification than any other I receive. Do forgive the Col for not having written he really has so much public writing to do he absolutely hates the sight of a pen and comes home from the office so tired out. I cannot ask him to write a private letter. But do not for a second allow yourself to think his feelings are any less warm he always has, since we first met entertained the most affectionate interest in you + your ????? and no words can tell how truly grieved we are when we think of how changed everything is for you but are you not glad you did not remain there? With "Brute Butler" for a master it must be fearful indeed - We were very glad to hear of so many of our old friends as you mention. I cannot say my dear friend that I feel surprised that Willie dear should have discarded our kinsman. I think her perfectly right too. Not to marry any man with such an unfortunate disposition - you are right when you say you think I love her too well even to wish her to marry a jealous man. I know of no trait more unfortunate in a man's character and am glad the affair is off entirely + happily married but she had ten million times better have Willie Lyne on her tombstone than marry one not congenial. I must tell you of some of your old friends over here. I have seen Genl Huger three times since I came back. Ben + Eustis too came down from Marshall soon after I arrived. Ben's looking badly and Eustis is not in good health.
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The good old General is in fine health + spirits although I think he would rather be on the other side of the river. Very naturally his wife + daughter being the LINE BURNED OUT I am so glad to hear your servants continue faithful and good. I suppose you have raised their wages in proportion to the to the exorbitant prices of things with you. The articles you mention are some of them not nearly as high as they are with us on this side. Calico $50 a yd + so is white domestic ??? such as we used to get for 12-1/2 + 15 cts a yd bring $40 - Coffee $40 lb - Sugar 12 - Flour $1 lb - A pound of cabbage $5.00 - Cucumbers $1.00 apiece. Blackberries $5.00 a pi??? - Plain sun bonnets made of straw (wheat) $150.00. Nice bonnets four hundred ???? Three hundred a pair Fortunately for us we had a pretty good stock of clothes and I succeeded when I cam back in bringing quite a good many things back for Sam + myself. If we near my dear friend, I would most gladly divide my stock with you. Don't think I say this because I am so far off. I believe you do know me better though than to suspect me of such a meanness. I had a pattern all drawn + cut of a new fashioned ??? to send dear Willie when I met Col Bradford + his news so disheartened me I did not send it but will do so now by the first opportunity. I should have written to you without waiting for a reply to my long letter, but for the last three months my health has been wretched part of that time. I have been ill having had four very severe attacks of what the doctors call "Malarial Fever" Attended
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in my case with most violent + exhausting diarrhea which reduced me to such a degree I really thought my days were numbered. The attacks followed each other BURNT LINE one before another came on, destroying all my health energy + spirits. I felt such an utter prostration both of mind + body. I could not make an effort to write even home. You know how conscientious I have always been in never allowing an opportunity to pass unimproved + this will I am sure satisfy you if you have had any hard thoughts on the subject. Do please not wait for an answer to your letter you know the sincerity of my friendship + when I do not write-you may be sure there is some serious reason for my silence. Neither will I wait for you but write whenever a chance occurs. If you send your letter to the War Department they will be sure to come sometime or other. The same mail by which yours came over brought over a letter from Mrs Hale. She sent hers to Richmond and both the letters were of very old dates but the none the less welcome. I am glad you described the situation of your rooms so well. For now in my own mind knowing the house so well. I can locate you both and fancy what you are all about although among the many changes taking place constantly you may not be living there at this time "Would I were with thee" Don't laugh at my expression it just says what I mean + I do wish we were together. I think it would be a comfort to both of us. I would so love to see dear little Willie's curling hair. How sweet it must look so cunning. I have no doubt very becoming. I regret that her young days should be passed in dull stupid Farmville and for you
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too my dear friend. I regret you being literally buried alive in so uncongenial a place. I wish you were here not that there is anything particularly attractive in Shreveport but from a selfish motive I make the wish so that we could live together at present we are by no means comfortable but am expecting in the course of a week or two to move into a very nice one.
Do you remember the Montgomeries who were at the Atlantic Hotel in Norfolk? Mrs Montgomery who used to dance so much holding her dress over and
when dancing the fancy dances. They are the very people we are living with. All messing together we are going to take turns in housekeeping
should have done so long ago. But for my ill health wish dear friend I had you to help me with your advice + judgment the only thing about keeping house
is the great difficulty of getting provisions + so high we could not get along but for living in this way several messing together. We find it very pleasant too. I have made a good many very agreeable acquaintances but have as yet visited very little.
The weather is intensely hot + mosquitoes very troublesome. Speaking of them reminds me to tell you that cannot buy a mosquito ban for less than eight hundred dollars. Luckily the Col while I was away + before everything had gone up as high bought the furniture of a small room. Consisting of a very plain black walnut cottage bedstand , small wardrobe, little table used as a washstand, basin pitcher, CUT two split bottom chairs, three pairs of cotton sheets, one pr pillows + cases, Bolsten + case, shuck + Moses mattress. One white dimly spread + a nice mosquito net. For these things he gave four
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hundred dollars. In old + better times everything could have been gotten for about fifty dollars but we were very fortunate in getting them as cheap as we did. They sooner bring four times now what the Col paid for them I am glad to hear Dr Galt is in such good health give my best to him when you see or write him. I suppose just now you are all feeling the deepest anxiety with regard to the fate of Richmond. I must confess I do so too although I have every confidence in Gen Lee and his brave army. I cannot but feel some uneasiness from the fact that he has one of the most I may say the most determined + persevering men to deal with in the Federal Army and as they can get as many men as they require which we cannot do. I fear it may be another Vicksburg affair. Any other man but Grant would have given up in despair after so many disasters, long ago But he holds on with a pernicity worthy a better cause. I have thought so much of you during this trying time and it has carried me back in spirits to the time when I was there during the "Seven Days Fight" you seem now to have been between two first Lynchburg threatened also Richmond. I prey the Good Lord will give us victory in this our time of such affliction. I find that so much depends on the result of this campaign when on my way here stopping at Camden Arkansas I met Mr Sigourney he is now a Mayor. I think he was looking very well regretted very much not having brought his little son with him but I think it is CUT much better for the child to be where he is. Have you seen anything of Mrs Pemberton since the Vicksburg surrender? Poor woman, I had felt so sorry
for him knowing how she must feel. The strictures passed
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on his conduct during the affair. For myself I cannot think him a traitor as so many do. First had he been so he never would have remained
Confederacy. He has apparently gained nothing by the giving up that to us vitally important points. I cannot think so contemptibly of him
as to suffer for one moment that he sold the place - No! I think he was took out with privation + suffering + seeing so much of it around him especially his own family being there, his men reduced to quarter rations, depleted by sickness his commanded exhausted + dissprited. I suppose his mind was
for the time + from the great responsibility, resting on him weakened and he ceased to realize the great blow he was striking at the very center of the Confederacy By the surrender of Vicksburg LINE OUT so was induced to consent to an act which the odium of which will remain with him and his forever. History will record in children yet unborn will deplore it and the fact of its being done on the "4th of July" adds so to the disgrace four fold. I was in NY when the news came + for two weeks would not believe it and very large bets were made in the city. No one believed it at first. You can perhaps realize how deeply mortified, humiliated, + distressed I feel as well as did all those who feel + with the South, all sorts of rejoicing went on throughout the North. Flags were flying from nearly every up. Drums beat and cannons were fired. Fortunately perhaps for me, one of my sisters were very sick and so easily ??? + worried by any disaster to our cause. I have to keep up on her account for had she seen me giving way
to despondency it could have increased her
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illness very much. But it was an awful time, especially as it was just at the time of Gen Lee's unsuccessful invasion of Maryland, Pennsylvania + the defeat of our troops at Helena Arkansas. All coming together seemed more than I could stand. I met a great deal of sympathy wherever I went and was surprised to find as much Southern feeling when I least expected it. Although some people who I had formally known + been intimate with took occasion to cut my acquaintances, that is by not calling to see me, but these troubles are very little. There were so many more of truly valued friends who were kindness ???. I did not regret those false unfaithful ones who did not injure anyone but themselves. It is very well to know who really + truly are your friends + this I found out. So I do not regret the ??? of the people at all except that one feels disappointed in human nature. I have not heard anything from Mrs Huger since I arrived though I wrote to her as soon as I got back. Genl H wrote to Sam yesterday to ask me to write to her but I shall not. She writes to her husband + children constantly + might answer my letter I am of the opinion my dear friend that if you were to send your letters to me by the same means she does here to the General. I should get them very much sooner than by the regular mail. I was surprised and gratified to hear that you did receive the letter I wrote from Oswego. I did it on a venture scarcely expecting it would reach you yet hoping it would and hoping too you would have answered it. I have now written you so long a letter this time you will have reading for a week. I trust you will follow my example. Tell
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everything concerning yourself + dear Willie. You know we love you both very much + find a deep interest in everything connected with you. And I do sincerely trust your next letter will tell me better news of you. That you will be able to settle yourselves more comfortably. I am sorry you failed in your endeavor to obtain writing from the departments in Richmond. Did you ever receive the letter I wrote you enclosing one for my friend Mrs Pegram which I wanted you to deliver. It was a letter of introduction stating what you desired and asking her to put you in the way of getting what you wanted. Knowing she could tell you what steps were necessary to take. Her son's wife Mrs Hettie Cary + her sister made a very handsome support by doing public writing and I feel sure Mrs Pegram would have rendered you any assistance in her power. Genl Cooper + Genl Deas are old friends of the Col's and if you would like it he would write to them on the subject. Tell me plainly my dear friend if there is anything in any way in which we could be of any service to you. Be assured it would afford the highest gratification to be able to lighten one of the caves of life even- How much greater than if we could render you a real substantial service. I believe you would. I hope you would tell us as soon as anyone else not connected with you by relationship but I think the bonds of friendship are often stronger than those of blood. Do you not? I shall support you to do as I wish. Remember us kindly to Mrs Thornton if you have a chance. Alas to Mrs Mayer + the Taylor's if they still remember me + now dear friend with many apologies for giving you asmuch to read I must close only reminding you that I shall
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expect as long a letter in return. The Col joins me most affectionately in love Dear Willie and yourself hoping soon to hear from you + and of all interesting to you. I will bid you goodbye. You speak of having fallen off - it must be in sympathy with me. I have lost twenty pounds since my arrival. Once more farewell. God bless + preserve you both.
Hattie
Anderson