Letter from Willie, September 4, 1863#

Bonnet Carre, Sept. 4th

I have just received a letter from you. It was encouraging to know that you were well. It came about 8 o’clock at night. I was standing at the cookhouse talking about the prospects of the Regiment when one of the men came up and said there was a letter for me. Of course, everything was brought to a hasty conclusion. I went to my tent, lit my candle open, and read my letter from home and thought over what you all were doing at that time. after reading it over two or three times, I blew out the light and lay on my bunk to dream of home. George Fanjoy was on guard but he soon came in. He had received two or three letters. We talked about home and how the Major was trying to hold us, until nearly 12 o’clock, when George went back on guard and I went to sleep.

It appears that the Major of our Regiment is taking advantage of some of the men enlisting for three years. He is trying and, I expect, has been for some time, to hold the men for the rest of their time. Mark Hoit, of New York Leather Merchants in the swamp, is the head one of the Regiment in New York backing it up with his money. He was formerly our Colonel but sold out to Col. Watt, who was taken prisoner. I expect that Hoit has been misrepresenting our regiment to the state authorities to get them to hold the men to form a new Regiment with the drafted men. There has been a correspondence between Hoit and our Major for some time. For a while, the men did not think they had any chance to hold us legally, but by Grand they might get the authority to hold us, as they know enough not to bring the Regiment to New York to muster them out, for the men would all skedaddle. But the object is to let the nine months men go home and keep the three years men until the drafted men arrive. The men have not been asleep to all these proceedings and an effort has been made to counteract their efforts. Letters have been written to parties in New York to lay the case before the Governor. One thing in our favor is that we were all mustered in for nine months so that the government will have no control over us again but I am not going to be mustered in again. There has been a number detailed out of the Regiment with two officers to proceed to New York after the conscripts. They started last night and will be in New York before this reaches you, I expect. Two of them live in the Burgh. Fred Cueernes lives on Power St, I believe near Leonard, and Frank Pitman lives on the corner of Washington St. and Flushing Ave., near Division Ave. Frank Pitman is in our Company and has been sickly. I don’t think he will be out again. He was with James when they were taken prisoner and he gave out on the march to Algiers.

James is well and in New Orleans. I think our affairs will come all right. I don’t intend to stay this fall but I will stay until the nine months men go home, which I guess won’t be very long. I am in good spirits. You must not fret over me for I am in good health and know that it will be all right. I think you had better not write after receiving this letter for we may be on our way. All will be lovely and the goose hung high. I will keep writing to you until I start. I would like to dunk Major Morgan in a molasses barrel.

From your affect. son,

Willie