Perkins Plantation.. May 2, eighteen sixty three. Friends at home,
I seat my self on a Cracker Box.. this Pleasant afternoon to pen a few lines.. My health is good..we have very pleasant weather. rather warm.. there has been but very little Canonading to day as we have heard.. we heard this morning that our men were doing finely.. yesterday there was some heavy fireing in the direction of Vicksburg.. and we understood Sherman had atackted the Rebs up there. if our men are successful I think Vicksburg Grand Gulf & Port Hudson will fall about the same time. Troops are passing here most all the time and going down to take a part in the engagement.. there is any amount of fronts down here. Grand Gulf is just below where Black River comes into the Mississippi.. and our Gunboats have run up the Black River and burned the railroad Bridge.. and stoped the communication between Vicksburg & Port Hudson.. things seems to work favorable for our side at present.. I guess the 96th will not have any hand in this fight.. the 60th & 96 Regts are left here to guard the landing, the teems & comis stores. You spoke about the mans spring drying up in Alabama (in your last letter) it is to much like camp news we heard about before you wrote it but did not put any confidence in it.. but I think the Rebels will have to come under after while.. I am glad to hear how the election went. I think that will help the union cause a great deal.. I guess the rebs will thinks the Yankey are getting pretty sharp down here. they will think they are going to play some Yankey trick on them. there has a number of our transports run the Blockade before Vicksburg..there was 6 went through one night one was sunk.. they Packed cotton Bails round the Boilers & pilute house and then they would start (they would take a dark night for it) and they would go down as close as they could and not be heard and shut of steam and let the Boat float down they would get half way past some times before the Rebs would find it out. the rebs would then comence fireing and our men would put on all the steam and run through.. some of the Boats are pretty badly torn up but they are of great use to us down here.. I beleave there has been no one killed by Rebel shots in the opporation but there has been some drownded they (the rebs) sunk two of our Boats and there was some drownded on them.. You wanted to know if we had tents to sleep in. When we were at the Bend we had five tents to a company besides the Capt. tent. one mess in a tent. there was seven in our mess and we got Boards and made bunks (sort of lounges) and had as nice as we could ask for under the circumstances, we lived very well while we were there. we had money and when we did not draw enough we could by it there was plenty of suttlers.. but since we left there we have not fared so well.. we do not draw so much for they cannot get it down here. there are no suttlers to by of down here. we have Pork (we call it sowbelley) and hard crackers and coffee.. when we left the Bend we took only two tents to the Company with us the others we put on the boat and they run the Blockade and we have now got them again.. you wanted know if I kept my rubber Blanket yet. i do.. it is the best friend I have got.. I have a chance to draw all the clothing I want and more to.. there is no corn planted on this Plantation there was some on the Homes Plantation when we there (about the 20th of Apr) it was then about knee high.. the negroes said is was very late. they did not expect to raise much.. you spoke about the gloves I sent by Flagg.. I sent one pair of socks. the ones you knit for me when I was at camp Delaware.. one pair of mittens the ones Grandma gave me. one pair of Buckskin Gloves roled up in one bunch.
May 5th I have not had a chance to send my letter untill now. last night there was 430 prisoners came up from Grand Gulf our men routed the Rebs and made them skedadle.
(Upside down across top of page) took good many Prisoners.. they say there will be more of them up here today.. Our army is in hot pursuit running them in the direction of Jackson, Miss.
(Upside down at top of first page) I have not larned the loss of life on either yet.. no more at present write soon L. A. Carhart.
Co. E of our Regt went to Girard then to Millikins Bend. I suppose they will be sent to some northern Camp. I have not heard from our men since they left the Gulf after the Rebs