In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

CHAPTER XXVII. IN WINTER QUARTERS AT INDIANOLA. The first of December, 1863, found us camped upon the shore near to the captured Fort Esparenza.1 As we now had possession of Pass Cavallo and the harbor of Matagorda Bay, other troops coming to act with us had a good and easy landing place. The third brigade of our division came December first, and landed at Dederoo’s Point,2 on the opposite side of the channel. For the next few days boats continued to arrive, bringing in more troops and army supplies. Our time was passed pleasantly. A little guard duty and some drilling upon the prairie was all the soldier duties we had to perform. On December twentieth our regiment went on board a steamboat and sailed up the bay to Indianola. We landed and caught a few stray Confederate soldiers, who were visiting in the town. We tore up part of the pier and carried the material on board and took it back with us, to build a pier at Pass Cavallo. We returned to camp after dark. The plan is to make a winter camp here. Three days afterward the plan for us to camp on Pass Cavallo at Fort Esparenza was changed and we left Matagorda Island and went to Indianola3 and took up quarters in that town. We are in the part of Indianola known as New Town, or Powder Horn, as it is sometimes called. Four companies of our regiment were given quarters in a large building that had formerly been used for business purposes by a “Runge & Co.” Our company had one room, which was the front half of the main floor. Company B had the rear half. C and D had the rooms above. In the condition in which we put the building we soon had splendid winter quarters.4 General Warren5 was the officer in command of our troops at this time, he was rather strict in his ways; the boys at first thought more so than necessary . When we came into the town it had been hastily deserted by many of its inhabitants. They supposed that their former activity in behalf of the Confederacy would subject them to arrest and punishment. Stores were abandoned with goods in them. Some of the boys would insist upon looking them through General Warren had properly given strict orders against their doing so. One evening as he was walking along the street he found some of the lawless soldiers who had found a way through a back window into one of the deserted stores and were taking a look at the tobacco and other like goods. Instead of - Army Life. 226 having them arrested General Warren dismissed them in his own prompt and energetic way. One of them was the eccentric Weed, of Company A.6 He was always sure to be caught if anyone was. Weed soon returned to our company quarters. He had been suddenly converted. General Warren was now his ideal of a thorough soldier. He rushed into the company quarters with wild enthusiasm —“I tell you, boys,” he exclaimed, “General Warren is just one of the staving best officers we ever had! He means business! He is the kind of officer we want!” Such unexpected commendation for General Warren brought all the boys around him, asking for explanation. Weed explained: “I just now saw the General catch some of the boys who had broken into a store and were stealing the tobacco and sugar. He did not fool about it a bit. He caught one fellow and kicked him lively—kicked him clear into the middle of the street. I tell you, boys, he is a splendid officer! He is a staving fellow! He is the boss!” As soon as this eloquent praise could be broken into, the boys asked: “Weed, who was it that got the kicking?” With increased enthusiasm Weed answered: “Oh, I tell you, boys, General Warren is a staving fellow—a good officer—chock full of energy! I got the kicking.” And it was true. Weed, in his awkward way, had stumbled in after some of the other soldiers; they had skipped lively out of sight, and Weed, the most innocent one of the crowd, was left to be caught and booted into the middle of the street by the angry and energetic Fitz Henry Warren. Early on the morning of the twenty-sixth of December, a large portion of our brigade, under the command of General...

Share