N.Y.S.V.
                  Head Quarters 133 Regmt.
                                      July 7, 1863
                      Before Port Hudson La.
Dear Sister and Brother Sol
    I I embrace the opportunity
of answering your last letter it
being the first opportunity I have had
since I received it we hav been
forty Days and over Before Port Hudson
close enough to the rebels to talk to
them rather a bad position for
a timmid person for a man
no sooner shows his head above the
Riffle Pitts than he gets a ball
through it from some neighborly reb
and vice, versa, we have not been
allowed to write or send any letters
since we attacked Port Hudson till
within a few days Past it is a getting
to be very hot here and I think after
we get Port Hudson we will wrest
for a while for we are getting some
tired for we have marched 500 miles

fought three battles charged on
Port Hudson twice and been repulsed
and now seaging the place all in
three months to day for we Left
Algiers the 7th of April and this
place will fall within three days
I think, we have just got the offisheiel
report of the surrender of Vicksburgh
to J Genl Grant and all that –
we want now to open the Misippa
is Pot Hudson and that we will
surely get in a few days and then I'm
agoing to try and get a furlough for a
month if I can and I think that
I will get it, this has been rather
a dull fourth of July to me for
we have had no chance to raise
our heads to see what was going on
with our neighbours. Our regiment
has suffered a good deal since we left
Algiers three months ago with seaven
Hundred and twenty eight men and
have got about two Hundred now

fit for duty we have lost more than
two Hundred killed and as many
more wounded we have been the first
Line of Battle in bothe the charge on
Port Hudson and think that we would
have taken it – the Last charge if
we had been supported by other regmt
but masachusetts  troops are not
worth their salt. I saw Mr Duboise
son out here he belongs to the
Artillery Battery F Capt Deryea
Battery and was well the Last
time that I saw him about
a week ago. it is a getting late
and I must close give my Love
to all the children and a Kiss
for Maggie. remember me to all
enquiring friends and write soon
and Let me know when you heard
from Mr Vantyle and all the
rest of the men that has gon
to the wars and how you are
getting along yourself and if
                                       over

the crops look good this season
or not and that is all
     I Remain your Brother
           James Hardenbergh
                      to
             Kate & Solomon

P.S. Direct your Letters to me as
follows James Hardenbergh
             Orderly Seagt Co. C. 133 Regmt NYV
             Dept of the Gulf. Emorys Division
                                      New Orleans, La.
                                     or Elsewhere
                                          and
for Mr Boyce to his son
      Care of Capt Deryea
               Battery F
               Department of the Gulf
              Banks Expedition
                       New Orleans
                      or Elsewhere