Camp at New Iberia
                                                   La
                                         Dec 4/63
Dear Sister
     I received your letter of Oct. 11
Dec 1/63 it was most 2 month
coming. but it came very welcome
none the less so for having mammas
likeness in it. as soon as I get a
chance to get to New Orleans I will
get mine taken and send it to her
I expect soon to have straps on
my shoulder instead of stripes on
my arm my commishion was
sent for two weeks ago and
the Col thinks they will be here
soon we have not had to go
that long march we went as far
as Opolusis about two Hundred miles
from New Orleans and then returned
back about thirty five miles to this place
we found no rebels but a few gir-
illies and have taken about five


hundred of them Prisonors I think
we will be back to New Orleans by
New Years and will stay their all
winter.
     I don't know where chauncy Boyce
is now. I think he went with the
expedition that went to Brownsville
Texas or else he is in the fourth
                  mounted infitry
Wisconsin cabel cavalry at Baton
Rouge I have not seen him
since a few days after the surrender
of Port Hudson he is not with
the Battery  any more and they
don't now where he is.
this army has whipped the Rebs every
fight they have had with them and
I think the fighting in this Dept
is about done Genl Banks is in
Texas with part of this army and
the people are enlisting with him
their very fast he has raised
three Regt of Texans all ready two

White Regt and one black and
has taken some two or three Hundred
prisonors.
The people here are very destitute
and men that where independent
before the war broke out are working
for one dollar a day and their rations
for Uncle Samuel on the fortifycations
here one man that owns a plantation
here of four thousand acres takes his
shovel on his shoulder every morning
and goes to work on the fortifycations
to get provisions for his family
and there is a good many more of the
same kind here some of them
enlist in our army and some work
by the da for the Government when
at Opolusis I gave a family their
           Wheat
ten lbs of flour and they said it was
the first that they had seen in over
a year they owned a large plantation
near Opolusis and a residence in the

town her husband was in Braggs
army the poor woman commenced
cring because I would not take the
money for it and came very
near getting me crying the folks
Live here on corn meal and fresh
Beef all the time and a few sweet
Potatoes and what they will do this
winter I don't know for our folks
have taken most all their corn
for to feed the Horses and the
Government will have to support
their families while they are
fighting us it is rather hard
to have to feed them and fight
them too but we can stand
it I don't think it will
last much Longer I must
close this Letter now Give mamma a kiss
for me and the children and remember
me to all the folks tell Mrs Vantyle when she
writes to him and tell him to keep
up his courage for the war will soon be over
                   From Brother Jim