DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | George C. Burmeister diary, 1864

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1864-03-13

Sunday 13.  This morning at 7 o’clock our command disembark and marched within one mile of fort Taylor an unfinished rebel work of considerable magnitude, and strength near Bayou DeGlaze, there the second brigade formed into line of battle, and advanced on the works we formed immediately in their rear and waited they moved on steadily without opposition and entered the works without firing a shot or seeing an enemy.  Our brigade moved up, and I went into the works and examined them critically, I think I never saw any earth works whose front excelled these, but they were sadly deficient in the rear in deed they were not protected at all in the rear, and therefore enterable.  The second Brigade moved on and succeeded in capturing a train of five wagons with commissary and officers’ baggage and eleven prisoners.   Waited until the 2d Brig. returned to the fort, then retraced our steps to our boats.  Shortly after our arrival at the levee we were ordered to prepare for a march, which we did immediately by taking with us our blankets, and seven days’ rations of hard bread, salt & coffee, I suppose the intention is to forage sufficient fresh meat during our progress through rebeldom.  We left our boats at 7 o’clock P.M. but waited in the road near the river till 9 ½ P.M. we marched very rapidly for seven miles, through a level and well settled and cultivated country, at midnight we rested at a large plantation, where we made short work of the fences and other timber on the premises to make our beds for the night.

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Sunday 13. This morning at 7 o’clock our command disembark and marched within one mile of fort Taylor an unfinished rebel work of considerable magnitude, and strength near Bayou DeGlaze, there the second brigade formed into line of battle, and advanced on the works we formed immediately in their rear and waited they moved on steadily without opposition and entered the works without firing a shot or seeing an enemy. Our brigade moved up, and I went into the works and examined them critically, I think I never saw any earth works whose front excelled these, but they were sadly deficient in the rear in deed they were not protected at all in the rear, and therefore enterable. The second Brigade moved on and succeeded in capturing a train of five wagons with commissary and officers’ baggage and eleven prisoners. Waited until the 2d Brig. returned to the fort, then retraced our steps to our boats. Shortly after our arrival at the levee we were ordered to prepare for a march, which we did immediately by taking with us our blankets, and seven days’ rations of hard bread, salt & coffee, I suppose the intention is to forage sufficient fresh meat during our progress through rebeldom. We left our boats at 7 o’clock P.M. but waited in the road near the river till 9 ½ P.M. we marched very rapidly for seven miles, through a level and well settled and cultivated country, at midnight we rested at a large plantation, where we made short work of the fences and other timber on the premises to make our beds for the night.