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

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1864-03-21 Page 2

the same from falling into Yankee hands.  Five miles from this place, the first rebels were seen and a few shots from our battery invited them to “come to”, but they preferred to skedaddle.  Another five miles brought us to a place where a bayou was immediately in our front, the country around us was cultivated and very level, the opposite side of the bayou was lined by a ridge of wood land; a colonel of cavalry was leading the advance with his command, and suddenly came upon the rebel pickets who fired on him and he was carried bleeding to the rear with two of his braves embraced in the sleep of death.  The rebels opened with their battery and this announced to us their intention of contesting their position, to prevent its being dishonored by the vandal tread of the Yankee hordes.  Our cavalry at once formed in line of battle, supported by the remainder of the troops, numbering about three thousand men, and a battery.  I used my field glass and saw the enemy posted about two miles a head on the opposite side of the bayou, apparently in a fortified position.  Our cavalry, one Battery, our regiment and the 33d Mo. Inf. crossed the bayou two or three miles below the rebels, and arrived in a very marshy country, where we found it exceedingly difficult to move our artillery, then we suddenly found ourselves in a dense pine forest, where nobody lives, and the road on which we were travelling was narrow and but dimly visible after advancing on it several miles, and while our

Saving...

the same from falling into Yankee hands. Five miles from this place, the first rebels were seen and a few shots from our battery invited them to “come to”, but they preferred to skedaddle. Another five miles brought us to a place where a bayou was immediately in our front, the country around us was cultivated and very level, the opposite side of the bayou was lined by a ridge of wood land; a colonel of cavalry was leading the advance with his command, and suddenly came upon the rebel pickets who fired on him and he was carried bleeding to the rear with two of his braves embraced in the sleep of death. The rebels opened with their battery and this announced to us their intention of contesting their position, to prevent its being dishonored by the vandal tread of the Yankee hordes. Our cavalry at once formed in line of battle, supported by the remainder of the troops, numbering about three thousand men, and a battery. I used my field glass and saw the enemy posted about two miles a head on the opposite side of the bayou, apparently in a fortified position. Our cavalry, one Battery, our regiment and the 33d Mo. Inf. crossed the bayou two or three miles below the rebels, and arrived in a very marshy country, where we found it exceedingly difficult to move our artillery, then we suddenly found ourselves in a dense pine forest, where nobody lives, and the road on which we were travelling was narrow and but dimly visible after advancing on it several miles, and while our