Headquarters 49th Regt in the Field
		Monday May the 23rd 1864

Ever respected Companion and J.J. Morgan
 With pleasure I once more seize the pen to inform you that through the verry kind mercies 
of god I am yet a living soldier and in the enjoyment of good health. Truley hopeing this will 
reach and find you all the same. It has been 4 weeks yesterday since I last had the opportunity 
of writing to you. We are camped on the Mississippi River 25 miles below the mouth of Red 
River in Louisiana. This month has been a month of severe campaign with us. Marching and 
fighting has been the them of the day. But I will go back and give you a short history of our 
late campaign. Up Red River on the 26th of Aprile. Our brigade arrived at Alexandria on 
Red River 100 miles above its mouth. We arrived there at dark and disembarked and lay 
on the bank over night. We found things in a bad shape up there. Banks had fitted out a 
large train and started sometime previous for Sreavesport  Advanced about 100 miles and
 got whiped and lost 22 pieces of artilery and a large wagon train and got his armey badley 
cut up and started back on full retreat for Alexandria. But gen A.J. Smith with the 
16th Armey Corps got permision to set a trap for the enemy. He masked his batteryes 
and consealed his men and drawed the rebes on where he wanted them and then opened 
on them in fearfull fury and sent them back as fast as tha come. But Banks would not allow 
him to renew the fight but ordered the armey to still renew the retreat. But it was ascertained 
afterwards by rebel prisners that the enemy was on the retreat at the same time. Had 
Banks let Smith renewed the fight the victory would shurley been compleate. But Banks 
was whiped worse than the Armey.
As soon as the enemy found that our forces was on the retreat they just folowed on up and 
whacked away on the rear They followed Banks armey clear back to Alexandria The armey 
got back thare the same eaviung we got there. I guess the intention was to still retreat on 
down here. But in the meantime 9 of our gunboats was caught above the falls at Alexandria. 
We had to remain in that vicinity till they built dams below the falls so as to get the ironsides 
over. We found part of our 13th Corps out thare and rejoined them and went into camp 2 
miles west of town. Gen MCClernand wanted to take his 13th corps and go out and fight the 
enemy. But Banks would not suffer it at all. But on the 28th he suffered gen Mack to take 
out a part of his corps and feel of the enemy with orders not to bring a general engagement. 
We only had to go about 2 miles to find them. Our co and K was ordered forward as skirmishers. 
We pitched out across the level plantation with thick hedge fences. K was sent 100 paces in 
advance of us. We was the reserve. We marched along shooting into the hedging and runing 
the rebel pickets back. Finaley it begin to get tolerable interesting. Banks ordered McClernand 
back twice. We fell back 1 mile west of town and formed aline of battle to the rear of abayou 
that run across a large plantation. We stacked armes and gen Banks rode in review before our 
line and thare wasent a man chered him along the hole line. As soon as he past gen MCClernand 
and staff rode along the line. If I ever herd cheering it took place along the line of the 13 corps. 
But I am going to be two tedious. I shall have to write scattering. I got a letter from you that 
eavning just at dark and read it with great interest by the light of 20 buring houses which was in 
light flame at that time. Remained thare until the 2nd of this instant when we was ordered to the 
front again and drove the enemy 2 miles. Then fell back. The rebels fowling us rite back and 
threw shells into our camp. But our batteryes soon stoped that. Lay on our arms that night. 
But went into camp next morning as usual. Remained thare till the 5th. When the third division 
and our brigade was ordered to drive the enemy 8 miles to grahams plantation under command 
of M.R. Lawler as MC was sick. We moved out up Bayou Rapid our brigade on the right on 
the main road where the enemy was the strongest. Skirmishing soon commenced. We marched 
rite along across one large plantation after another. The worst place I ever saw to advance on a 
enemy owing to the thick hedging. We marched on shooting and shelling into the hedges. Finialey 
the rebes opened a battery on us. Colonel Kegwin was commanding our brigade and capt Leaper 
our regt. We marched in under a beutiful shady grove round a fine house and lay down and the 
shells just bursted all round and over us. I suppose that capt stoped us without orders. Kegwin 
come up cursimg. Told Leaper to move that regt out on double quick. We just went out through 
the poleing end ways. This brought us rite in front of the rebes battery. We was ordered to 
charge rite ahead. The shells just bursting over and before us. We charged as far as we could 
stand it to run then lay flat down and rested a short time and the shells ringing over us all the 
while. We rise and started again. With a yell charged up this time in rifle shoot of the battery 
and lay down again. The shells and bulletts all whistled over us then. But we could not shoot 
as our skirmishers was in front of us. Henrey Block of our co was shoot ded here with a piece 
of shell. 3 others of our regt was wounded. Next time we rise and started they fired once and 
limbered up and started in a hurrah. We run on up and fired a few rounds at they greybacks 
as the run away. I took 2 study shoots at them as they run. But tell Anart I guess I hit them in 
the same place I did the ducks. I cant tell how many we had killed in the days action. Not 
many though 16 wounded. The rebels loss 5 killed 20 wounded. We drove them past grahams 
plantation and returned to camp ahout 10 oclock at night. Remained till 10 oclock next day 
and started rite back and found the enemy in 2 miles again. We had learned the route so as 
to drive them with our artilery. We drove them that eavning beond where we fought the 
day before and bavocked for the night and persued them the next day and drove them 7 
or 8 miles to a place where I guess they wouldnt drove worth a cent any further. We 
stayed till after dark and retired in silence. Marched back to Midle Bayou where we 
stayed the night before. Got back at 10 oclock at night. Went into camp and remained 
thare till the armey was ready for the retreat that was as soon as the gunboats was over 
the falls. On the eavning of the 13th, We took up our line of march covering the retreat 
of Banks armey. Marched day and night down Red River fighting in front and rear all the 
way. On the 18th of this instant 2 brigades of the 16th corps and a few of our cavalry 
fought the rebels nearley all day on Bayou Deglay 5 miles west of Chaffalier River. The 
engagement was a severe one. Our loss was about 300 in killed wounded and missing. 
The enemys more. Several charges was made. But our men drove them off the field. 
The canonaiding was terrific. Our corps was marched to the field just at night ready to 
renew the fight next morning. But the rebels didnt stay to see it out. I will have to leave 
this part of the subject out. The half hasnt been writen. We arrived here yesterday and 
are waiting transportation. I cant tell where. Probabilaley to Port Hudson or Baton Rouge 
or Orleans. I will write more before I send this out. Show this letter to all the neighbors 
ahat wishes to heare from me.
D.S. Morgan to Rachel and J.J. Morgan