marched
twenty miles and went into camp for the night very tired and some very
foot-sore. I was sick all day but managed to keep up with the regiment.
It was very hot and dry.

May 7th. This morning I was sick and got a pass from Doctor Wood, our
army surgeon, to go on to the ambulance wagon. But found on
investigation that there was no room for me, as the wagons were full of
sick men unable to sit up. Therefore I was obliged to ride on a baggage
wagon all day. Went into camp at night feeling some better. Went out
with other comrades and bought some chickens of the darkies. About this
time the paymaster arrived. It was a time of great interest to the men,
as we had not been paid for more than four months. A great many wanted
to send money to their families and friends who, in some cases were in
great need. But we were about two hundred miles from New Orleans, the
nearest point from which money could be sent with safety. There were no
Confederates in arms between us and New Orleans but the country was
full of men who had broken all laws and who held any human life very
cheap, when money was at stake. How to send home the money the soldiers
could spare was a very important question. In a chapter printed
elsewhere in this book, entitled "How the Pay of the Regiment was
Carried to New Orleans by Lieutenant Henry Hill Goodell," it will be
told how it was accomplished.

On May 21st we received marching orders and about noon we embarked on
board the little steamer Empire Parish along with the One Hundred and
Fifty-ninth New York and the Thirteenth Connecticut. I wonder if anyone
can imagine how crowded we were, also taking into consideration that a
good many of the soldiers were inclined to be troublesome. Colonel
Bissell was taken quite sick at about this time and had to find a place
to lie down. Soon after 3 P.M., while the rest of the boats were being
loaded we shipped from the dock and away up the Atchafalaya to the Red
River where we passed the Switzerland and another little boat watching
for Rebel craft. Here we slipped down the Red River to the Mississippi,
where we came upon the grim old Hartford, Rear Admiral Farragut's
flagship. The Thirteenth Connecticut band saluted her as we passed,
with "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Yankee Doodle." At about midnight
we went ashore at Bayou Sara, sixteen miles from Port Hudson. A portion
of our brigade marched on and left our regiment to unload the boats. It
was after 2 A.M. b