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Author: acmgenealogy
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I don't have an ancestor or photo of someone who was in the regiment but I thought you
might be interested in reading a letter from the surgeon of the unit.
Tony
This letter appeared in the Indianapolis Daily Journal on September 25, 1862 on page 2
column 2. The spelling and punctuation is unchanged from the original publication.
The 21st Indiana in Another Battle.
Carrollton, near New Orleans,
September 12, 1862.
To Governor Morton: Sir: I have to report that the 21st Regiment of Indiana Volunteers
performed a very brilliant achievement on the 8th instant, twenty-five miles from New
Orleans, up the Mississippi and on its right bank, in utterly routing and dispersing five
hundred mounted Texan Rangers, driving them into the swamps and capturing most of their
horses.
The guerrillas had for sometime been molesting our steamers by firing into them as they
passed up and down. News reached headquarters that a regiment of Texan Rangers had come
to aid in these outrages, and our regiment, with two others, were ordered up to disperse
them, part to land above and part to land below them, to preclude the possibility of their
escape. On the night of the 7th a part of the 4th Wisconsin embarked on a transport, and
at daylight next morning landed at the supposed place of rebel rendezvous. It so happened
that we landed on the plantation where the enemy's pickets were posted the night
previous, but retired when they discovered the boat. The main body were posted back in
the cane fields to the west and in ambush. Two companies from our regiment proceeded
through the fields to the west along a ditch, on the banks of which grew very tall weeds,
affording a complete cover. After proceeding half a mile, to a cross road, one of the men
in advance disc!
overed three of the enemy's cavalry. Seeing him alone they advanced and ordered him
to halt, when the whole command fired, killing one and mortally wounding the other two.
The horses of these three rebels were killed. From this point the command, with two
companies of the 4th Wisconsin, marched cautiously half a mile south, and thence one mile
and a half west, through cane and rice fields and reeds and weed immensely high. All
directions offered complete protection for an ambushed enemy. Here we halted, formed in
line, and placed in battery our artillery in command of Lieut. Brough of company C. We
shelled in all directions to feel for the enemy, then proceeded cautiously a third of a
mile south to a road running west one and a half miles to the swamp.
In going through the tall weeds to this road our skirmishers began to pick up crouching
prisoners, and before we finished had gathered twenty-five. A few minutes previously, and
at the time our artillery commenced fire, the whole rebel regiment was drawn up in this
road and in the high weeds, but after a few rounds they dispersed in the utmost confusion
down to the swamp, leaving two stands of colors, and everything else which would impede
rapid flight, such as blankets, coats, canteens, spurs and arms. We pursued them to the
swamp, where we found their horses had been ridden in until mired, and then abandoned by
their riders who waded on as best they could to get out of our way. We captured in the
swamp before we stopped, two hundred and fifty horses all saddled and bridled and mired.
Our men had to wade in mud and water to their arm pits but they labored with brave hearts
and without a murmur.
At sundown we returned to our transport with the spoils of the day, wearied and worn out
with the severest labor under the worst burning sun I have almost ever felt. We returned
to our encampment in the fore part of the night, unloaded, and immediately started back to
recover what horses might be left.
At daylight we were at the same landing, and at 10 o'clock a. m., in the swamps, where
we secured forty more horses.
We found killed six of the rebels, and took twenty five prisoners, among them Captain
January and Lieut. Coxe. These men were well equipped, had fine horses, and all armed
with revolvers, carbines, many Sharpe's rifles, and double-barreled shot-guns, and
such spurs! to be appreciated they must be seen. The regiment was commanded by Colonel
Edwin Waller, and was represented to be brave and daring. It was the most wonderful rout
of the war-and not an instance of five hundred well-armed and well-mounted men so
thoroughly dispersed. But little may be apprehended from them in future, as it will take
them a long time to equip in so good a manner.
Captain January is an old friend of mine, and he told me that they confidently expected to
surprise and capture, or kill, our entire command.
Three days before this, the 21st landed nine miles below this point to disperse a band of
guerrillas, who fired from ambush on a company of the 9th Vermont stationed at Algiers,
going on platform cars twenty miles to their outpost on the railroad. We landed on the
right bank of the river, and proceeded a few miles west, through canebrakes, to the
railroad depot. As we approached it we saw eight or ten of their mounted pickets, on whom
we opened fire; but they abandoned their horses and fled into the wood and cane brakes
with so much haste that they escaped unhurt. We captured their horses, and found in the
depot nine of our soldiers badly wounded. This occurred the day previous, and we made
them a speedy visit. The poor wounded fellows were so delighted to see us and be relieved
they shed tears when they saw us. The rebels had carts ready to carry them off, no one
knew where, but the prisoners were told, to hang them. We brought away the prisoners, and
committed the h!
ouse where they lay to the flames.
Our regiment is in fine health and spirits, and would be glad to see some one from our
State, just to let them know they are not forgotten. We are all proud of our State, and
proud of the exhibition of its patriotic sons in sustaining the country in its present
perilous crisis. The 21st will perform its part nobly and well. It is for its country,
first, last and forever; and against every man and woman whose hands are against it, and
against all men who will not sustain it in its terrible trials to sustain the best
Government ever framed by human mind.
Yours truly, E. Read,
Surgeon 21st Reg. Ind. Vols.
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