28 HENRY HILL GOODELL 



"March 19, there was ordered an inspection of arms in 

 the morning. While waiting for the colonel to come round 

 to my company, the adjutant came along and said that 

 the colonel, relying on my discretion and judgment, had 

 ordered me to take picked men from the regiment and go 

 out foraging after corn, and that if I got into any muss he 

 would be ready to lend a helping hand. In a few minutes 

 we were under way. Went out two miles and accomplished 

 our mission satisfactorily. 



"March 20, received marching orders. At 3 o'clock got 

 under way, and after a weary, hot march we reached our 

 camp-ground at Baton Rouge at 7 o'clock. As we marched 

 past Banks's head-quarters, he came out and saluted, 

 while the bands of the different regiments played and 

 we marched past at shouldered arms. We lay in the open 

 air again all night, for it was too late and the men were 

 too tired to pitch our tents that night." 



"March 21, was busy all day getting up our tents and 

 fixing ourselves generally, and that will complete the thread 

 of my tale up to to-day. Excuse all moral reflections on 

 the object of this expedition and what it has accomplished, 

 for I am writing at lightning speed, having just received 

 marching orders again, and all is packing and confusion 

 around me. Where we are going to, nobody knows, so I 

 can't enlighten you." 



Donaldsonville, Sunday, March 29, 1863. 



At last, after being over a week packing up, waiting for 

 orders, we are on the move. We left Baton Rouge last night 

 at 6.30, and reached this place at 9 (as our luck would have 

 it) in a rain-storm. Lay under the trees all night, and this 



