Soon after the Union forces left Baton Rouge, and on August 21 the entire command left for New Orleans. The battery first camped at Carrollton but changed the next day to Materia Ridge where it joined the brigade under Colonel Dudley consisting of 30th Massachusetts, 4th Wisconsin, 21st Indiana, 6th Michigan, 7th Vermont, 14th Maine, 9th Connecticut, 2d, 4th and 6th Massachusetts batteries and 21st Indiana Battery.
The location did not prove healthful, however, and a week later camp was once more changed to Tivoli Circle, New Orleans.
On August 22 Privates Lombard and Barnes died at St. James Hospital. Indeed, sickness followed the battery and in every record we read: "Have been in hospital two weeks." "Came to hospital to-day." "Two more men on the sick list." In the month of October eleven members, some of whom had been in the hospital for weeks were discharged and came home. During the stay in New Orleans, however, the men began to regain their health.
The time from August to December was spent largely in drilling, a parade and some form of drill constituting a part of each day's duty. Inspection of men and quarters was common and some will doubtless remember an acting inspector general who ordered Corporal ——— to get his hair cut, much to the amusement of the boys as said corporal wore a wig. On Thanksgiving Day some of the men fought off the pangs of homesickness by preparing a grand dinner. "The best I've eaten since I left home," while others in the evening gave a grand ball where the music consisted of three violins, a cornet and a banjo.
About this time Lieutenant Trull left to take command of the 4th Massachusetts Battery, Second Lieutenant Marland was advanced to First, and First Sergeant Edw. K. Russell of Chelsea was commissioned to fill the vacant second lieutenancy. On September 8 the death of J. K. Harvey was reported.
General Banks having succeeded General Butler on December 16 in command of the Department of the Gulf, the troops in Louisiana were organized as the 19th Army Corps composed of four divisions and Nims' Battery was assigned to the fourth division commanded by Gen. Cuvier Grover and ordered to report at Baton Rouge. Here it remained until March 13, spending much time in drill—drilling on pieces, as cavalry and with flying movements, and occasionally doing picket duty.
"At this time, while some of our men were acting as pickets several miles outside the town, an incident occurred that, had it taken place in the North would have been called 'a Yankee trick,' but as it is we disclaim it, and let our Southern brother have all the honor (?). Some of our men were acting as mounted pickets, and as they sat upon their horses looking up the road, and listening for the footfall of horse or man, a sharp sound of a bell came from the thick timber land on their side and quickly their ears were open and with eager eyes they sought to fathom the cause of the sounds, when tinkle-tinkle-tinkle came the sounds again and as it fell upon the ears of our men it took them back to their boyhood days when sent for the cows. They listened for the welcome sound of tinkle-tinkle-tinkle. Oh it is only an old cow in the brush: but they soon learned from the bullets' whiz that they had better be moving, and they did." Captain Russell.
On another occasion Sergeant Lincoln and Privates Carter and Wilkins were on picket duty on the Port Hudson Road. Lincoln and Carter were fired on, their horses killed and Carter badly wounded. He dragged himself through the woods to a house where he was put into a wagon and brought to camp. Lincoln was stripped of his equipments and let go.
The records during this period show that a soldier's life meant good hard work—even if fighting was not going on. Battery drill, gun drill, marching drill—all these filled the days and brought the battery to the highest degree of efficiency. One drill consisted of flying movements, dismounting and mounting guns and carriages, slinging guns under the limber, etc., and was nicknamed by the boys "break-neck drill." Accidents were rare, however. Captain Nims invented new signals for the use of his men so that the enemy might not know what orders were being given. Washington's Birthday was observed by a grand artillery review by Captain Closson, chief of artillery, and by raising a large flag across the camp ground.
The most important duty entrusted to General Banks at this time was an advance up the Mississippi against Port Hudson, coöperating with Grant in his movement against Vicksburg. Bank's force, however, was not strong enough to carry the works and he therefore turned his attention to reducing the fortification by other means.