I here append a letter I received from Tom at New Orleans, whither he had been carried and placed in a hospital on account of a wound he had received in a skirmish with some of the rebel forces on the Lower Mississippi:
"At the hospital, New Orleans, La., December, 1864.
"My Dear Beulah:—
"I dare say that you and the children are looking for a letter from me once more. I duly received your own nice, kind and most welcome letters, with all the sweet home news, and I can assure you that they did me an immense deal of good whilst being confined here with my wound. I am, however, doing very well indeed, and in a short time expect to be discharged and in the ranks once more. It is impossible for me to tell you of the kindness and attention of these doctors and nurses in this hospital, it is really most astonishing to see strangers so kind. We are all loud in the praises of these good people, who are taking the best care in the world of us when we are so far from home and from our loved ones. Nobody knows how much good there is in the world until he comes across good strangers like these. Of course there is always plenty of evil in it too; but it is at least a very great compensation to come across so much love and kindness among such strange people. We never looked for anything better than cuffs and blows!
"Although I was not in the very best mood, as I was brought down to New Orleans to enjoy the sights all around me, still I was tremendously impressed with the majesty and immensity of the ever-glorious Mississippi. Well, to be sure,—to be sure! What a grand factor of our national greatness is the Mississippi! I don't wonder at yourself and Mrs. John B. Sutherland always making such a fuss over our glorious river. Indeed too much can never be spoken in its praise, and, above all,—of the great Creator who made it. I have seen plenty of the 'Father of Waters' before on many a long day, as I went sweeping past the forts where I was located further up the river; but, as we came on, it received so many and such large rivers, into its swollen waters, till it was more like a sea than a river; and, although level and destitute of beautiful banks like the Ohio, it had ever an increasing majesty and grandeur about it that mightily impressed all who beheld it. I don't wonder at Uncle Sam fighting so hard for the restoration of the Union. Such a river as the Mississippi alone,—if there were no other,—is the very joy and glory of the United States. But I shall have more to tell you about these things at another time, and I hope to be able to do so by word of mouth when the war is over.
"I very much regret to inform you that several of my wounded comrades have died since we were all brought into this hospital, though the most part of them, in common with myself, have recovered; and we now all desire to go back to war as soon as we are well.
"I have had a good deal of conversation with a soldier who served in the Red river campaign under General Banks, and where the rebels numbered three to our one. In that campaign we were unsuccessful, for they defeated our forces day after day. We were about ten thousand in number, as we fled before such overwhelming odds. It was at this crisis that the black soldier proved himself such 'a very present help in the time of trouble.' If it had not been for Dickey's colored troops there would have been a regular slaughter of the Union forces at Pleasant Grove. These colored soldiers were attached to the first division of the 19th corps. Our army under General Banks had been beaten both days at Sabine, Cross Roads, below Mansfield, and they drove us for several hours before them towards Pleasant Grove. And yet the ardor and spirit of the combined Union forces under Banks and Franklin could not have been much higher. But for all that, it was quite evident that unless the rebels could be checked by the time we were pushed back to Pleasant Grove, all would be lost. So General Emory prepared for the coming crisis on the western edge of a wood, which had an open field before it that sloped down towards Mansfield. It was at this point that General Dwight formed a brigade of the colored troops right across the road in the face of the rebels, who came rushing and hurrahing on, driving our ten thousand men before them. They were charging at double quick time; but the black brigade reserved their fire till the exultant rebels were close at hand, when they all poured a deadly volley into them, arresting them at once, and covered the ground with their dead and wounded. Now a regular fight came on which lasted an hour and a half, and only ceased even then because darkness put an end to the terrible combat. The foe made one charge after another, and as he had plenty of men, he thought he would wear us out at last; but the black soldiers and General Emory's brigade successfully repulsed them every time, and thus saved the Union army from being destroyed. Nor was this the only time that our own troops met the rebels in the Red river campaign, and defied both them and their repeated threats of 'the black flag;' for they always said that they would not treat a black man like a white man if the former fell alive into their hands. They said they would treat him like a wild beast, and not like a human being at all! No doubt but that was done to keep our soldiers from fighting for freedom and the Union; but the threat most signally failed, because our brave men cared not a straw for their black flag; indeed the threats, and even the practices of the rebels in destroying some of our prisoners whom they took in the beginning contributed a great deal in bringing about the downfall of the rebel powers, at least up to the present time; and will no doubt contribute more and more till the last rebel lays down his arms. Although a war proclamation has been issued that we will shoot our rebel prisoners, if they kill any of our men, I am unable to say what general effect it has had so far. I only know that none of the men who have fallen alive into their hands have ever since been heard of, and I fear the worst. But of one thing I am sure, and that is, that the 'black soldiers' so far has done as good fighting as the 'white soldiers,' and he has either won or been defeated with the latter on many a hard fought field. He has had his full share in disaster and victory alike; and thus he will still assist in pulling down this terrible rebellion,—but I must lay down my pen. With much love to yourself and all, I am,
"Your most affectionate,
"THOMAS."