On the 21st of October we moved out towards Opelousas. After a march of a few miles we ran against a force of rebels. We formed our line of battle and after a good shelling from Nims’ battery, we advanced on them. They fell back without showing much resistance.
We marched through Opelousas and went into camp at Bear’s Landing on Bayou Tableaux. Our cavalry had a skirmish with the 2nd Louisiana, killing five men and capturing several prisoners. We found better water than we had drunk since we left New Orleans.
On the morning of the 23rd, we built a pontoon. Our cavalry and forage train crossed over and went out about eight miles. They captured eleven prisoners and brought back wagons loaded with sweet potatoes and other forage, besides driving back a bunch of beef cattle.
We lay here until the morning of the 29th when we marched back to Opelousas. Here we met our second brigade commanded by Colonel Slack. On the morning of the 30th, three companies of our regiment were sent out on a foraging expedition. We had traveled about three miles when we met two cavalrymen coming in as fast as their horses could run. They stopped long enough to report that the rebels were in front of us in full force. They thought that their company had been taken prisoners.
By the time that we had moved ahead through a dashing shower of rain we came up to the grove where the enemy was reported to be. We met a company of cavalry, which proved to be our own men coming out. We went on out about eight miles, got our forage, and returned to camp without the loss of a man.
November 1st, 1863, we went back thirteen miles and went into camp on Carron Crow Bayou. We left General Burbridge’s brigade at Camp Fairview, as a rear guard. On the 3d they were attacked by nine thousand rebels. There was a general engagement. We could see the smoke rising up out of the timber, and could hear the heavy roar of the cannon and rattling musketry.
It is hard to describe the fearful thoughts that filled our minds while we were waiting for the order to go and aid them. But soon it came, “Move out Twenty-fourth on double quick time.” We had a run of about four miles before we stopped and formed our lines within eighty yards of the place where our retreating army was coming out of the timber. We could not open fire on account of our boys falling back. Here we were standing right in front, in danger.
Some negro cooks were shaking white rags from a low place into which they had crawled for protection. Two companies of Texas cavalry charged round our flank and went flying back to our camp. A section of Nims’ battery, which we had left at camp, and our sick soon sent them back about as fast as they went.
One of their number had charged through our lines, making a collision with our cavalrymen. His horse was killed and his leg was shattered to the hip. This brave man was a rebel, belonging to the Second Texas cavalry. I was an eye witness to the amputation of his leg. I never heard whether or not he recovered.