Donaldsonville a few days ago demanding the surrender of the
town. But the provost-marshal gathered his forces together, amounting
to about two hundred, got inside his fortifications, and waited for
them to come up. The contest was kept up from midnight till daylight,
when the sudden appearance of a gunboat caused the Rebels to skedaddle,
leaving about one hundred dead on the field, several hundred wounded
and one hundred and twenty prisoners.

Now comes the great surprise of all. The confounded Rebs have got into
Bayou Boeuf and destroyed or captured the whole of our division
property stored there. Tents, baggage, knapsacks, company and
regimental books are all gone. At this time we were all as poor as
Job's turkey. Except for the rags that cover us, we haven't a thing.
Were I where I could, I should like to write a letter to the Soldiers'
Aid Society for some handkerchiefs, being reduced to the last shift, i.
e., the flap of an old shirt picked up in a deserted mansion. Word
comes from Colonel Bissell that he is slowly improving. We are hoping
that we shall see him with us again soon. But I really believe his
sickness saved his life, for it is doubtful if he would have come out
alive from the charge the regiment made on the 27th of May. We are
having some very hot weather. We are spending most of our time on
picket duty and trying to keep cool. You would have laughed if you
could have seen us at our meals wearing only shirt and drawers, while
our comical colored boy, Adam, squatted down on the ground in front of
us keeping the flies off. This Adam was a corker. Speaking of Mobile
one day, he said: "Reckon you couldn't fool dis nigga much in dat town.
Specks he was born and raised dar. Yah! yah! yah! Reckon he knows ebry
hole dar from de liquor-shops to de meeting houses."

July 8th. The dispatch from General Grant, previously referred to, was
received. The booming of big guns, the cheers and shouts of the Union
soldiers and the strains of patriotic music informed the besieged that
something had happened. They were not slow to find out the cause of the
rejoicing. General Gardner sent a flag of truce to General Banks to
know if the report that Vicksburg had surrendered was true and received
in reply a copy of General Grant's dispatch. The garrison had done
their duty with brave fortitude. The Union lines were already in some
places up to their breastworks. Starvation was staring them in the face
and taking everything i