The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 67, July 1963 - April, 1964 Page: 418
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Brigade. I omitted to state in the proper place ,that having made
our bed out in the open air, we were aroused before we had all
gotten well asleep by the peals of thunder and lightening in the
North portending a severe storm, and we "took up our bed and
walked" across the Bridge to Maj. Keavy's and obtained permission
from him to spread our blankets in his parlor. And that was not
the full extent of his kindness, but he served us with the first
"splices in the main brace" that we had enjoyed in a coon's age.
We learned of him that the Yanks were certainly at Carencro Bayou
12 miles below Opelousas in a force of perhaps 25,000, a portion of
them negroes, and that our Generals were apparently concentrating
our forces somewhere below this point. Leaving at 1 P.M. we marched
8 miles and encamped immediately on the E. side of the Bayou
[Boeuf]. Had no meat today. Only have along one wagon for the
transportation of the blankets and cooking utensils of the 3 Cos.,
but Maj. Irvine kindly permitted us to stow our mess and some of
our Co. baggage in their wagon.
Oct. 14 Wednesday-Heard that Walker's Div. and Mouton's
Bridg. were encamped near by en route with us. Resumed the march
about sunrise, at 3-1/ miles passed through Holmesville,1o1 a very
small place and like Cheneyville hardly discovered when we had
arrived almost within its precincts. Lt. Long was taken sick yester-
day morning and returned to the place of our departure on the I3th.
Sgt. [Solomon] Landrum on the rear guard today was taken sick
and retired to our wagons without reporting to the surgeon or leave.
Marched about 12-1/ miles beyond Holmesville and camped in an
open pasture against the fence. Went out with Bob [O'Bryan] to
a neighboring farm and bought to chickens. They all went like hot
fritters except three that we reserved for our own use, murdering
one instanter and retiring with pleasurable anticipations of "chicken
doins" on the morrow. Lt. Col. Spaight returned today from a visit
to Alexandria and resumed command of the Batn. His business
there was to procure clothing and stationery and by a conference
with Gen. Taylor to get the Batn. together again either in La. or
Tex., in all of which he was for the present disappointed.102
Richard Taylor, November 8, 1863, Official Records, Series I, Vol. XXVI, Pt. 2, 394.
Speight resigned his commission because of physical disability. Special Order
No. 92, Hdqtrs., Trans-Mississippi Department, April 15, 1864 (MS., War De-
partment Collection of Confederate Records, National Archives, Washington).
lolA hamlet in southern Avoyelles Parish on Bayou Boeuf, Holmesville was sit-
uated in Section 7, Township a South, Range 2 East, about four miles south of
Bunkie.
102The battalion was widely separated. Cavalry Companies A (Captain O. M.
Marsh) and F (Captain W. B. Duncan) were temporarily attached to Colonel
George W. Baylor's 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Arizona Brigade, a part of Major's
brigade on duty in Louisiana. Company B (Captain K. D. Keith) was on the
gunboat Uncle Ben at Sabine Pass.418
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 67, July 1963 - April, 1964, periodical, 1964; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101197/m1/480/?rotate=270: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.