[ Autographs ] CIVIL WAR CORRESPONDENCE OF J. H. BROWN A fine Union Soldier's correspondence, comprising 35 letters, mostly ink and multipaged, by J. Harvey Brown of the 91st N.Y. Inf. to his wife between 1861 an 1863. The majority of the letters are either written in Florida or Louisiana, where Brown was wounded in the Port Hudson campaign. In part: "...Pensacola, June 2, 1862...the Rebels have not attacked us yet, but we expect they will...One week ago tonight, at midnight, we was called up to meet them The gun boats shelled them from the bay pretty hot, and they fled and burned the bridge...and gotaway...We can see the rebels I the trees watching us, and last night there was a number of cavalry showed themselves...had quite a brush with the rebs on the 20th of last month...we marched all night...came in sight of the enemy's camp fires and surrounded them...our trusty rifles laid 6 or 8 (with a number of horses) low besides wounding a good many more...we gave a shout that make rebels to tremble and went in...we succeeded in taking eight prisoners...horses, number of carbines, sabers, and small arms....Baton Rouge, Jan. 30, 1863...Thereis one thing the men in general don't like, and that is freeing the niggers. The slave here fares better than we do...the poor class of white people...I have been on a good many plantations and the niggers are well clothed and fat, and you can see the young ladies walking thestreet arm in arm with their slave, and the mistress can hardly excel their slave in dress...there is a regiment of niggers here. They treatus as though the ground was not good enough for them to walk on, but they fight like the D....Baton Rouge, Mar. 9, 1863...we leave in two hours, where I do not know but I think our destination is Port Hudson..I suppose in 24 hours the balls will whistle around my head, but it is what I enlisted for...Camp Pleasant, March 19, 1863...we went within 1 1/2 or 2 miles of Port Hudson. We had some slight skirmishingwith the enemy pickets but we drove them in...the rebels had three shot so that they had to be helped on their horses, I think fatal... about 10 at night we were roused by awful sound...the booming of five hundred guns. Our fleet got in front of the city and opened fire on her. I tell you it was a sight to behold to see the missiles of death and feel the earth tremble beneath your feet...we could see the shellsthat we threw from our fleet as they went whizing...they soon got the place on fire and silenced their batteries nearest the water...for some cause unknown to me, our General ordered us to fall back... Headquarters 91 N.Y. V. in the field, La., Apr. 27, 1863...about 30 miles from Opelousas, La., the Rebel capitol of La. We have captured that place....The last 20 days we have marched over 300 miles, fought 4 battles, won 4 victories, captured...2000 prisoners...sunk the Queenof the West and the Diana, and dispersed their army...There was 13 killed and wounded in the 91 in the battle of the 14...two or three thousand Texan Rangers and Indians, they were in the woods and was backed by six pieces of artillery. There was three reg. sent to drive them out...but instead of driving them they got drove with great loss..our boys went up with a shout...deployed, and went into them. The twofirst volleys we fired we killed and wounded 140, including their colonel...they began to skedaddle...the prisoners say...when them sharpshooters came at them they thought it time to leave...New Orleans June 8, 1863...In my last letter , I promised to give you a sketch ofour expedition in my next, but I think I am excusable, having lost my right hand, or not exactly my hand but my right thumb. So you see it troubles me to write...In winding up our expedition, we tackled Port Hudson. We had three days hard fighting. We did not take the place butwe drove them all inside the fort, and our troops are now seiging it..I was wounded on the 27th of May...Our regt. was the first in the fight. We took a number of guns and drove the enemy inside their works We went into the fight with 447 men, and I heard yesterday that we could not muster but 80...June 25, 1863...my wound is getting along finely, it will soon be well enough for me to go to my regiment. Thereis but about 125 men left...Our Captain was wounded and has since died He was promoted to Major just before the battle of Port Hudson... There has been hard fighting there since I left...". Sadly, the correspondence is terminated with two letters from friends and associates of Harvey, reading, in part: "...Brazier City, La., Oct. 4,1863...It has become my painful duty as a friend and comrade of your husband to communicate intelligence to you...Harvey is very sick...I asked him if he wanted me to write to you, he said he did...I do not write things to make you feel bad, but I believe you would rather knowthe worst than to be deceived...Near Petersburg, Va., June 27, 1864...I...sympathize with you in regard to your loss of your dear companion,but you are only one of thousands of wives who have met with the same fate in...defense of the government and the country...he died in defending one of the noblest governments in the world...". With a chest, up carte-de visite of Brown in uniform, taken while he was stationed at Albany, N.Y. Most letters have transcripts, and are overall in very good condition.