Alfred C. Weeks to William F. Weeks, November 6, 1863

Weeks Family Papers, Records of the Antebellum Southern Plantations, Series I, Part 6, Reel 18, Frames 221-225

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Nibletts Bluff Nov 6th 1863

My dear Bill,

I returned here from my journey eastward, the day before yesterday & was nearly broken down. I left here on Wednesday morning, & went to Lake Chas. Next day I went to Lake A. where I got a horse, & continued on, & slept at Bayou Vermilion. Next morning Friday I went to Winston's to breakfast. He was very glad to see me, & gave me every assistence. That day I crossed the Bayou & got a horse frm [De Broca?], & rode towards N Town. I met old Lynch just from Pattersonville who gave me all the information I desired. He says that they had one [infantry?] regiment, or rather fragment in Franklin, none in N Town except perhaps a Provost Guard, very few at Lafayette. They have never yet gone to Washington in any force.

On my return to Lake A. I found several men who state that they are falling back. 5000 infantry, & [5000?] cavalry, had already passed through Vermillionville on the back track.

I think from all I can hear that they will soon all be gone & that we can carry our mules back.

When I got back to Lake Chas I found that Reid had caught [Segime? Lezime?] & [Qosh? Josh?] & that they state that Shepherd was taken up in Texas somewhere. [Qosh? Josh?] says he was taken sick & that Shepherd & Lezime were left to take care of them & that they were so slow they could not keep up. They do not know what has become of the balance, though they think they are [abroad?]. They say they heard nothing of Anthony & Auguste.

Jack is very sick, or I would send them on. They are still at Reid's [mines?]. I have every thing read to go to holling the cotton as soon as [Rolf?] gets here with the orders. I have made a contract with Capt. [Carlos?] to holl it at $75. per bale. He is to pay me, as soon as the cotton is holled.

If I get it all straight there is here a train of six wagons, 24 yoke of first rate oxen which I think I will buy. I do not wish to work the mules much & will send them hom eas soon as the cost is clear and with these six, our two, & what I can holl with the mules going home I will soon get it there. It is a good investment too. The cattle are used to working together & the man proposes to sell every thing. [Jack?] screws, chains, [illegible] tools, cooking utensils. His name is [Michael?] & he has made a great deal of money with the train, but a few days ago, he was thrown from his horse & his leg very badly broken. He sent for me, & proposed to sell me his train.

I have come to no terms, am waiting for [wolf?] to come, if I get the cotton holling, I will buy the train. I think it will be a good thing if we can pay for it in holling the cotton & get the teams home & have ten ox wagons ready by the first of March. We can get I think eight mule teams say 6 mules to a team, & ten ox teams. It is useless to try to get up a train with carts. It will kill any stock in the world. I think I can get some of the wagons changed at Lake Chas & the balance at Washington. I propose to take Brown home & let him fit up, the harness for 8 mules wagons. I have time today & write this to you to let you know my views. If we can get all ready & have the stock in order & start by the first of March we can make a good thing.

I have chain enough at home to make all the lead chains &c.

We will want a smith & if you have made no disposition of Miller you had better hold on to him.

We can make more with 20 wagons than we can with 40 carts. The oxen that work in the wagons look well, mules too will do much better. Our harness is all gone, & Brown tells me he will fit us up first rate. This train I am told is the best on the road. Some of the wagons do not look "first rate" but they are solid, the oxen are very fine. There are about $800 worth of chains at present prices. All this you can think of. To buy this train, change the carts to wagons, get the harness & all to get up 18 wagons, buy say 8 more mules will involve an outlay of some $15000. It is a large outlay but we ought to holl say 30 [hogheads] sugar. The enemy had not taken any sugar when I was there. We can make the amount at one trip of the train. Fixed as we are it is up hill work.

You have mules & carts enough to fit up your wagons & there are enough here to get up from six to eight.

All this we can determine on.

Lynch told me that your boy Alfred had gone home. He came out as far as Vermillion Bayou looking for you & then returned.

There would be no danger in your going home. The Yankees now never leave the Bayou.

There is nothing now going on here. I hope you will be along soon. I will let you know as soon as there is any thing from the Enemy. The Col. told me yesterday that his information was that they were all moving back.

I send you some letters in which I would thank you to mail. One to F. S. Richardson. Perhaps you had better send it to Randolph. See what can be done for my old buggy. If you see [word?], sell the mare for all you can get. She ought to bring $3000.

I would not break up the camp at the R. R. entirely. It is very useful if you can manage it. Make some arrangement with Eaton.

My regards to [illegible].

I forgot to say that John Richardson was on Bayou Vermilion before I got there. He had left only a few dogs. He said they were getting very well, never saw a Yankee. Dr. Eperson is dead.

Winston has only lost 3 negroes, DeBroca 18, Mrs Cade every one but two old ones. The Moutons have not one left. They took them to the River to work the [Gast?] plantations.

Lynch says they are more quiet than before, but all took the oath in N. Town. They are administering it every where. I heard no names. Robertson had not taken it. He is at the Lake.

I sent the Flour 12 sacks to Abeville, whence it will be sent to N Iberia. Fonteline will take it.

He sold sugar to speculations for $90 in Greenbacks. He says there is a great demand for sugar. I am told by Lynch that [Saban?] is buying a great deal. He will [engineer?] ours through I hope. [Dan?] wrote me word he had mached it all.

I may run over if I get things to work here & see you. I am awful tired of this place.

I rode all the way to Vermillion & back here on HOrseback. My grey horse was lame & I had to leave him & ride the mare. She did first rate.

I will ship the balance of the sugar as soon as the boat comes.

The 4 [hogsheads] I sold brought $2912.50 $728 each at Lake Chas. Our profits in the oranges was some $1,000 & the cards & flour will bring them up to some $5000.

If our country is given up we had better buy 50 sacks flour.

Yours truly,

Alfred C. Weeks.