Friday, December 25, 1863

The holiday arrived, but the soldiers were in no condition to celebrate.  However, their regimental cooks were resourceful and made pies from dried apples, sprinkled some sugar on toast, and worked some culinary magic on the beef.  All things considered, the men enjoyed a respectable army Christmas dinner.

Wednesday, December 23, 1863

When the soldiers first arrived on the peninsula, their duties were relatively light.  Their time was spent in skirmish drill by bugle signals, gathering shells, bathing, and fishing with seine nets borrowed from the navy.

Not only did their fishing produce many excellent meals, but it was also exciting for the men from Illinois to discover mysterious sea creatures they had never seen before.

For some reason, soon after their arrival they ran out of rations.  But, the peninsula was well stocked with sheep, which they butchered, and lived on almost entirely for eight or ten days.

Monday, December 21, 1863

Despite the southern location, the weather was very cold.  Life in the tents on the sandy beach was not pleasant.  At night the wind would howl across the sandy beach.  The only available firewood was water-soaked sticks and chunks that had washed ashore.  It was not easy to burn, and it was in short supply.

Saturday, December 19, 1863

The soldiers set up their tents and stowed their gear.  They had been issued new shelter tents consisting of a small strip of canvas about 4 feet wide and 7 feet long.  Today we would call them pup tents. They were barely large enough for one person.  These new tents took the place of the larger Sibley and Bell tents that were shared by several men.

The storm finally broke.  The sun came out, but the air was very chilly.  The men were in much better spirits, partly due to the sunshine, but also the absence of sea sickness.

Friday, December 18, 1863

The 130th Illinois Infantry disembarked on De Crow's Point, Texas, which is the headland of the island located between Matagorda Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.  The island is about 50 miles long, and from one-fourth of a mile to a full mile wide at various points.  Technically, the island is a peninsula, as it connects to the mainland to the northeast.

As the peninsula is only a few few feet above sea level, it becomes completely submerged during high water.  This happens frequently during severe storms.  During one of these storms a few years after the war the peninsula was completely submerged and all the people on it perished in the Gulf.

The peninsula was almost a barren sand-bar.  There was very little vegetation, except wild grass, rushes and a few cactus, which grew to a very large size.  On the Gulf side of the peninsula, the wind and the tide formed the sand into large dunes.

Although they were almost surrounded by salt-water, they could find drinking water by digging holes two or three feet into the sand.

Thursday, December 17, 1863

Finally, the storm subsided and the waters of the Gulf of Mexico calmed.  This evening smaller vessels came out from Matagorda Bay and through the mouth of the outer island to the Continental.   The steamer St. Mary came along side the Continental and tied off to the larger vessel.  The men of the 130th Illinois Infantry boarded the smaller steamer and were transported to the island without incident.

Wednesday, December 16, 1863

There was a great deal of excitement overnight.  Early this morning, while it was still dark, the line to the ship's anchor broke.  The Continental was at the mercy of the waves until the ship was able to get anchored again.

Tuesday, December 15, 1863

After the stormy passage the steamer arrived in sight of Pass Cavallo.  As there was no wharf, pier or dock, the steamer dropped anchor.  In ideal conditions smaller boats with shallow drafts would come along side the steamer and transport the men and their supplies to the island.

However, the rough seas made this impossible.  And so the "Continental" rolled and pitched in the waves.  The men could look out over the gulf and see other transport steamers in the same situation.

Monday, December 14, 1863

As the storm continued, it turned much colder.  The number of men suffering from sea-sickness grew throughout the day.  There were fewer jokes today.

Sunday, December 13, 1863

Late this morning, the 130th Illinois, along with the 48th Ohio regiment, boarded the steamer "Continental" bound for Matagorda Bay, Texas.  Sailing on a large body of water like the Gulf of Mexico was going to be a new experience for many of the men from southern Illinois.  

The passage down the Mississippi River from New Orleans to the Gulf was very pleasant.  On either shore the soldiers viewed broad plantations, with elegant residences surrounded by orange groves.  The weather was delightful. The sun was shining brightly in the clear sky, and there was a gentle breeze blowing from the Gulf.  

However, all that changed at 5 o'clock when they reached the Gulf.  

Both regiments were on the deck enjoying a ride on the ocean waves, when suddenly the bottom seemed to drop out from under them.  The waves grew larger, the skies grew dark, and the wind began to blow hard. In less than an hour the majority of the men had gone below, feeling very sick.  

The waves were rolling about twice as high as the ship, which would ride up over the wave and down into the trough, before starting up the next wave. 

During the night, the groans from the sea-sick could be heard, along with jokes from those who were not affected by the rough seas.  The sailors also found much humor in seeing the men so sick.

Friday, December 11, 1863

At 2:00 o'clock this morning, the regiment crossed Berwick Bay into Brashear City.  They boarded a train and reached Algiers, opposite New Orleans, at noon. 

Here they learned the division was on its way to Texas by way of the Gulf of Mexico.  Their final destination was Pass Cavallo, Texas near Matagorda Island.  The island is an "outer bank" or "barrier island" seperating the Gulf of Mexico from Matagorda Bay.  It is located on the Texas Gulf Coast, about half way between Galveston and Corpus Christi.  

Thursday, December 10, 1863

After two full days and two partial days of marching, the regiment reached Berwick Bay today.

Monday, December 7, 1863

The Western Louisiana Campaign came to an end today.  All of the regiments in the Division, including the 130th regiment, received orders to return to New Orleans.

The soldiers of the 130th left today and started marching back along the Bayou Teche.