Gunboat Choctaw
Mouth of Red River
Sept. 27th/ [18]63

Dear Parents,

In order to keep you from fretting I must write often although I‘ve no news to tell. I your last letter you spoke about a young man named Andrew R. Jackson. I forgot to say anything about him when I last wrote. I am unable to give you any information in regard to him as I have not seem him or an of the Lexington’s crew since June. He is one of the twelve boys who stopped with Jaime Stewart and I at Brown’s Hotel at Erie. He was Ship’s painter on the Cincinnati. When our purser was here he said that all the Lexington’s crew were well except Johnny Oberist and I suppose Jackson was included among the well ones. This is all I know about him.

Our boat has broken its back. The main deck which is made of two[-]inch iron has fallen so that it now rests on the boilers. We have taken everything off the deck that we think will lighten it. We attempted to raise it sometime ago, but it has fallen in again. We are unable now to keep up steam in the boilers. We are going up the river as soon as there is sufficient water in the channel to take us up.

No accounts have come yet but the purser still says he expects them in every mail. The Gen Lyon General Lyonwill be down in a few days and I hope they will come down on her. The darkies have moved their huts from the top of the bank down under cover of the bank so as to be out of the way of our guns in case guerrillas should attack us.

Today (Sunday) they are employed in various ways. The religious ones are singing Psalms and hymns, others in songs, others in dancing and so on. They seem to enjoy themselves hugely but they will soon be sent down to Hudson and another batch will take their place.

I suppose you have fruit in abundance in Buffalo. How is our grapes getting along this year? Now I don’t want you to blame me anymore for not writing for I write about three letters to your one. Give my love to all at home. Write soon,

Your affect son,

Daniel

Footnotes

12 Pounder howitzer on uper deck of USS General Lyon. NH 53866. U.S. Naval Historical Center. http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h53000/h53866.jpg