Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

Saturday, 22d—After an all night run, we landed this morning at daylight at Goodrich’s Landing, on the Louisiana side, from which place we marched two miles up the river and went into bivouac, where we remained all day. There were four brigades in the expedition, comprising about five thousand men, and commanded by Brigadier General Stephenson. There is a camp of several thousand negro refugees here, old men, women and children, they having fled from the plantations. They are fed on Government rations doled out to them, which cannot take the place of their accustomed corn bread and pork. They are poorly cared for, the place being a miserable camp of filthy hovels, and are dying by the hundreds of disease and neglect.