Autograph letter signed by W.W. Morse, Co. D, 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, to Ellen Rudd. Provost Marshal's Office, Thibodeaux, Louisiana, 29 March 1864. 6 pages, 8vo. With original envelope addressed to Miss Ellen Rudd of Illinois, with red 3-cent stamp and Thibodeaux cancel.

A letter written by W.W. Morse, a private in the 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, who was able to secure a position as a clerk in the Provost Marshal's Office near Thibodeaux. He remarks that " I have very easy times. ...all I have to do is to write."

He records his observations of the numerous Confederate deserters, many of whom join the Union Army, as well as some colorful Yankees: "A man or woman over 17 must have a pass and the oath or they can't go from our town to an other with out being arrested. ...there is deserters coming in every day + taking the Oath of Alliegance and some enlist right in to our army they are hard cases (the Rebs are). This place is full of them in fact you can't find hardly a man that is a citizen but what is. And some (I am sorry to say) that wears the blues are too. There is a Regt here now called the first La. they are about half of them no better than Rebs they are the outcasts of New Orleans, men that I presume before the war were Robbers and muderers and now have gone in to the U.S. service because it was the surest side to fight on but after all they don't care a continental which side whips, + if any thing they had rather have the south whip than the north."

Notably, he discusses the reactions of enslavers now forced to pay their slaves wages: "You had better believe it grinds these rich planters around here to have to pay the Negroes for their Labor if they abuse the Negroes in any way strike them or kick them in any way + they come to the Provost Marshal and complain of him he will send a guard out after the man and fetch him right in and like enough put him into jail for about 30 day or pay a 1.00 or 2 dollars, that is what they hate but it does me good to see it."

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