On 3.6.64 Joe Lapraire, 1st La. Scout Batt. leads Cpt. Bunker, 3 rd. Mass. Inf. from Alexandria,La. to Ft. De russy so Gen. Banks can open communications with,I presume, Brig. Gen. Fitz Henry Warren who reached Ft. Derussy via Mouth of the Red River.
Is Bunker's men unrolling a telegraph line to Ft. Derussy from Alexandria, La. ?
Without this happening, how can Gen. Banks continuously communicate with Ft. Derussy, unless he uses a courrier ?
I noticed that towards the end of the march all kinds of equiptment , food, medicine, clothing,canned milk, etc... is pouring into Simmsport,La .,all being ordered by A.A.G and others...one of the items ordered from Memphis is a Signal Corps, telegraph wagons and thier equipage, and the men to operate them....Wouldn't a 33,000 man army already have these items ?