During this time the 16th Ohio remained camped in Brashear City (now Morgan City), Louisiana, on the banks of Berwick Bay. Cpl. Theodore Wolbach, in his series of Camp and Field articles documenting the history of the regiment, tell us the general purpose of the current expedition:

During the sieges of Port Hudson and Vicksburg, the few small Federal garrisons in western Louisiana had been over-powered and captured by (Confederate General) Dick Taylor's army. The present expedition was to recover the lost ground and drive the enemy out.

On Saturday, September 12, Pvt. Thomas Linn, Company B, records:

Flag of truce came from the enemy to the other side of bay. Could not find out what it meant.

1853 railroad map (portion) showing the location of Brashear City, along the New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad: