Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-07-09
FROM THE ARMY.
Correspondence of Missouri Democrat.

HEADQUARTERS AT \ II POINT X. L.
lO3 miles west from Leavenworth, Friday, June IS.
The reveille at 3 so A. NJ, the setting out
on the march at $50 (the intermediate time
being occupied with the cooking and eating
ol breakfast and the re-loading Of the wagons)
may now be considered an established rule at
headquarters Making a halt for fifteen
minutes at noon, if an inviting spot presents
itself, promises to become a usage also. The
animals are then watered, the men replenish
their canteens, and the officers learn with
dismay how rapidly those liquids, which are
limited in supply, evaporate in the heat and
dust of the march. The hour for encampng
in generally between and in the afternoon
The point is designated in advance by ''the
General" when some of che men ride on and
as it were, to take possession Of it. In their
red shirts on the side of grassy slope, they
are signal for the ambulances lin the first
of which the General rides.) to turn aside,
leaving the road. The General selects the
site of his tent, and that point determines
the lines of the encampment. The officers
tents, with their wagons and ambulances, are
placed apart. the vehicles constituting the
first line, the cooking tents the second, and
the dwelling tents the third. The soldiers
and teamsters, tents and wagons, are also
drawn up in lines, and when night comes
sentries are placed over all. As soon as the
vehicles reach the ground the mules are
turned loose to Craze, and at sundown they
are 'picketed' for the night, being first fed
on corn. Picketing means fastening one end
of rope, thirty feet long, to the mules head,
and the other end by means ofan iron pin to
the ground In the mui ming ho stands in a
very well defined circle, twenty yards in
diameter, and as bare us Il circus ring.
| need not say that the ancient and univer-
sal custom Of kindling fires is observed with
alacrity, as soon as the tents are pitched.
The ambulances are hardly on the ground
when the servants are scouting for frewood.
The smoke of the cooking stove promptly
rises from the apex of every tent which has
a stove; and elsewhere the open fires under
the oak trees, ministered to by men in strange
vestments suggest the fancy that the fire
worshipping Druids still exist.
Major Emory's column was in motion as
early as the Generals escort both advancing
in parallel lines. The infantry of the Sixth
column consists of two companies of the Sew
enth regiment, under Major Paul The cav
airy we did not see, as they do not start as
early as the foot soldiers. The Germans
among the latter We're singing in chorus, as
their custom is, and their vocalzation was
rendered more effective by the accessories of
the hour and the place have already men
toned that the division of trains which this
column escorts has not yet come up, n cir
cumstance which will somewhat retard it's
progress. The beef oxen of the column are
driven SO as to come up with the camp some
time in the night.
The country which have seen to-day re-
tains its primitive appearance intact, Ger
tainly we encountered three or four whisky
shops during the day, and detected the out
lines of two or three farms, but with the ex-
ception of these, and IL most unique speci-
men of house, intended, not for u dwelling
but for meeting certain acquisitions of the
graduation law, the telescope even could not
discover any sign of permanent occupancy in
| man yet the scenery we beheld is not wild
| and savage, but the reverse. The prairies
| here resemble meadows when clothed with
| aftergrass. There are oak groves in all the
| valleys. No element of perfect landscape
swanting except water. If still lake OF
or running river were embraced within the
horizon, no more pleasant scenery could be
discovered by the tourist.
| We crossed the Great Nemaha at noon
Previously we got u supply of fresh beef
The Commissary of the sixth column shot q
beef and sold it at six cents pound, About
one O'Clock it began to rain, but fortunately
1t was only shower. Inc skies TINS even
ing indicate broken weather. The road tC
day was excellent. Thermometer did not &c
higher than 79 and in the forenoon it hac
fallen to 20. An express from Fort Kearney
has just arrived in the camp. He is on hi
way to Leavenworth, and will take this com
munication with him. He brings no news
but merely requisitons for some things want
ed at Fort Kearney. The only OK train w
nassed to-dav was that of DYER the sutler
| have come to the conclusion that the whis
key shop is the harbinger of civilization il
the West. Alone on the prairie was whs
key barrel in the centre Of "a square, On
the four naked posts, which stood on tn
four corners, was placed a kind Of covering
from which hung some bedding Sitting Oh
the grass by the barrel, with q tin measur
in his hand, ready to wait on his customers
was the proprietor of the establishment.
will do him the justice to say that he SCENE
J t. feel ashamed of himself.