Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-06-28

En- ROUTE FOR BooSvILLE, June II.

Of Missouri Railroad, en- route for Boonville
am writing on the cars, in the baggage room
This will account for the bad style of my usr
. ally beautiful chirography. am sitting o
the edge of pine table, with my musket o
my arm, my cartridge box and tin cup buck
led on, and my revolver at my side, upon
blank leaf in my orderly book, on the who'll
presenting very fierce, and am afraid row
: dy-like appearance. Our troops are riding ii
. cattle cars, 100 mento u car, standing up ant
closely packed. They have hard time of it
Last night the train from Hannibal, loaded
with troops for Macon, was fired into by
squad of secessionists, near Palmyra. NJ
; one killed. Capt. Cook, at Shelby, caught
wretch attempting to fire the railroad bridge
, and it is rumored that he ordered him Out
this morning to be shot.
Corporal Ritz last night met with sad &C.
cident-his gun going off and shooting him
through the arm. The wound is not serious
and he is doing well. This comprises all the
fighting items.
Isuppose that you have received many ex-
aggerated accounts ofour passage. The SIM
pie truth is, that as yet, we have seen no
fighting nor anything approaching to it, ex-
cept as above described.
The temper Of the people as we pass. them
is varying. Some salute us with waving
handkerchiefs and cheers, others maintain q
sullen, ominous silence, while some show to-
kens of anger and hatred, shaking their fists
and heads.
The bridges are burned on this road, and
the track torn up in several places We run
a hand car before us all the time, The day is
cloudy and windy. 4 slight rain has laid the
dust and made the travelling more comforta-
BILE,
This country is beautiful one, we'll tim
bered and watered, and with rich soil and
land cheap as dirt.
Henry O'Connor is sitting by me seated on
sacl. Of potatoes, and looking very much
like cross between an italian brigand and
Connaught ranger-a hard looking picture,
indeed. asked him if he had any word to
send home, and he told me to tell his wife to
seen him clean shirt, as his last one was
stolen.
| Ben. Beach and Satterlee are looking gay
and festive and pretty hard, like the rest of
us. They are engaged in watching the side
of the road for secessionists. Sam Iiomes is
asleep on cracker barrel, carrying box of
good pomade in his cap. Bill Fessler's figure
is perched on little box at the door, with
his gun pointed out, and yelling to every one
he sees either for the Union or for glass
of~well, yoY. Gan es Imagine what, | can't tell
for the din. An old, graybeardcd patriot
just rode up towards the train as it passed,
cheering us and waving both hands enthusi-
| asticaly. God bless him.
Wheat and rye are looking well. Corn
backward
BooNyILLE, Mo-, June q.
Well, we have had march. Yes, sir, and
we don't want another. Myletter on the cars
was interrupted by our arrival at Renick, a
small town in H. yard county, and ene Of the
head quarters CT .saoessionism. A company
from this place had gone to Boonville and
| taken part in the fight there. We found two
thirds of the citizens had fed, and their dwell
lings locked up on our approach. The hotel
of the place was naNed Haacy Hotel. The
boys took down the sign, and behold under
tin plate which bore the above name, was
blue and gold sign we'll painted bearing the
name UNION HOTEL. This tin one was torn
off and captured, apd the CID sign again hoist
ed, amid the cheers Of the regiment. Capt.
Cummins captured a large secession flag in
the hotel: seon after the engine came up
with fine Union flag, which was hcisted in
the town, and our Henry OConnor being
called out made another Of his eloquent and
stirring speeches
The inhab;tssntss I'll Elafessed 10 be Union
men. We here slept in the open air for the
first time After a sound sleep we were
awakened early in the morning by the stirring
strains of the reveille, and aftteg breakfast
look up our march for Bocnville, 60 miles dis
tant, and long ones at that. This was
Wednesday morning. Wednesday night we en-
camped at Bunker Hill. AS we approached
it crowd of horsemen and footmen who were
on the lookout for our approach, took precipi-
lately to their heels and the woods. Thurs
day night we encampcd in the woods within
four miles of Boonville, and on Friday we ar
| xri4h
about 5000 troops and seven steamboats,, on
one Ct WHICH, tue White Cloud, we are now
quartered. The boats are the Louisiana,
White Cloud, Iatan, War Eagle, A. Mcdowell,
ID. A. January, j. G. Evan, and two others.
The march was very hard on the boys, but
they stood it very well. They are all in good
health except Geo. w. Conner and Mr.. Fales.
The latter had his arm famed by a log rolling
over it to-day. Corporal Ritz has not been
heard from SINCE he left His wound is not
dangerous though pretty bad one. Oempa-
| ny G are all well as far as | can learn. Col
Blair is here. Col. Bates is winning praise
from all quarters for his GOODNESS, courage and
4 his good care Of his men.
At Renick we impressed several teams in
our service, and at Fayette we killed severa
beeves for the use cfthe regiment. urboys
have behaved very well, molesting neither
persons nor property, with the exception of
a stray chicken now and then, which somehow
finds its way into our camp Kettles No aues
tions are asked of the new comer which is al
!. ways welcomed quite heartily.
i This letter will 60 down the river as sool
IS as possible. l suppose that you have hear
!. all sorts of rumors respecting US. The friend
n Of the boys May dismiss all their fears up t
..-o.o1 Jox,n 1,of n INV 70