Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-12-05
War Correspondence Regiment.
BENTON Barracks, J
Nov. 1sth, 1861.


Iowa volunteers, en- route iovSt. Louis.
As YOU are aware, one thousand men
could not be packed into the cribted'
csbined and confined quarters which
had been provided for US 10y Cap.
Chambers, OF the L S. Army, on the
Dcs Moines City and her two "barges,
and so the steamer Add iine Carried
three Of the companies OF the regiment.
The company 10 which belong wac
placed il one Of the aforesaid barges,
and enioyed all the comforts and luxu-
ries appertaning to travelling on nat
boats and mud.scows. Two companies
was slowed into said barge and three
companies crammed in the hold and
other out of the way, places OF the boat.
Some unreasonable ass who tancled that
he deserved human treatment though
he was a soldier, might have objected 10
sleeping on wet straw, or protested
against living on the leaky bottom OF
barge, with bilge water occasionally
dashing in his cars or scattering 10 his
face, but all OF onr company appreciated
the "military necessity OF certain
army captains making good thing
ont Of us,and suppressed all Indignation
or dissatisfaction at being delused in the
dirty flaid which constituted the flooring
of our barge. Once, some OF US sent
up stairs for tho Captain OF our company,
who came down to examine our sleep.
ing accommodations and gratifed us all
BY damning all swindling contractors
| aud quartcrmasters, with an energy and
huency CT profane objnrgation truly
edifylng to all whom it concerned. Bad
"a our quarters were, we might have
escaped with less injury to our men, II
we had got directly to St. Louis, but
| unfortunately, we struck On a sand bar
about sixty miles above that city, where
we stuck for eleven mortal hours, the
wind blowing a gale all the time and
freezing the water as it dashed against
the bow of the boat. Piercing as was
the cold, bitter as was the wind, our
men were exposed to the merclless
rigor, and, of course, sore throats, fevers
and dysentery became almost epidemic
disorders. After our Surgeon had got
on his hands more than he could attend
to, the baIges were cast adritt and the
boat managed to get of, and recover
the barges, which had floated about a
mile down stream and there gone ashore.
We got started again, however, and had
proceeded on our way about fifteen miles
further, when We run aground and soon
after were compelled by the force of the
wind to lay up on the Missouri shore
for the night. Our men built fires in
the woods and cooked a warm meal, a
luxury which they have already, thanks
to Capt. Chambers, learned to appre-
cate. AT last, our voyage came to an
end, and on Sunday at noon, we reached
ST. Louis, and Immediately marched to
Benton Barra. ks, where We now are.
lie, cst.,,t.,l ohnnf fnpr
miles from the Planters House, and arc
much larger than l expected. The
parade grounds and drill grounds arc
very fine, beng unsurpassed by any |
ever saw or read OF. The quarters for
officers and men are rather small and
crowded, with but little ventilation.
The hunks are better than those at
Camp Mcclellan. The only good
buildings in the camp, are the resi-
dences Of Gen. Curtis and Gen. Strong,
which are elegant and spacious mansions.
On Wednesday we received our arms,
and a more miserable lot of shooting
'rons you never saw in your life. Old
flint locks that we're worn out in the
Florida war, rendered more useless than
before BY the tinke'ing done upon them,
aud dubbed "rfed muskets" and handed
out to us with all the airs which might
accompany the present of an Enield
rifle with silver mountings. l confess !
was half inclined to destroy the musket
received,and nothing but positive orders
prevented number OF us from putting
the miserable old firelocks where they
could neither injure ourselves nor "any
other man." We have got our over
coats also, some of them capital arti.
Gle and others Of inferior quality, but
they come in season and supply the
want OF good blankets. Take the thing
altogether, we are very we'll satisfied and
fare as well as soldiers can expect to.
We could live better if We had The
means, and many of US have seen harder
times and shorter commons, but, after
all, if we get along as well throughout
our three years service, as we do now,
very we'll ccntented body Of men will
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