Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-07-26
gestcr from IL Volunteer.

tANP LYON, ST. JOE Mo, July TX, VI.
Ed. JOURNAL: Surprising a line from this
quarter would not be uninteresting to your,
self and readers at this important juncture OF
affairs hereaway, I embrace the opportunity
offered by sending by Col. Sanders, who starts
tomorrow morning 5 o'clock for home. He
has just returned from Council Bluffs where
he went to supplyCol Dodge's 4th Reg, with
knapsacks, blankets, &C., and reports but three
companies in rendezvous. Further additions
are expected soon. Col. S.. is accompanied
by Mr.. IIenly another aid Of Gov. Kirkwood,
who is also on business pertaining to the mil
itary of Iowa. But you want to know some
thing Of the inyincible I'd. We are just upon
the third night of anxiety and watchfulness,
most of US having slept with an eye open,
swords and cartridge boxes al adjusted and in
| full fatigue dress. The evidences are strong
showing a concerted action to attack simulta-
neously several principal points along the
H. & st. ]. R. R. The result of the rebel
movement at Monroe you will have heard ere
this reaches you. We were called upon to
send reinforcements, and promptly responded
by a detachment of three companies of our
regiment, Capt. Huston, Capt. Baker and Capt.
Cox, and two companies Home Guards, who
attached themselves as per order to Col. VIII
liams Sd Iowa Reg. The expedition has been
as we learn entirely successful, our friends
who We're in so perilous a predicament are
liberated. The work of repair is moving rap
idly on. The soldiers showing themselves
equal to any emergency even to building
railroads. A through train is expected to-
morrow. The rebels true to their natural in
stincts fed at the approach of danger, acting
N the principle: "He who fights and runs
away may live to fight another day
To illustrate these cowardly assasslns, yes
terday Capt. Huston who, with Capt. Baker
was guarding the road near Brookield, hear
ing that a bridge was fired below him, imme-
diately dispatched a locomotive and tender
with 16 men on board. They reached the
bridge found it burning and surrounded by
100 rebels, the squad fired into the crowd,
killed one man wounded several and completely
routed them and saved the bridge with the
loss of a little blood from a wound in the neck
of one Of the soldiers. Verify one shall chase
a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight >
There has been several feints to draw more of
our forces cut, doubtless with a view ofwrest-
ing from us our present stronghold; but we
don't propose to be caught in their traps. Our
pickets are doubled. Our front is protected
by two LIB howitzers one on each flank, one
Alb cannon, which a squad of Capt. Cox's COM
pany captured the other day at Maryville, in
the centre, and one little swivel, a trophy of
Lieut.. Slaymaker, Davenport company c which
he took from the cellar of an old Dutch sesesh-
er in st. Joe. With these and other prepara-
lions quite as warlike we throw down the glove
% a thousond of the best of them. We had
hoped two weeks ago that secession was squel-
,hed in this part of the State, but it is a great
1t was the closing up of a %volcono
which will break out with increased fury at
the opportune moment. l have no faith in
his coerced loyalty, patriotism under duress,
which l fear we have been relying N too,
much. The fact is secession must be Wipsd