The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-07-10
Correspondence Of the Courier.
From the Camp.
CnILLIcoTnE. Mo-, June 80. /

I ioii iitle L ltSt WTcSc you. IL uoil make
a 'difa bittance'. An order from headqnar
tiers very suddenly moved Company X from
camp on third fork of Platte River on. last
Friday week to Camp Wilson, on Grand
river, four miles west &C this city. Company
X of course obcyed the order and camped
and slept on the ground that night while it
rained gloriou.ly. A single blanket under
the ''broad canopy" was covering enough
and little enough. Have no business to 60
! soldering. Co. X don't complain. They
stand up or lie down and take it. What else
can we do? Saturday and Sunday nights
we had just small tents enough to make us
wish we hld none at ALL Monday another
order to take possession of Chillicothe sta.
ton and acah further orders For orders
must be issued whether there be occasion or
not. Nep officers need the practice you
know. No reflections, What the prctext
was for stationing company here, do not
know. Perhaps it will never transpire.
Chiicothe is very finely situated little
city, "out on the prairie" four miles from
Grand river. Fl had, three months ago,
am told, $500 inhabitants. At present, per-
haps, two. thirds that number. Many per-
sons and families have moved away upon
some pretensc or other. MANY houses are
closed up. and. vacant, and an apparent DESC
lation hangs over the place. Business is al
most entirely PROSTATE. Merchants inform
me that the trade of the town has nearly
ceased. Grass grows in the streets Stocks
ofgoods are being reduced and no new pur-
chascs made. The prevailing sentiment is
evidently secession. Difference of opinion,
however, as to what course should he pur,
sued. The Union men are the same as in
other Southern towns, sound in opinion bat
not disposed to take up arms and assist in
| defending their State and country against
rebellion. Willing to be assisted and pro-
tected, but don't ,oant to .fgtt. The town is
well laid out and built up, very many fine
business houses and fine residences. Evil
IDENTIFY has hal a population Of much taste
and wealth.
Chillicotha is the residence of the celebra.
ted Brig. General Slack, of Secession noto-
rety. lie is wealthy man, has fine res
idencc and is a man Of grea, influence. He
had large company of rebels, well armed
and mounted, but found it prudent to 60
south a couple of weeks ago in search of
Claib. jackson. Report says he did not find
him, but that he is now down about thirty
or forty miles south of this with his depart.
ed friends in some gooseberry patch waiting
an opportunity to return. Company are
"keen on the scent" aid will be most happy
to make his acquaintance.
Col. Curtis in company with som, officers
of the Third Iowa Regiment and COL Will
son of the Illinois 10Th, just passed on the
train going west. Report is that we shall
be sent back to camp at St. Jo., and there
remain till the meeting and action of Con-
gress. The Third Regiment to take posses
sion of and guard the road as the Second
have SO CALAMITY () done. This arrange
ment will suit Us, as there is AZ present but
little prospect of winning laurel or getting a
feather in his cap for anything he may be
able to do at this kind of duty We are at
the mercy, however, Of those in authority
over us, and so or come or remain as their
whim or scare may direct.
Speaking of scares, if may be allowed an
expression of opinion, would give it that
some of the leading men, and officers also, in
this part of the country are more scared than
hurt A half dozcE unshaven secessicnists,
mounted on Old fTm horses and in posses
sion Of single barreled shotgun, or a one
horse pistol, has, in several instances, well
nigh extracted all the wit these valiant gen.
tlemen ever had. These periodical rights
may be essential in maintaining the import
ance and military consequence and prccc-
dence which has beer assumed by these gen
temen who have succeeded in getting the
letter A B C or some other en- their caps,
through gubernatorial favor in preference to
others whom the modcsty of the "Boy' will
not allow him to name. Whoever reads the
camp correspondence Of the Keokuk cute
City, the Davenport Gazette, and one or two
other papers, would naturally conclude that
/ Company A B or G, or some other, had been
doing great auCs Now, if one is disposed
! to blow his own horn when no one else will
blow it for him, why let him blow it. Par
/ ties on the spot are prepared to judge of the
truthfuiness OF this kind of literature For
one, have seen or beard of nothing amazing
| performed out of the every day routine of
camp life. Whenever a soldier on guard of
! Co. X fires on clump Of willow bushes
installing it for man, AMI causes the en-
tire camp to form in line of battle at II
o'clock at night, then perhaps will give you
a column Of improbable correspondence. a In
Gate City Until then you will only hear
that we are doing our duty, at our post, right
up tothe Instructions, nothing further. We
are not disposed to 60 out scouting the coun-
try, shutting every slight scent of Secession,
nor are we prowling around the quiet citi-
zens houses demanding possession Of their
private property, stealing chickens, killing
their beeves as is the habit OF some. But
one thing we do, and will do, when set to
hold and defend station we viii do it and
not return to camp until ordered TO- do so.