Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-09-24
The March OF the TcIn nn.- ShHt they Eli
countered Oh their JUuruey-Fhrir NIL
durallCe md thrif CilecrfnInrSa.


countered on their Juurney--Thrir hh-
durance and thrir Chccri,iin-sa.
To the Editors ei tif Enquirer:
GESTLENE: :--Rcpht:,t;on is. ordinarily, the
prize for which th0se cbn7an.i "ir' u1aEh arms
their profession. Others, u:n:n. Ike t!r h6riltI
OIL villains 1ho now i'll tic ra!hs NJ Lincoln
army, haTs 10 higher 81 t@ieE ohscl thlu the
pitilul eleven iollors p.T month pas, "h!ch
they arc promised Wit; the IGssib!o prospect
Of plunder and rapine Wh!!e still others,
Ike the brave SONS Of lie S0iil IS ho arc rlSE"
ing, in thousands, to cal: srnhni our banner
wherever it is unfnr!ed, ;rragc in The stern
business Of war, to protect their hames and
hresides. their wives, children nioEtrs. sisters
and fri ends, and to assert their right tG iree,om
and Independence. But while !hese latter are
the motives which induce Ia I" submit 10 the
trials, hardships and dangers oI war, We can
not be oblivious to, ncr, indeed, should we be
regardless Of the repuc!ir, which will follow
our actions, whether for good or evil. This ron'
viction induces me TO ask place in your COL
unns for this communication, To rurrect the
impressions which runior has iuade, and cir
culated Trough the paF=:S Of this city, con-
cprniEg tia "Trip, .7cm ,:cEas, Of Tie twenty
companies OF Texan volunteers. now here CT
on their way Either
About The Grsi or July l!:s Exc.llsncy
Govrrnsr CLARK, Of Texas, !sSGed rail for
twenty companies Gi volunteers 70 enroll them
selves to serve during the war, and to hold
themselves in readiness to proceed Immediate
ly TO Virginia So SOON as the companies were
organized and reported to The Governor, they
were trderr'l 10 rendezvous near Harrisburg,
Texas
Sixteen ~ righteel ru!npauies rrachrd this
point between the 9Jtli and goth Of July. We
were kept ia camp here until August 10th.
this camp by the Texas and New Orleans Rail
Road or Beaumont Oh the river Neches
thelce dpwn the Scciies, by steamboat, to Sd
bine luke, across the lake and up tic Sabine
river II Niblctts bluff, in Louisiana. The
other three Divisions l-tt ar srlcil Times, after
the Grsi, IL suited the arrangements which
had hern made for transportation. will dc.
scribe the trip and its incidents Of the first
Division, which will BIS substantial detail Of
the Incidents u: lh@ narch u! the ot!I"; three
Divisions.
The Goyernen, had awarded tu our j. L.
Ward the contract for transporting our Brl-
gade from Harrisburg. rexas, to Nv Orleans,
La. When The First Division reached ri.
blctt's blnIt, We found there, provided for us
hy lhc contractor, eight mule teams and wae-
ohs u transport four hun,l'c,l and ninety men
with all their baggage, clothing, camp pquipagc
g.. .apd tieir proFislCns and supplies for l0days
When the baggage, stores. etc, were loaded,
every Has"n was filed up 10 the bows ard
abnni ior,y sick had to he lat!, until .ranspor.
taton could be ch,aine'i for them. We lef!
Nihle;t's Blu.i Ia. hr i4;h .iugus;, and march
ri eight tai'ts 10 our EIst eEca!npTrRt. Lpon
arriving here. = sufficient aumber of the wa
CONS were uEloa'lei. and seat back .iter thr
scl: Thry all arrived III camp on next day,
August 2l;h. We @rra compelled 10 remain
her. ii! thi: DIS until the division and com.
pahy Commanders, compelled, by TIE ncccssi-
" Of The case, were Rhla TO procure wagons
and teams, BY 'jrssstsg." to eaahie ';s to start
I,rward. On the 2l>t l.s division Was able to
s'nr forward Snail d,:tachmrntS were sent
add kept aheSY locking ont for teams, anal
sending Or bringing them back fer rs wc
advanced from the Sabine the nIarShy, boggy
nature 81 The conhtry Itc'rne dilly worse
and worse, rendering 81 increase in mr. sncanS
Of transportation necessary. About noon to.
dsy it commenced raining, AMI poured dnwn
in perfect torrents !he entire afternoon, and
until late hour al night. The march was
contiruea until Rhont sIndor'n, when reach
in. the west io:E Of the Calcasen river, camp
VS. struck !nr lie night With difficulty
shelter VA: ab:airHd In the sick All the
other: vfra compelled to depend upon the
tents, which 1e7e completely saturated in the
wagons 50 thai whtn they were put up they
afforded bnt little prnreerion Then the whole
surface of the earth there WAS rot only vel,
hut was actually covered with water, 10 the
depth If several inches. And 70 increase the
hardships ct tic night, il raiUed SO incessant.
II that i: VIZ: impo=5ibI= to baill tires, and the
men wcrr compelled to lie down ,:.rYsTlfSs, to
seek IL sleep the refreshmen! which wearied
and cxi.a:,slrti nature impeTati7r Y required.
Aid sleep they did, though the water was
above, ar0uRd beneath--e1erJwlIere The
next day the division crossed the main t;alca.
sien river, and cainped upon i!a eastern hank.
After crossing this river there is no more tim
her lnu y'u reach Rayou FeSsh" The
whole country IS q Cat, raarShy prairie, and
when we raIna over il. il T1S aliNnS, an Iin-
broken sri -. Ill.,, he rnilr: distance across
it, And VIC actually .oaosa in water iroln all
kle laep Ia wais! deep. more ihan twn.thrd9
oF ihr time We @Crr tr:'SsiGs ibis whoit,
drearg .!csolath Tngion. Besides the water
throligI. which 9r 9aded, il rainsd "joa us
every day Iroin ti,e beginning IL the end Of
this marcia. We were thus rnntrniing rie-
ven days with the rain above ue, the mud and
water bcnraih us, and billions upon billions
uf thc largest and iieIcc.t m"Sqait"s in the
world around ,s. nnd swarrning npcn Us every
moment of tho day and night,
The DISTANCE wc marched, from tlIs Sabine
River to New lhrria, through these marshes
and lagoons, iS Ole hundred and fifty miles
instead Of fIfy, a. stated in one Of the city
papers of the 18th inst, When reflect, that
in f-yaS, most nf Us alm0St 'liVe, move, and
haze onr being" npoA horseback; and that
none oi rs ever S5JIk there any distance at
all, il seems almost incredible to lne, that wo
have walked l5G miles, even if there had been
fine roads the entire way. And when reflect
that Ye have not only 'eat!e:i, but 'na''ed that
distance, feel almoS, afraid 10 publish the
statement, and should hesir:,te long, 10 do 81,
did ! not knnw tha every officer and private
in the Brigade will -:hsantiate the statement,
If necessary So will Gen. A. 5. Johnston,
lwho came Immediately after III in the stagt)
20 flr d. he character and condition ei the
country nre cunrrrnad fet this march was
made, aud that, too almost withoUta i mu!nnr,
save only at The destruction Of onr clothing Of
every kind, whi1h. from being 81 continually
wet for SO long period, became mi!de~ r'l
and ruined
We have hot nnly 'luie This cherrIully but
cheerinlly VI have jonrneyed niaft'tn hundred
miles almost arrosS ihs entire North Amer!.
can Continent prompted bs M motive but II
sense Of duty And as ne feel that We have
done 90 more than our dnty, We claim no es-
pecial credit for,it And if To public mention
had Geen made IL the city papers Of our march
hither, this communication would never bave
been wri:te7 Rnt, rs ;.1e who male this
pareh, or ratltr this T:d.te, AIN unwilling 10
sec I,ot!ce of the isc, 60 forth to the world,
unless il b. one ,ba, is just and accurate And
feel well assured thar ohr patriotic and chlV'
alrous brethren in Virginia, will appreciate my
feelings, and instify my presumption in pub
lishins this article TEXAS.
For tie Enquirer