Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-12-13
BENTON BARRACKS.


.r.9. st. Louis, Nov 20, 1861. {
DEAR JOURNAL: To-day take up the pc
Il to return q two-weeks' old promise to write i
It "a day or two" and to plead as an excuse 70
It delaying to write to many anxious friends VIII
v exacted of me promise to write often, that
t have had more to do than will, for common
fall to me in the same length of time. fr
= When we left Camp Mcclellan we had no
s received our great coats, and when we arrived
!, here the weather was quite cool, and the grea
n coats began to be anxiously and enquiringly
Y looked for. In few days after coming tt
: camp, great boxes of coats were handed in
, and by some curious contriving it was laiG
out that companies A, B and G were to- have
grey coats all the other companies getting
| the regular army arlicle-a light blue, fell
, cloth coat with wide capes; but when the ofii-
t GERS of the above companies saw the grey
coats, they positively refused to receive them.
. After few days delay, during which we Ie-
, solved to stand the cold rather than accept
{ them, we were furnished W ith a first rate
black coat made after the army pattern. The
grey ones We're made of q very inferior article
of cloth, were light rotten ana poorly made,
but the ones we have are made very substan-
TALLY, are of heavy felt cloth, and will not
wet through in whole days rain.
/ Yesterday we received our tents. The bal
ance OF our camp equipage was issued to- day !,
and now we are all fixed up and daily expect
ing that we will have call to penetrate the
''land of cotton" r..e L4 r.
Nothing is known for certain about when
we will leave here, but if we judge by the
signs of the times, all point to an early move.
The whole force for this division of the grand
army is fast coming together, and you may
rest assured it augurs good to the Union.
The health of the 11th regiment is very
good at present. Our company has but four
on the sick list, none of whom are Serious
Two of our men-James III. Downing and
A. B. Gilbert-were left in Iowa on account
of sickness, but will probably join us soon.
There have been some cases of smallpox in
| camp, and understand the whole regiment
is to be inoculated to prevent its spreading.
While | am writing, Col Hare is on the
parade grounds putting the 11th through the
battalion exercises. Our Iowa boys are ad-
mired and observed by all who visit the camp,
and it only needs little notice in the Demo-
crat that the Iowa l tn is to have review or
dress parade, this evening, to cal, out a crowd
of visitors to the camp.
The boys came into the city under very ad-
verse circumstances, but their song of Hap
py Land O Canaan" sung as they marched
through the mud to camp, touched the hearts
of the people, and makes them remember the
"Iowa 11th" as household word
The Colonel is growing quite popular, not
withstanding his modesty and studied desire
to avoid show. The men Of his regiment,
too, are every day becoming II ore attached to
him.
Our fare here is very much the same as at
Camp Mcclellan. The barracks arc tight
otherwise they are not as good as our old
place. The bunks are too narrow for the men
to lay in with comfort, and they are cramped
in other ways.
The parade ground is beautiful when it is
dry, and even when it rains the water is soon
drained off, as the grounds are all under
drained. The soil is a stiff, mucky clay kind, |
and does not dry up like our Muscatine
land.
Our plan of cooking is nearly the same as
wrote you about in previous letter.
We are abundantly supplied with water
from the river. There is a hydrant to every
three or four companies. Our bread is better
than we had in the other camp, and is baked
harder.
The camp is said to contain now about 49,
900 men, and additions are coming in almost
every day. The other camps around St. Lou
is contain many more men, but the exact
number, or names Of camps, | cannot give
you.
Since sent you our roll the following men
have enlisted with us, and been pro perly
mustered in:
Henry Madden, Age 43 Nat. Penn.
David Witneoyer, %
G. F. Boyer, " 43 " Germany.
Chas. Entsler, 18 Virginia.
w. Richards, % Indiana.
C.p. Kingsland, /" % NewY.
Chester Weed and j. B. Dougherty were
in camp yesterday to see US. You may
be sure the boys are glad to see any one
from Muscatine, for now when we are away
it is almost as pleasant to see man Cor wo-
man, either from Muscatine county as to
see brother. 1t is astonishing how the af-
fections deepen around home when we are
separated from it. Any little Keepsake
picture of friend, or dearer one-a book
or token from loved hand-all little pres
ents, insignificant of themselves, are almost
idoliZed when the name of "HoME" is linked
with them. Soldiers do become rough to all
around them when in an eremy's land, but
none need say they have not warm hearts
and clinging affections.
The Journal comes regularly, and if you
could see how the boys spring around me to
get one, when 60 into the quarters and cry
out "Muscatine Journal" you would feel a
thrill of pleasure which you do not feel every
day, if compelled to sit all day in your arm
chair and supply the wants of your own
family when they call for "copy."
I think | have taken up enough of your
time in looking over thus far, and so until
next week adieu. 0. A. A. G.