, 1861-10-03
Correspondence OF the chicsgo Tribune.1
HEADQUARTERS NORMAL REGtxEHr.
TR0Nrnf- An Ennt 1ntL dact

aEAORGARTEK6 NORMAL hEGTMENT. J
fRoNToF, No., Sept. 3oth, 1861.
About the time of our arrival it our nresent
quarters, three companies Of the regiment
were detached, and posted as guards alons
the Iron Mountain Railroad, to protect the
bridges and tunnel They are surrounded b7
covert eecessionfsts, and are seeing pretty
hard service But they are just the men for
the occasion-witness, the following episode ::
Captain Elliott, Company E, is stationed
about fifty miles from st. Louis, near the tun.
nal He has been much annoyed by rich old
rebel, who, while pretending to be Union
man, B2s secretly aiding the enemy. Oa
Friday last the Captain sent two Of his soldiers
in disguise to- the old traitors residence, TO
smoke him out. They knocked at his door
about daylight, cold, hungry, and naked.
With come susp.~ ioi.. tho old man took them
II, and inquired what they waated and Who
16ey were The men played their part well.
With much apparent miegfving, they limited
that they were deserving soldiers, and hai Ieft
the Un1cn army to join that of secession. at
Lexington; but the Old rebel told them they
must go to HRrdee, on the Arkan-as bordef.
He then fed them bountlfully, gave them each
new pair Of warm woo1len socks. furalshed
them Fi1h sketch of their route-teiliBp
them where TO stay BY the way, gave the Cor,
rs snsa,aon a9d the Union hearty curs1ng, and
ocidc o;S ocT snt 1d Ffett RRsed The ne dsy
When the old afnncr found he vas fafrIy
caught, he raved and EWore like Turk. hEt
L Mae 100 late. He N2s marched up to Capt.
EMott's camp under guard of soldiers. four
oi..l o. nis own VT ~ negroes armed With muskets,
bringing up the rear. This was adding insult
to injury; but Capt Elliott ssys that the ne
gToes enjoyed the ARTIST OF their mnster 50 we'll
that be could not resist the temptation to far-
nlsh them with arms to assisr in guarding
nm. The srrested man is possessed Of large
PIopef1y, Worth some two hundred Thousand
dollars, and including eight or ten slaves,
During the arrest Of their master, these pcopie
weie seen Peeplng around the house, showing
their eyes il anxious delight, and grinning il
the most amusing manner. And after the
gusrd started with their master to Capt EI.
Hotts camp, the four armed darkiesz zWere 50
nckled With tAelr novel positton-and es-
pecial}y that Of their master-that they 8-Yeral
times burst into that inimitable explosive
ttueT 80 peculiar to the negro's laugh. despite
the f1oWns Of their master. The Old seces.
E1onlkt will be Immediately tried for treason
quarters. -~N
In our Own camp at Ironton, besides 1000
percussion caps, captured ateH days since, va
have just learned through two intelligent
scouts where Is concealed q lot Of small arms,
and quantity Of ammunition !; and while /
t WIFE Iofce Is starting over the hills to cap
We had Sabbath school and preaching In the
camp, on yesterday. the work on the foTt benz
partially suspended, leaving only some tweut7
YOKE OF oxen and their drivers gt work, haui-
1ns M if legs. But Ahough we KEPT the sab5ath,
the butt1e and labor about the fort. ess;v6,du 5 d.
forget II: StIlJ. think our men lave mora
1alth in feeding than fasting. Our first sermon
IN our new quarters was preached by private
soldier, inside the new fort, thus dsdicatipe it
primarily to the service OF the Most High, He
preached Ina 1ni discourse M Worthy 4he occasion;
officers 70 remember the parting prayers md
tsars with which the fathers and mothers In
ILLINOIS placed their Sons in the service Of the
country, under the guardian care Of those
ohcers. There was many a mcfsteued 6ye
among men "not given to the melting
:, We have severn! Christian ministers among
the ranks rs priEates. I asked one OF them
Mhy be did not seek the place Of chaplains
ae replied that meme but tie favored and the
Influential could get the place. "Bcsides.n
aooed n1es nf Want to fight little, as we'll as
Methodist preacher In California and Oregon.
Ihe work upon the fort goes brayely on.
Among our three hundred laborers, one reei.
!9ent furnishes over twenty carpenters; 90
that Major Gilmer's assertion at Camp Butler,
Is 1t least half true, In reply to question as
to the subordination Of the Normals, he said,
HOh, there will be no trouble In getting
AoEey's men to do anything you want; only,
1suppose, they won't obey an order that isn't
punctuated right"'
Before I close this letter, I have to request
that you will publish the following paragraph
in relation to letters for our regin CAT:
Our post office is Ironton, No. Letters
should give the number Of the regiment, {S3d)
&, the letter or Captain Of the Company IL
which the person to whom directed may be
found: Above al, the Postmaster At Spring
soe send hence to Camp Butler: Is one conn
pany Of ours Cavalry 6 still in that camp
OJ1 VvE}