The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-08-31
Army correspondence.

Army SOFFespOO0enCe.
PINNACLE OF PILoT KSoB,
Near Ironton, Mo-, Aug. Gath. 1851. !
Mr. EniroR:-Tis beautiful day, and am
sitting upon the loftiest block in this celebrated
mass OF iron. Far in the dim distance, on every
side, other mountains kiss the sky; but none are
SO lofty and beautiful as this At its base on
the northwest side, is the little village of Pilot
Knob, containing the iron works, and the ter
minus Depot of the Iron Mountain Railroad
Near it is the camp of the Illinois 10th Regiment
Directly south is the little circular valley Of
Arcadia, five miles in diameter, surrounded by
lofty bills Every farm In the valley is distinctly
visible. Every house in the little village of
lronton, andArcadia in the west end of the val.
ley can be seen. The camps of the Illinois 7th
and the Iowa 7th and 2nd, in the valley two
miles directly south, show finely. must say,
that ours (the 2nd) is the most regular in form
and BY the way, Frank Lese's artist sketched
US few days ago, with the "Knob" in the dis.
tant back ground. The Kansas and Nebraska
Regiments, having no tents, are stuck away in
tfe hill sides, in brush and slab shelters. They
have no uniforms yet. They are brave and no.
BILE fellows, and deserve better condition.
The Missouri 9th is around point west of COL
Lsun,ans end I cannot see them.
The various roads winding away IN different
directions are visible for many miles. All con.
verge here, and have to pass through narrow de-
sles, making this very strong position, if prop.
erly manned
Four of the tremendous guns shipped Wes.
for Fremont are planted around here There is
some talk Of placing oHe OH the top of this
mountain, which could shell the country for
miles around. They are 80 Founders, ten feet
long, and the bare barrel weighs six thousand
pounds
The Illinois 18th aud oath are at Frederick.
ton, twenty miles south east, as advanced guard.
The regiments mentioned, together with Bueps
Battery 20 pieces) and company of cavalry,
stitute all the forces now in this region
This force is sufficient for the present PILLOW
will undoubtedly reinforce Hardee, aud then we
will need more force. Hardee's men are rob-
bing stores, insulting women and driving off
low US, The immortal diteler, in his New Mad.
rid proclamation to the people of Missouri, said
our motto was beauty and ibooty,"-but the
people are beginning to find out that it ap.
| plies to the other side Of the house He talks
still OF hreakfasting il, Cairo some morning, but
guess he will find some littlspbs,ruction at
| Birds Point, not "beayer mud-dams, !" as Russell
calls his intrenchments in Tennessee, but we'll
planned Notifications, and ditcAessciM the dirt all
Mrown tie right side too.a They will have to
strike before many days, or give the thing up
and retreat in disgrace back to Tennessee and
Arkansas They have been entirely too slow.
Had they been little faster and seized on this
iron region, with its tens of thousands of tons
Of pig iron corded up in the yards. and Potos
lead mines, little further on, they could have
held these naturally strong positions, until with
little ingenuity, they could have supplied the
| whole Conthieyeracy with ball and shell. Will
these advantages nothing could have kept then
out of st. Louis But our 81 little iron man. i
too fast for them. With steam and lightn;n,
at his command he can shift his forces with al
most incredible rapidi,v.
By observing the map of Missouri, you viii
see that our positions are now almost ON
straight line, viz: Cape Girardeau, Ironton an,
Rolla We can keep the enemy back 70
twenty days, all is safe. Fox jackson has proe
'amatcd t'ciee, and Pillow has proclamated, an,
JEFF. Thompson has done the same; but the gal