The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-12-21
ous waR cosR EsrosbExcE.
RoLLA, No,
December li;h, 1861.

December lab, 1861.
Dian EpryoR IL never san iner weather
than We are enjoying here nov. had our
Surgeons made their cxn selection, they
could 20. hare chosen better time for the
boys to have the measles, and We are having
them By wholesale. The mos. disagreeable
feature o. the disease is. that. it ties us up
here, when We might otherwise, perhaps.
have gone to Kentucky. l: would net d.
to march with twenty or thirty new cases
breaking ont every day.
Our quarters are roomy and comfortable,
and we hare splendid parade ground
When the tents are all ssruck-ahch will
be ia fsw iays-ws will have. plenty Of
room In camp for both company and bat
,allion drills, and the ground almost as hard
aad smooth as a aoor.
Mex recruits keep col irg in, and the 4sh
is steadily growing. II does not trouble US
any &c learn that genera order viii soon
be issued to d.sband all regiments not up
10 the maximum ssrength-we can easily ell
%. TIE Alb stands A No. l, among the
Iowa regiments, and the Iowa troops, in
general, stand \ No. l, in the army Of the
West. There is, probably. less s'fuss and
feathersv in this regiment, than any other
one in the West, and as good lighting quail
tiles. To our "rough and tumble," steam
engine Colonel, we are much indebted for
the abseace Of the former, and you know
his personal grit aud back bone will not dis
courage the latter. Did The powers that be
fully appreciate the superiority Of ''every-
day" working men, over lacc-bedizened
gentlemen, there would be much greater
efficiency among the superior officers OF cur
armies.
If the people need an aviary of ene birds
TO look at, let them be kept at the North,
where camp fever and grape shot will not
dim their eyes nor rutIle their plumase.-
Give us the falcons and the eagles, and lie
the peacocks and the birds ofparadise stay
at home. And there is another class Of
birds, who, not content with fattenIng on
the garbage they can fad, are drinking the
very life blood of the nation, | mean the
bu--aras. If had to legislate, or issue
general orders for these creatures, would
make all their offences against the comfort
or efficiency of the soldiers punishable with
death 1t is sheer madness to talk OF sup
pressing their nefarious practices by gentle
means. Shoot them down, as you would
dogs, and s.shoddy" clothing and drunken
soldiers will soon be known only in memory.
We arc rapidly Becoming military ma
ton. Americans take to arms as readily as
q duck to water. We have limitless re-
sources, and a country big enough to spread
in till we become the most powerful people
on the earth. The peace men, mean the
traitors to their country, the traitorSto free
government, will continue to crosk, ana
Brighten dyspeptics and tiiget'y olHrhaids,
but they cannot stop the onward march OF
the nation, no more than puny frogs in their
little side puddles can stop the rush Of the
mighty river as it sweeps on to the sea.
But we need reform-not cowardly
back ing out of this war to save expense =
God forbid-nor vet running ''close to the
wind" by a nigsardiy expenditure, aud
barely keeping the sails of tho great ship
full. NJ . no spend the peoples money |
free as water, in equipping arnies an
navies, bu: don't ,ccste it /; that's all. II is
all coming right, now. |
When the war broke out, host Of scoun. |
drels, who would be willing to live without
a flag, or a nationality, provided they could !
live so ia ease and luxury, looked about
tt EN- for the "best chance and, with the !
adroitness Of professional blacklegs, some /
of them got their hands into the pie. II
the haste with which eur SIX hundred thou
sand volunteers took the Gsd this could not |
be avoided but, thank God, there is hon
esty enough in the Chair and Cabinet, tn |
carry out the honest intentions of the people, |
and the hea.thfGl, vigorous :" straiteaing |
up," now going on in our armies, is sure
precursor not cnly Of our complete success
in crushing gu. the rebellion, but of the still!
greater triumph Of demonstrating to the
world that We are capable of self-goyern
mens. in war as we'll as in peace.
w. II. X.