The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-09-21
Seventeenth Indiana Regiment.
CAMP ELK FoRK, NEAR HUTToEvILLE, /
Randolph county, Va, Sept. IL.

mu0lcatlon we nave auFanceu up t1e FniloJ
six miles and are now encamped here with
the 18th Indiana and some Ohio regiments.
A number of rebels are now in camp within
Is or 20 miles of us, and their piekets and
ours are daily engaged. Some of our scouts
have, from high peak of the mountains,
got glimpse of part of their camp, but
from their situation the entire camp could
not be seen. Two regiments were also seen
coming in to this camp with two brass can
non. Lieut.. Col. Owen of New Harmony.
on last Tuesday, beyond Elk river, about
twelve miles from this camp, with 300 men,
came upon party of rebels. They made
fight and short battle ensued, when they
retreated with the loss of ten men, One of
our men was wounded and none killed.
The boys give Col. Owen great praise for
the GOODNESS and bravery he displayed, and
say that while the balls were whistling
about his head he sat upon his horse appa-
rently unconscious of danger. Lieut.. Col.
Owen, in all that constitutes brave, delib-
crate and accomplished commander, has no
superior in our army in Western Virginia,
and the great wonder with military men
here is that Col. Owen, who has for fifteen
years been studying or teaching military
science, and in addition served ably in Mex
leo, has not been assigned to the command
of Brigade It would be an honor to the
State and blessing to the service were he
to get such position in one of the new
Brigades. s ~
We are now in very healthy and pleas
ant camp, in newly mown meadow, be-
side narrow, swift running mountain
creek, whose waters are so pure and clear
| that, at the depth of Eve feet, we can see
the silvery pebbles upon the bottom, and
the speckled mountain trout sporting amid
its waves. This, like the portion of Viz
GINA, we have passed through since leaving
PhiIlippi, is covered by lofty and rugged
mountains, with here and there a rich. val
| ley extending between These valleys are
| quite fertile, and produce nearly all the
cereals and the finest OF timothy and clover
grasses The fine living springs of cold,
clear water and the abundant grssping priv
/ ileges render this one of the finest dairy
countries in America, and nothing but the
Incidence and ignorance of the people here
keep this such Lakewood region. + .as 3
The mountains around as are covered
with heavy growth of beech, oak, pine,
/ aud chestnut, and dense underground of
! oak and laurel In a few weeks we will
have an abundance of chestnuts, and the
boys are anxiously watching them ripen.
| No country can more interest the student
of Natural Science than Western Virginia.
/ Vast fields are open for the study of Bota-
ny, Geoloev aud Minernlogy and theviews
of the Eiea>r. bodies that may be obtain
| ed upon these lofty mountains, amid the
extremely pure and thin atmosphere found
| here, give room for many astronomical in
vestigations. 1 am satisfied that have
seen many stars here not visible in lati-
tudes west of Cincinnati. The theory of
! biologists, that science proves Revelation /;
that the earth bears upon its surface and
! within its bosom, Indications, showing that
| it has passed through such foundations and
revulsions as are spoken of in Scripture, is
| nowhere more manifest than here.
/ We see, upon the summit and sides of
these mountains rocks as large as your city
Court House, that have been rent asunder,
and find one-half here and perhaps the
otker half fifty yards of, and on the same
elevation showing that they have not
been drifted by the action of water, but
have been rent asunder and tossed about by
the mighty upheavings of the earth. Again
| we see mighty rocks huted and ribbed on
one side only, showing that they have been
drifted by water. Strata of rock of the late
formations can also be seen, in q position
| nearly perpendicular with the horizon, evil
IDENTIFY thrown up by some great internal
/ force. Even the tyro in Geology can here
see indications enough of a marine charac-
ter to convince him that the food of Noah,
or some other deluge once inundated all
this countryside highest mountain peax as
| well as the lowest valley. 7li2-1 ~
Many may enjoy the hum and activity of
| business, and the gaiety and pleasures of
city life, but to me, for time, life amid the
mountainous regions is almost an Elysiums
few evenings ago, we wandered out
/ from our quarters perfectly entranced in
! viewing the beauties of nature around as
| The evening was cool and serene as ever
/ found beneath italian Skies and the sun was
! Just going down. We watched it as it left
the valley, and viewed il forstwo hours, as
it wended its way up the slopes of the
mountain. before we saw its golden hues
leave the tall pines upon the highest noun
| tain peaks Almost at its departure the
curtain of night was drawn around us soon
a thousand twinkling stars came ont and
bedecked the armament In the mountain
air the sky looked clearer, aud the few thin
strata of clouds that hoated leisurely
through the heavens, appeared dyed deep
er blue, and the stars shone. brighter and
larger, looking like SO many sparkling erys-
| tails, and with the hundred camp hres be-
| fore Us, the night looked as bright popu-
lons, and life-like as an evening 10 large,
gas-lit city. Many of the soldiers were in
their tents singing, and, as the notes of
q DO they nsiss me at Home, do they miss me, y
+" Drummer Boy at Waterloo p and "f1Yhe
Star SpangLed Banner" were borne upon the
evening zephyrs, and their sweet eadences
echoed and re-echoed through the valley, a
thousand reflections were awakened in our
breast First, weswere carried back, in i'm
agination, to our Indiana home, and a tear
started for the many kind friends we have
left, perhaps never to see. Again, we
thought of our country, of the peace and
prosperity it enjoyed few months ago, and |
of the horrors of war that are now upon
,is how, that the flag which has protected
us through our whole national career, and |
been a safe shield to our citizens in every |
land where civilization reaches, and on ev-
cry sea where commerce floats, has been (
shof damn opd trauarlad- unon-a and all-tha /