The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-12-23
81. Joseph Correspond enc~.
ST Iasrrn Dee /,

FL JusEFH, lee. II,
EDITOR GATE: You will remembe
that sometime since Gen. Prent;ss statet
that every secessionist in st. Jo must ia k.
the oath or 60 10 work at Fort Smith
He gave orders accordingly, and St. 10.
already under martial law, was placed un
der the most strict surveillance Picket.
we're doubled all around town and the
roads SO securely guarded that no person
can get out in any direction without 8
pass, and to get pass the applicant mus,
subscribe to very binding oath.
Then commenced the hunt for secesh.
ers, and though many were found to dc
extra duty at Fort Smith, it was aston
ishing to see how quickly secesh "caved
in" The questions most frequently
asked are, is he Union?' Is he Secesh?
1t does not take long to find out man
status, and when it is in the least doubt
full the provost guard honor him with a
call
There are now about 5000 troops here,
none from Iowa, however,--and the
streets look quite military. l am sorry,
however, to say that no restrictions are
placed on the selling Of liquors to soldiers
and that much drunkenness is found
among them. Appearances would indi,
cate that war makes men most decidedly
immoral.
Fort Smith is located on high hill and
completely commands the town. 1t is a
very strong position. By the way, one of
the cannoniers up there, yesterday, when
firing at target about half mile below
town, lost his range and sent ball whiz-
zing through three houses about half a
mile from the Fort. Nobody was hurt,
though much CONSERVATION was created.
| A salute of "a guns was fired from the
Fort yesterday, in honor of Gen Lyon,
on the occasion Of flag raising on the
other side Of the river
Detachments of troops are out contin-
ually in this neighborhood, looking for
secesh, and they find them, too 1t has
got to be SO common sight to see de-
tachment come in with prisoners and
property, that no remark is made Of it.
Two or three trains day come in.
A lot Of sixty men, said to have left
Price, made application for the oath
to-day. They are now in the guard house,
and may be discharged to-morrow
A train on the Hannibal & St. Jo r..
| X. was fired into a few miles out last
night One man was slightly wounded
| A detachment of the Illinois sd went
out, found the nest, and bagged about so
seceshers.
Missouri has 43 regiments in the field,
about 10000 men. Pretty good for
the north of the Missouri They are
principally boys, however In the State
forces boys as young as Is years have
been accepted.
We are daily in receipt of exciting re-
ports from Gen. Prentiss. All the troops
here are ordered to hold themselves in
readiness to march to his assistance.
The people here have suffered severely
in consequence of the war We Of the
! free States have no IDA how much they
have been overrun by both federals and
rebels. They have day they call black
Friday'-the day on which the Iowa boys
arrived here and went into "pressing"
the stores. Our boys did not act hardly
right, were not very particular in select
ing their goods
Business is very dull here. Keokuk is
lively when compared with this city
There seems to be considerable money in
circulation, though.
There was very nearly serious difficulty
between two Illinois regiments. A de-
tachment of the 5Oth attempted to arrest
some of the 10th, when the latter showed
fight. Quite an army was soon on the
street, but the matter was amicably ad-
justed.
! have already much exceeded my linz
4 It's, SO will block of at once. Au rero;r.
GEO. REEFS.
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/ New York Market.
New York, Dec. 81.
Flour-Market dull: sales ut SIS 256n5