The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-06-18

LIZ passing down the river below Bur-
lington, on the sides Of the hills facing
the river, we observed quite a number Of
young vineyards, and learned that the
grape is being very largely and very
successfully cultivated in Des Moines
county. Last year, our informant, an in
telligent German. stated the product Of
wine in Des Moines county at 10000
gallons. The quality is pronounced su-
perior to Cincinnati wine, and is sold
readily at from two dollars to two dollars
and half per gallon. The cultivation
is being largely extended, and a few
years will probably see Iowa one of the
greatest wine producing States east of
the Rocky Mountains.
AT nine o'clock, A. NJ, we arrived at
Fort Madison. There we took a most
dilapidated car, attached to a zylook-
ing engine, and after waiting some half
hour for the arrival of a couple of ex
pected passengers, passed over dilapi-
dated, poverty-stricken, grass-grown
railroad, pushing a car loaded with cord
wood before us some twenty miles, to
keokuk, at which place we arrived about
half past eleven O'Clock.
keokuk may be very nice place
may be very beautiful place-may be a
fine business place-may have some very
enterprising people in it. But if it is a
nice place, we failed to appreciate the
fact; if it is q beautiful place, our edu-
cation as to what constitutes beauty is
horribly deficient if it is business
place, the business must all be done suJ
rosa ); if it has any enterprising people,
the publishers are not among the mum
ber There are some large blocks OF
buildings, but many of them are empty;
and the levee was paratively desert.
ed, and were it not for the many troops
constantly marching and counter march.
ing through the streets, there would have
been seen but paratively few eviden-
ces of life. The location is a most rug
ged one, the bluffs rising high and alb
rupt from the river, and above are cut
into ravlnes of no mean depth. Scarce
ly shade tree is to be discerned, and
all looks rough and barren until you get
to the outskirts of the city. There is no
telegraph, no eastern railroad connection,
except at Burlington above and at Quin-
cy below, a very considerable distance
each way, and therefore you are cut off
from the news, which you get nearly
day old from the Burlington papers
when the boats run regularly. You get
no editorial courtesy from the editors, at
least not from HOWELL, and altogether,
Notwithstanding every Keokuk man Will
tell you that the place is bound TO be the
largest town in the State, because it has
the one advantage of being below the
rapids which obstruct navigation during
low water, you cannot help the conclu-
sion that keokuk is, as our friend WILL
kIE privately observes in the Dubuque
Herald, q" y id old place"
Still, keokuk just now is point of
considerable attraction. There is the
Governor, who is expected to set every
one of l20 companies which have been
offered to him into the six regiments of
ten companies each, which he has au
thority TO raise, and is also expected to
get about five hundred of his friends in
10 positions of Colonels, Lieutenant Col
ouels, Majors, Quartermasters, Commis-
saries, &c, when score of gentlemen
only are required 10 fill them. Then, as
our little army of three regiments are at
Keokuk, thither must, of necessity, come
all those patriotic gentlemen who are
desirous of serving the State and the
country in these seltsacriticing positions
Then there are the wives and friends of
the soldiers, making pilgrimages of love
and friendship to the brave fellows. All
these make considerable impression upon
Keokuk dulness.
Before we left keokuk, the three regi.
ments of volunteers had all arrived, with
the exception of the Dubuque, Cedar
Falls and Butler county companies. and
these we met on our way up. The Me
Oregon, West Union and Decorah com
panles arrived on Thursday, and went
Immediately into quarters. Only the Isl
regiment are in camp. The second eN.
pected TO 20 into camp the present week,
part of their tents having arrived. The
location of camp Ellsworth, where the
lst regiment is stationed, is about a mile
and half from the business portion oi
the city Ii is a beautiful location, ele.
waited, overlooks the city, is easy of az,
cess, convenient TO water, and must be
healthy. The tents are put up in sym,
metrical order, each company occupying
both sides of an avenue, with seven tents
on each side. The officers tents are sep.
arated from those of the soldiers by a
wide avenue, running at right angles
with the others, named after the Colonel
of the regiment, and running the whole
length OF the encampment. Separate from
these are the tents occupied by the staff
officers, each of whom has a tent OF his
own. The officers are generally prov ided
with camp beds--the men sleep upon
straw and their blankets
The companies, with the exception OF
the Governors Greys, who use their own
splendid riaed muskets, are armed with
old muskets, altered from flint to percus
sion locks. The day after our arrival
they were provided with cartridge boxes
belts, bayouet scabbards, plates. &c.
but have not yet received knapsacks
canteens, and haversacks They are call
ed out At iour in the morning, and are
kept actively at work. drilling two hours