, 1861-10-02

How Gen. sturzzs Did - Reaeh Lex
l1Ef0Ms:4-

How Gen. stuFsEs Did - Roach Lex~
The Cincinnati GaseRepnbllahes the follow
iDg interesting letter from;& member Of the
39th Ohio {G1oesbeek's) regiment, forming
portion Of Gen. sturgis'e command:
KANSAS .C11T, Sunday. Sept. u.
I: We left Hudson or Mason City, last Monday
IA the IaiD+ on the Hannibal and st. Joseph
Rai1rcad. There were five companies Of our
0hio,- all Infantry, under command Of Gen.
sturEis. We srr1Ted at Vtica about dark, and
campad In AID about the cars that night. At
noon, oar force started to march across tha
country 10 Lexington. We marched that af-
ternoon about ten miles, and encamped at
night Oh a Ana prairie, in the tall weeds and
prairie grass. Next day EWednesday,) wa
marched about twenty-five miles further, and
lay down at night in the grass, without pitch
ng cur tents, most Of them being completely
worn cut. All day long We heard the cannon
at distance. That day had the honor Of
leading the advanced guard Of the army. In
tie morning we did not statt1e up much as
Es passed along, but prairie chickens but in
ne ase. aiferEo2n We began to zee the secession
watching our march. Wehsd no cavalry with
which to pursue thsm, but one man, who was
mounted, borrowed MY revolver, and, with the
assistance ct the Generals Orderly, captured
tvo Of them.
The men had hard time of il. They were
KEPT pretty steady on the march. without
much rest, carrying their own knsp8ackB, aad
great many ct them gave out. Poor tel1owsI
scme cfthem Won1d drop down in the grass
a1ong the road, and insist they conld go no
1u1ther, even if they were 1ef; to die The
knaptacks are the great trouble to them.
They say they would rather march thirty
niles without, than twenty with them and
that the regiments in Virginia, and the
Springfield regiments, never carried their oWn
n r1y5 E,,+ 1n1 md 49,
We got through, they commenced throwing
themsaway, and as orders were given to team
EteTs to pick THIN a'l up, they we're finally all
loae ed On the wagous.
Thursday We had desperate long march.
We got within six miles Of Lexington, On the
direct read, when we learned that the seces-
etoDists we're some twenty thousand strong,
and had possession Of the ferry and plsce-au
excepting the fort-and had q force Of three
thousand On this side waiting to receive US,
had both, the question now became, how to
get away without being captured Or cut to
Piccts-tor our General would not letus fight
them-though, think, We would to man,
have p1e1erTed that. We accordingly struck
of to the south,west, passing through Rich
tents were all thrown away to tighten the
load, and we are now without them. At Rich
mond re lost our Quartermaster, 81. A.
Edwards, Of Cincinnati, and suppose he was
1Eke0 prisoner. 1t 1E Ea1Q kH6 reporter OF the
New York Tines was there, and wished to See
tho Colonel, who Was some distance ahead.
Edwards lent him his horse to catch up with,
ard somehow the horse Was not returned,
ard EdWard2 waiting for it got left. We en-
camped that night At Camden, on the top Of q
high hill, from Whch We could see Lexington
in the distance, and the Unicn flag still waving
OF the fcEt.
| 1t seemed, and it YVES, O shame that they
shopld be fighting there b.zrely, and perhaps
| Oh the point Of yielding, and We not allowed
| 10 60 to assist them, but next morning, Fri
| cay. we got up ut midnight, and at one, start
| ed again on our route DIP the river. 1t raiaed
| bard ard we all got wet and had to tramp
| rough the mud, but about noon The sun
cane cut and dried us off again.
| We passed through Richdeld Gu the way,
| ant about dusk reached Liberty, Clay county,
| and ercamped just outside the town, after q
march Of at least thirty miles. We learned
| there, much to our disapp ointment, that our
tTtops, to the number Of sGme $500, had been
| tbsre, including two companies of our regl-
| ment under Major Noyes, aud had left tile
evening before.
Liberty quite fine little town. The
| finest for smsn place that have seen yet in
M:eE bnt pretty much all secession.
We staid there till two o'clock on Saturday,
whtn ne again took up our line Of march for
Liberty Landing, where We embarked on
| board the steamboat MpjoTs and came up to
this place. From here do not know where
! we shall go, p1obs5!T to Foft L-aqenworth,
! but hops there will enough OF Ms be got to.
| gether before long to craole US to drive these
| rebels before Us.