Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1861-12-26
FROM COL. ED. COOKS REGIMENT.
NO. Iv.
Written for the Fayetteville Observer.
BOWLING GREEN, KY, |
Dac.19. 1851. {

mr.. E0Hor::-A squad OF some
twenty or twenty-five Of, Captain
Finney's and fuckers men left
Fayetteville on the 10th inst,
bonnd for Running Water, East
Tenn, which place we reached
soon after sun set. We found
some of our boys preparing sup
per, and others preparing to move
We had orders to be ready and at
the roadside, by eight o'clock, and
about that time a train came roll
ing along and halted, when those
aboard reported that our train
would be alongssaoiithin fee minutes,
That five minutes lasted until
halt past ten, when she came sta
wing ahead, and we threw in our
baggage, &c, and got aboard, and
then hustled out for some place not
then known to us. We travelled
slowly on, now and then waiting
for a train to pass until about four
o'clock tuesday A. NJ, when
we came to the train that passed
us at Running Water, stalled on the
Cumberland Mountain. Our en-
CINE had to cut loose from us and
push it up the Mountain and
through the tunnel, while we staid
there in stock cars without fire
and shivercd until the. engines
came back which was daylight,
and with an engine behind and
before, with high steam, we moved
slowly and passed through the
tunnel soon after sun rise, ard
got to Decherd for breakfast, and |
tell you | was not sorry to get out
Of that mountainous country
Sometimes we would he fifty feet
below the surface of the ground
and the next minute perhaps fifty
above it, or staving along with the
mighty Tennessee River beneath
us, on one side and the mountains
on the other and above us. We
arrived at Nashville after leaving
Decherd, about 3 P. NJ, and l not
having slept very much for two
nights, concluded to try it a while
just to see how sleep felt once
more, and slept at the rate of a
''mile per minute without rock
ing" and next day resumed my
tourney, stopping at Trousdale to
renew old acquaintance. | found
81 companies there and have
isince heard of several others land
ing at that place. | found the gem
eral health to be pretty good, some
sick but were convalescent. They
live finely there; they have plen-
| ty of fresh pork and beef, some
bacon, flour and corn meal. / al
most wished | could stay. The
winter quarters for five thousand
are nearly complete. House 50
feet long, l 6 wide, intended for one
company to the house. Colonel
Farquharson's Regiment has five
hundred good breech loading mus
kets. He expects to be ordered to
this place when he gets more guns
which will be in a short time.
Our boys told me that they did
not reach the depot at this place
until two o'clock Wednesday, A.
NJ, and having no orders to move
to camp they all lay down in the
cars to sleep, and every time they
turned over (which was very of
ten for their beds were not very
soft) the molasses that was on the
floor would stick to them till they
pulled loose! In the evening or
ders came to march one mile
Southwest and camp. We are
where others have camped and left
'chlmneys which answer for us, but
we are again under marching or
ders and will likely move only
to the other side of town. AS we
have joined Gen. Buckner's COM
mand, he will want us near the,
rest of his men; but we NAV have
to go some distance toward the
North. A fight is soon expected
from the rush of troops about this
place l am told that rations
are given out here for men
but this seems to be an exaggera-
ton, but there are enough to thrash |
out any army of hirelings that