Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-12-27
@. Correspondence Of the Ga1etts.
From Fort Randall.
foRr RANDALL, Dakota Territory,
December o, 1861.

From Fort Randall.
FoRr RANDALL, Dakota Territory, |
December 0. 1861.
EDlToFs GAZETTE We'll here we are, af-
ter five weeks march, safely quartcred at
Fort Randall. You have doubtless heard
that we got slightly fooled in regard to the
steamboat arrangement from Council Bluffs.
It certainly seemed to us something more
| than a joke, being taken one hundred miles
out of our way, for the purpose of reaching
a boat, and then being obliged to march the
entire distance, and when we reached the
Bluffs, we found that there was no show for
boat there was considerable indignation
among the soldiers, but they were ''in for it"
as the saying is, and, after being delayed
there for couple Of days, we picked up our
traps and started on the 21st of November
for Sioux City. As it happened, it was
fortunate for us that we did not find con.
veyance by water, for, on the day after we
left the Bluffs, the weather became so cold
and stormy that it would have been impossi
bic to navigate the river, and, if we had the
good fortune to escape ashipwreck, we should
have been driven to the necessity Of abandon.
ing the boat, and make up new overland
train. We reached Sioux City on the Goth
of November, having met with no remarka-
bic incidents on the route, excepting the &C
cidental meeting with "Steph. Brown" at
Little Sioux. The old residents of Cedar
Falls well remember Steph," who flourish
ed at the Falls in the old " Bachelor Club"
days. He had been residing in this Terrific
ry for two or three years, and was on his
way to Missouri, with the intention Of join
ing the army.
On the 9th of November we left Sioux
City, and started in high glce, upon the last
division of our march, and arrived here about
noon on the 9th of December. A portion of
the trip was very trying, in consequence of
very cold and stormy weather. We travel
cd one or two days in the face of a severe
storm with the mercury ten degrees below
zero, and this in country where we did not
see a human habitation from morning till
night. This, to anything but soldiers would
seem rather hard fare, but our men faced it
bravely and got through without any more
serious result than the frosting of a few un-
protected ears and noses. wish here, brief
ly, but plainly, to contradict Some statements
that have appeared in the Iowa papers con-
corning the treatment of the soldiers while
on their way to this place. The most scan
dalous, and unjust articles that have seen
relating to this subject, appeared in ono Of
the Des Moines papers, soon after we passed
through that place. Where the editor Of
this paper got his information, will not at
tempt to say, but this do say, and without
reservation, that statements were then made
which were entirely false. Among others
was the statement that the soldiers were poor
ly clad and poorly fed. state what know
to be true, when say that the soldiers thro'
the entire trip were well and bountifully fed,
and that if any soldier did not have plenty
to eat it was not because twas not furnished
by the Quarter master. 1t is true that there
were those who were constantly grumbling
because they did not get enough to eat, but
such persons are found in all companies, and
these same persons would grumble if they
had five times the usual amount furnished.
l do not know of a soldier who has the ap-
pearancc of having been sceN fed at home,
but will testify that he had all he wanted to
eat, and that often he could not eat his full
ration 1t was common thing during the
latter portion of our journey for the soldiers
to weigh themselves, to sec how much they
had gained in flesh since they left home, and
it was not an unusual thing to hear men
boast of having gained twelve or fifteen
pounds, and some went as high as twenty.
A very singular circumstance-men march
ing twenty miles day, with nothing to eat,
and at the same time gaining in flesh at the
rate of fifteen pounds month!
Another humbug which our Des Moines
editor got up, was in regard to the clothing
of the troops. In regard to this l will simply
say, that the men were well clothed, and
that nothing was deficient except the over
coats. These, Capt. Pattee endeavored to
get but was put of with the plea that the
coats were here at the Fort, and that the
men must get along without them until they
arrived here. The whole matter may be
sumed up in this, the editor (or his informant)
owed Pattee some grudge, and got up these
falsehoods for the purpose Of injuring the
commander of the battalion. But enough
of this, and now a few words concerning Fl.
| Randall.