Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-12-06
PLANTERS House.
I'd
st InlliS \

EDITOR JOURNAL Il have just returne
from visit to Benton Barracks, and thin
that perhaps short account of how thing
there appear to a citizen may be inter
esting to some of your readers, although nc
,s giving any later news than you will get frou
your regular correspondence in the camp.
he camp is situated about four miles iron
the business part Of the city, and is easy O
access by the street cars, which land YOU il
front of the fair grounds. 4 his place is ia
miar to many Of us, but is greatly changed
since saw it before, when the fair was il
j., progress The whole vacant ground insid,
the enclosure is now occupied by the whit,
tents Of the cavalry and the blue army wag
ons. All the stalls outside of the trottlns
course are being filled with horses, as also ar,
many of the booths, or lager beer saloons
under the pavilion. The beautiful shade anG
! ornamental trees, for which the place was
quite celebrated, are being destroyed most
rapidly. 1t seems quite too bad to see lot
of mules and horses fastened to these fine
young trees, and also to the edges of the
beautiful fountains, (now dry,) and eating
their feed out of the fancy managers, of course
leaving the marks of their teeth and shoes
on everything soft enough to yield to them.
The camp proper is Immediately back or
west of the fair grounds, and is very extens-
i've. containing, should Judge, from 80 to
100 acres, being perhaps three times as long
as wide, sloping very gradually towards the
west, and as you enter at the east end, pre-
sents q neat appearance. Here are the Off
GERS quarters, in neat appearing one-s1orv
cottages, or rather one long range of them, all
made under one roof but otherwise divided
off by open passages into separate buildings
At right angles ON each side are the company
quarters-good, substantial board buildings.
the roofs on the front extending over four or
five feet, and supported by posts, making a
piazza, the whole length of each, giving fine
promenade for the soldiers and their visitors.
In the middle of the space stands the com
mandant's house, neat two-story frame
building, which looks like some gentleman's
country seat, and as though the quarters had
been built around it, but is part of the camp,
and was built at the same time
The parade ground is very extensive, and
presented beautiful appearance to-day, be-
ing covered with squads and companies of in
| fantry, cavalry and artillery, all drilling
Just now the ground is dry, and nearly as
smooth and hard as floor The main OBJ
lection see to it is, beirg so nearly level,
will be very muddy and disagreeable in wet
weather
Imade my first visit last evening, arriving
just about dark. OF course my first effort
was to find the 18th Qowa) regiment. As
| the quarters are all alike and there being no.
thing to show where each regiment is located
| it takes little trouble for stranger to loo,
them up even by daylight, but it being night,
had quite hunt to find them. After pay
ing my respects to the officers of ours, went
into the company quarters-found the boys
all 'at home" and many Of them IN their
''bunks." Some one called out, "Turn out,
boys, here is Mr.. -, from Muscatine."-
Then came general rush, and shaking of
hands with every body | knew, and lots of
others, who knew me, but | did not know
them. Being the first visitor they had seen
| from home, you may be sure | had most
hearty welcome. The first question generally
was, 'how are all the folks at home ?" next,
"have you got letter for me?' and then,
| ''have you got any Muscatine Journals ?'-
Unfortunately letters and Journals were
scarce in my pocket; bu. "all we'll at home"
gave them some pleasure. Every one COM
planned about getting so few, or no letters.
from home. If our citizens generally could
know how how much pleasure it gives our
soldiers TO get letters from home, am sure
| they would be more prompt in writing. Al
| though had few letters to deliver, l had
good package to bring home.
To-day hunted up the 7th regiment; and
although found but few of our boys there,
(many beng home on. furloughs,) the few I
| founl were right glad to see me. They are
mostly quite young men, but look and act the
| old soldier All seemed in fine spirits, and
| ready for another fight. In fact, all or boys
seemed anxious to be moving down South
They say they are tired Of camp life without
excitement. l have heard many compli
ment for the Iowa boys since leaving home.
| Visions Greek and Belmont have given our
| State glorious name.
| Col. Hare is admitted to have the bast d, i'll
ed and finest appearing regiment in the camp,
and when it comes to fighting, I'll bet my bot
tom dollar on the lth Iowa.
Yesterday went down to the dry docks
and examined the gun boats. Two are now
on the docks and they are rushing them
through as fast as possible, there being hard
| ly room to walk through them for the crowd
of worknen on them. They are quite differ
ent from what supposed they were from the
descriptions and cuts we ali see Of them
Their hulis are about the size of one of our
second class upper Mississippi steamboats,,
the wheel being in the after part and middle
of the boat. The whole boat is completely
sheeted over with wrought iron plates, the
most exposed places being two and half
inches thick, edges halved and Tapped toge'h
er. and all bolted to the solid oak timbers,
which are from twelve to eighteen inches in
thickness No part Of the wheel or machin-
ery is exposed outside of the sheeting. except
the sheet iron chimney, which Of course is
fha hnok
not be materially disabled If it should be
knocked off, wen with the hurricane roof
There is no access to the inside except through
the port holes, and these can only be reached
| by sealing ladders I counted thirteen gun
carriages in one of the boats, on all Of which
are to be mounted Dahlsreen guns Of about
IS calibre, believe. Ore of the boats has
pat up very conspicuously, so that it can be
read from any boat passing up or down the
river, her sign Benton, for Memphis and
New Orleans'' They havn't yet advertised
their day Of leaving. but presume it will be
soon; feel more interested in their arrival
at ports of destination, and hope the good
time is soon coming.
These gun boats, think, are good thing
in their line, and if they can be managed SO
as to be kept off sand bars and shoal water
will be very efficient.
This being my first visit to this city since
marshal law has been in force, l have beer
t compelled to procure pass before leaving. -
Q AS some of your readers may not have seer
t this modern institution in this free country,
: will give you copy Of mine, Of course omit
ing the answer to the questions, some 0
which are decidedly personal, and l thinl
: impertinent, to man in my peculiar situa
: ton i:
o No. 72,412. OFFICE OF PRovosr MARSHAL
S St. Louis, Nov %, 1861.
Il Permission is granted to - - t
+ pass beyond the limits of the city and count.
d of St. Louis, to 60 to Muscatine, Iowa.
r Issued by J. F. Foss.
If GEO. E. LEIGHTON,