Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-12-18
Our Army COrrespondence-Th sth
Indiana i'm Missouri.

CAMP or THE STH INDIANA on THE LA MTSEl
December ls 1861.
DEAR EDTToR: To-day is, to very COM
mon expression, "heavy weather" The dull,
leaden clouds hover over our heads like some
great Ozark spectre, and the thunder bounds like a
ball through the heavens, its rumbling noise
dying away in the distant sky, but to return
again with renewed vigor. This betOkens
storm-which is no joke in camp, to wade in
mud and water two or three feet deep, with Gov
eminent shoes and leaky at that, and then as If
to cool the patriotism that fred our souls when
we swore ourselves in for the war, to lay down
our weary bones and rest in the same unpleasant
combination of solids and liquids; but in the Ian
guage of James Buchanan, when he crossed the
Rubicon; ''Sich is life"
This is the third day of our stay here, but
many more will we experience before we hear the
cheers that ring through the camp on the recep-
ton of marching orders" We are now on the
ground of our winter quarters; said quarters will
be in the course of erection by the last of the
week
| To day Col. Skunk is out with hundred and
| fifty men, telling trees and hewing them into
puncheons, boards and logs for our canton
ments.
! Yesterday Lieut.. Smith with fifty men made
a splendid road sixty feet wide and one hundred
yards long, running the length of our camp, that
/ being our share of the work, and the other Iegi-
ments continuing it on through the brigade.
When we get our log city built, It will be good
opening for some artist TO show his talent.
Gen. Pope to-day sent very important order
to headquarters, the import of which is that no
wagons will be allowed to leave camp without an
D r,dodh va cd az
1t has been clearly ascertained by deserters
| from Price, that it is his (Prce's) intention TO
give battle on no account, but keep the main
body of his army on tire other side of the Usage
and send out small bands of his men TO cut off
our supplies and capture small squads OF our men
as they roam away from camp. Sunday team
or train Of ten wagons were taken when within
three miles of Sedalia but were recaptured by
onr men. Sedaia is the extreme end Of the Pa
cifc Railroad, two miles from our former camp,
(Georgetown,) and sixteen miles southwest of our
present encampment We know the news is
is reliable concerning Price and his marauders,
and we vii, keep sharp eye on them We IN
yite them 20 come here, as they welcome 20
all the teams we have, if they can take
them. l suppose you remember Walt Kane,
/ who was a member of Ben Lang's school and a
clerk of Stewart Bowen. His old friends will
be surprised to hear that he is Colonel of rebel
regiment stationed at Warsaw. An old gentle
man from Indiana accompanied by Sam John
son, of the q. NJ. Department, went TO Humans
Vile after his son, who left at that place
very sick, and from there went to Warsaw, where
O'Kane's and Haes's regiments are stationed.
They were taken before o Kane. who questioned
them where they were from, their business, and
whether they were soldiers. johnson told them
they we're citizens Of Indiana and came all the
way from home TO get the sick man. They were
treated very kindly, and received pass from
O'Kane through his lines. They were molested
but once, and then by party of drunken men
who had broken guard and were returning to
! their camp After sho wing the pass the soldiers
let them go.
Cen Stone, of Indiana, is here collecting the
! money that the bows wish to send home to their
families He has received from but three com
panies Of our regiment. and the amount sums
up twenty-seven hundred dollars. Is not this
| goodg Ii shows what big hearts they carry un-
der their blue jackets and brass buttons. Many
a mother will weep over il, and pray fervenfy to
God to bring home safely him that sent il. One
good, big hearted fellow sen. the whole Of his
two months wages 10 his widowed mother, who
is working hard at the wash tub TO support her
self until the return Of her son. That may new
er be; but we know that glorious institution;
the Volunteer Relief Society,"" and they will
not let her suffer.
The placid little stream Of the La Mine is now
swollen and muddy, but as the rise and fall is
quickly done. we will soon have clear water
again
The 26th regiment, Col Whestley, came up
last night and camped near the bridge. The di
vision formerly commanded by Gen. Hunter,
which think includes the 26th and 9th Indi6
ana, will camp on the right bank OF the river,
and one other division on this side with us This
will be large encampmeht, and when we get
log huts for "a 900 men. il win be larger town
than most Of those in Indiana, and somewhat
different in appearance. Gen. Davis Is acting
Brigader General commanding the Division.
while Col Veatch, OF the 25th, is Colonel CON-
maneing the brigade. Gen. Pope has charge of
all the troops between Syracuse and St Louis
Gen. Kelton, of the I'd brigade, has been trans
| ferred 10 Halleck' staff
\ All the men citizens are Union men. We can
not find a Secessionist among them. Strange
amt itl If chicken meets with an unlucky
turn in the neck. or turkey "gobbles," they
bring in big bill to the Government, swearing to
the loss Of one hundred chickens and all of bis
turkeys. If You buy anything they charge -four
prices for il. and swear YOU cheat them Mis-
sour is a great country. So thought Dutchie, Of