The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-06-26
Army Correspondence.
CAMP FAyETTE VOLUNTEERS,
KEoKUK, June l6, 1851.


Messrs. Editors Last night the 1;MSs
showed its welcome and good looking coun.
tcnance in our camp, and was duly read
and appreciated by large number Of its
former readers. Many thanks, for youf
favor of copy. The sppsarance Of tie
Times reminded me Of promise to send
you some facts mi.occasionally, but FOR
the want of the aforesaid f1cts, I fcar1
shall be compelled to iill this letter mostly
with .fanciss.
A few jokes were passed around among
the boys at the expense Of the Times for
its making the assertion that too Of this
Clayton and secen of the Fayettc volun.
teers were rejected, rlso that the uni,
forms for the Iowa volunteers was now in
Kcokuk. Badly posted. Not one was re-
jected, and b.t one refused to take the
oath. The uniforms are not in the city
though we all heartily wish that the Time
was correct in stating that they ara.
We arrived in Keokuk all safe, ard ard
quartcred quite comfortably for soldiers;
we have now settled down into the "cven
tenor Of our way drilling our regular sis
hours day. The romance Of war has been
most successfully taken out by wholesome
applications Of drill" poor grub and
hay instead of "downy pillows yet 7
rather like;it we sec some''tail old fun when
off drill, as you would soon be convinced
were YOU with us few hours upon some
occasions, and hear the host Of jokes crack
cd, yarns spun. and songs sung. And
then the eu-checker playing! ">@
About the only excitement we have had.
was caused by the departure on Thursday
morning of the lst and 2na Regiments, for
Hannibal Missouri, of which suppose you
nave been informed ere this reaches you.
Since their departure we have had all
sorts of rumors afloat Of engagements be.
tween them and'the secessionists Of Mis-
souri, The first report was that the 'Jen.
ME Dean" which took them down the riv-
er, had been fired into, from the heights
near Hannibal, and 7 men belonging to tho
End Regiment killed and 20 wounded; with
in few hours, the number was enlarged
to 70 killed, and 100 wounded, and also
that the End had taken possession Of Han.
nibal after skrmish, and had appropriat.
ed the contents Of afewjewelry stores for
their own use The next pleasant little biz
of n:ws passed around was that secession
camp was being formed about three miles
from Keokuk for the purpose Of making
an attack upon this city. Guards about
the quarters were doubled, and the strict
est watch kept for spies and other suspi-
cious characters.
Our rather over:anxious Sergeant Tn,
was beautifully "sold'' yesterday, by on.
of the last m .ntioned worthless. He played
the "suspicious' in a conversation with the
Sergeant, stated that he was from Missouri;
had been driven from there by secession.
lists, etc. The Sergeant set some men to
watch Mr.. Spy and report his fears AMI
surmises to the Orderly; while these two
worthless were engaged in deep converse.
ton, one Of the watchers came in post
haste and reported that che was 'sccesh
err sure, for he saw him talking to bog >
long time in the street. This was taker
by the Orderly as prinaa tacia evidence
that ''he was here for no good and he i'm
| nediately detailed guard, stationed them
in all the streets aud allies roundabout, and
ordered squad to take the rascal. AT.
ter dlligent search of about an hour and
a half, the squad" returned, each with
sheepish look, but ''nary seccsher.' Tho
'sccesher' poved to be town brick.'
and had gained some safe retreat whers
he was undoubtedly enjoying the good
| joke he had played upon our boys. But
the best of the joke was upon the guards:
The Orderly was so chagrined at not fnd-
the spy that he forgot all about relieving
them, and they stood, and stood, and Stood
till past supper time, when they could stood
| it no longer; and came into the quarters
breathing anything but blessings upon the
head Of the Orderly, the spy and the Scr.
geant. If any Of that squad or guard
ever get sight Of that spy, wo be unto him !
Our Orderly repaired to the Armory
yesterday morning. with squad under
his command, and brought to quarters
about 20 muskets. From Wilkes des.
cription of the muskets which the 1st Re-
gi,nent is armed, am convinced that these
| are from the same lot-only more So /
was placed on guard last night with ona Of
the aforesaid redoubtable muskets in hand,
which, by the way, contained mary load
Ere long grew tired and sleepy, and to-
amuse myself, commenced going through
the manual Of arms got along famous
ly, till came to cooking my muske,--
| there was the rub. tried one hand with
all my might and main,' bu, was mo 60
Growing both determined and desperate
| at last, placed the muzzle upon the
grund, and the butt against my lody,
seized the obduratc trigger with both
hands, and did my BEST and at last. tri-
umphantly brought it to halt cook;' but
my success was only transitory, for found
after repeated trials that it was among the
impossibilities to remove the trigger an
iota either backward or forward lit was as
firmly fixed as Is Friend GHARKy Of tho
Fayette Pioneer. At last giving it up as a
bad job, grown quite chilly, l leaned the
musket against the side Of the barracks.
and drew forth rather suspicious locking
'side-arm' (Which, by the way has seen
| service in the Times officel for the purpose