The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1861-07-04
COM nj u NICTE n.

COM nj UNICTE n.
CAMr DENS,soN, o., June 18th, 1861
EDIroR Iowa TRANSCRIPT,
DEAR SlR:
The Eighth Regiment arrived il
Camp Dennison on Friday, the frat o
May, and found any thing but an agree
able reception. It had been raining fol
several days and still continued to spou'
down in torrents. We were dumped
in the mud without food or shelter-the
lumber and provisions for these purpos'
es still being in Cincinnati. About five
in the afternoon :he lumber train arrfv'
ed, and the regiment to a man, com.
mcnccd backing boards from the rail
road track to the place designated for
our barracks. The regiment slept in
the open air and some without even q
blanket for covering. IN the morn
ing Go. D. received their rations, which
consisted Of sixty one lbs salt pork, and
seventy five lbs Bread as We had re.
ceivcd no cooking utcnsels, some Of the
boys ate their pork raw, some thrust a
slice on long stick, and held it in the
ERE until it was made palatable, and
some, with downcast looks refused to
touch the "Greasy stuff"
Other great evils consisted in the
manner in which we were supplied with
water, and the condition Of the water
itself. 1t was obtained for drinking
purposes. from spring which was kept
almost dry from inccssant dipping, and
always very muddy BY constant agita-
ton. That obtained for cooking pur-
poses was dipped from q creek, which
answered both for a bathing pool and a
general washtub for the Brigade These
evils. ] an happy to inform you, are
now etiectuallv rene died; wells Of good
water are accessible, and guard of
soldiers assures us that the water used
rof cooking, is not mixed with the filth
from so'ae dirty Iri,hn,an's back.
Soon after our arrival, Gov Dennison
fully assured Of the iinbecili.y of the
Commissary, and those whom he had
associated with him, removed those
pests from the camp, and since that time
soldiers fever received better provisions
than the eighth regiment has been pro-
yidcd with. The ration Of Co. D. con-
sist of mess pork, ham, bacon, beef, salt
and fresh, rice, beans, coffee, sugar,
molasses, soap and candles, and we re-
ceive enough to satisfy even . soldiers
craving appetite.
OF course, we do not receive this
great variety each day. but by jadicious
management on the part Of our cooks
we can set As great variety on our
tables as nine-ten,hs Of the farmers Of
Iowa did in '5s, so l. 90.
Our shanties were originally built
like twin brothers-all alike. Now there
is as much difference between them as
if they had not been copied from the
same model. Some squads have, with
jack-knife and such other tools AS
they could pick up, whitfield out many
articles of convenience and COM
fort. Shelves, gun racks and places
for everything are found in some huts,
and in others everything is lying arourd
loose and dirty. Almost every shanty
has its sign. The most laughable one
l have seen, reads as follows:
"Vanamburgh's wild animals encag-
ed here" Lodging for man aud beast
provided the man wants nothing and is
willing to feed his horse on post-hay,"
and such like may be frequently seen.
Tho Three Years men Of the 7th, 4th
and 9Th have mostly received their
uniforms for the need Of which they
have borne ample testimony. Ohe u
the scntinels stood watch on Saturday,
in a pair Of brecches like Joseph's coat
-of many bearing the inscrip-
ton of "IIard Times" painted like q
sign-board on his coat tail. A squad
Of some thirty in our regiment, whose
clothes were rather the worst for wear,
when they came here, and had been
et'in. NJ better very fast, since their
asFival, formed themselves into line
a,sl marched around the parade ground
] amid a perfect yell Of cheering from the
Whole regiment. After they had enjoy.
. 81 the sport IL long as desirable, they
marehpa to The Coloneis quarters, halt
aa, called h,m ont, presented arms, and
men dispersed to their Barracks
i It may be interesting for the reader'
Of the Transcript to peruse the rule
+ ,,,l;oL ,oyorn tho soldier. and SubiOSl