The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-09-07
Army Correspondence.

CAMP BLAIR, Ne, Sept. 2, 1861.
DEAR JeuKHAL Since my arrival here
have been too much engaged to favor you
with an earlier letter. Although the E. &
G. Railroad has not the freighing capacity
of the o. & N. Railroad, by the admirable
arrangements of Mr.. Ingle, we passed from
Evansville to Vincennes in ordinary time.
Dutwe were ubvut twenty uUurs vn the
road from vincennes to St. Louis, arriving
at the upper Ferry about 4 o'clock in the
afternoon. Every effort was made to has
ten our ferriage, but it was night by the
time the last companies passed over to st
Louis. We were greatly fatigued and hun
CRY, but had to march three miles out to
the st. Louis Fair Ground. For the credit
of our State. it is well that night concealed
our Hoosier condition. Ragged aud dirty,
and almost without saddles and bridles we
did not appear much like a cavalry regi-
ment. About ten o'clock we arrived at our
camp, almost without any camp equipape.
no tents at all, and only about two hundred
blankets for six hundred and thirty or forty
men. Hungry and tired, we partook of
hard bread and boiled shoulder, and then
slept all round about as best we could
Our rations and sleeping arrangements
were not much improved for three or four
dsys. It appeared to us that tsthe powers
that be" were anxious to get here, but
did not know what to do with us after our
arrival. The fact is there are so. many
regiments arriving, that it is impossible for
the military authorities to supply them With
promptness. -.sss i
The st. Louis Fair Ground is beautiful
grove, admirably laid out, and well suited
for a cavalry encsmpment. There are sufi-
Gent good stables to accommodate all of
our horses inside of high plank fence, and
an abundant supply of water near by Our
tents are in a well-shaded grove, about q
quarter of mile outside the Fair Ground.
SO you will see, that although we Jared
badly for a few days, we are now most
pleasantly situated. -~ e~ oF
Our exposure to the cool hight air and
the change of water-we are using Missis-
sippi water, svdTm and muddy as it is
without ice-caused considerable sickness,
among us. Our lot was hard enough when
we were all well, but when III any fell sick,
our condition became pitiable, indeed. We
took possession of the Mechanics Hall for
hospital, but we had little to put into il
but SICK soldiers. "A small thin blanket
anu the hard floor were the best RceemTnoda-
~
we possibly supply them with proper nour-
ishment, for we had nothing but the ortfi-
nary army rations and no tteooki ing ar
engagements" to make them in a more ae-
ceptable condition. Col. Baker and others did
all in their power to have our urgent wants
promptly supplied But presume there
were so many other newly arrived regi-
ments, in an equally bad condition, that it
was impossible for the authorities to do
more for US than they did. What man
could not do woman did. By visiting us
the Soldiers Union Aid learned our con-
dition. Ladies never appeared more like
angels than. when they came quietly into
our hospital, and passed gently from soldier
to soldier, speaking to them kindly and
eyincing q true woman's sympathy for their
Affections. They regarded US as sons and
brothers, ready to sacrifice our lives, as we
had the comforts of our homes, for our eoy.I.
mon country, and bountifully bestowed all
that is necessary to make a hospital a home
for a sick soldier. - -5a bfI1si'ls q ~
They supplied our hospital with nearly
forty mattresses, forty comforts and our
sick with change of linen; besides many
articles of diet for them and some real deli |
cacies for the officials about the hospital. |
Members of the % Aid : visit US now dali
~, and urge upon us what they can do for
the sick. Mrs. Linton, Mrs. Bell, Mrs. iris i
Ter, Mrs. Guggs, and Mrs. Thomas, of Belle I
vile, Illinois, appear to be untiring in their /
efforts to make our sick comfortable
Would that the ladies Of Evansville would +
act az they do. Oh s
saS- The Adams Express Company have