The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-10-16
Army correspondence
BENTON BARRACKS,
St LOuiS Mo Oct 7th 1871 I

St Louis, Mo-, Oct. 7th, 1861.
MY Dear Times BY the above you will
observe that the P. o. address Of your cor
respondent has again changed. On Thurs,
day last our detachment of the It'll Iowa
Regiment, under orders from Head Quar-
tiers, bid final farewell to Potosi, and re,
ported itself "for duty" to Brigadicr Gen.
Curtis, commanding the camp of instruc
ton at Benton Barracks. Your humble
servant being detained at Potosi on bust
ness connected with the detachment arrived
here on Saturday night, just in time to get
the benefit Of a soaking rain storm, and
after wading mile in the dark over these
camp grounds, the mud ankle deep-if ones
auklcs grow above the knees, -he feels pre-
pared to "wadc i'm ina cpistolary way
over the left. The Iowa 9Th and 9th In
fantry, a major portion of the LIST cavalry
Col. Warren, and companies B and II Of
"the bloody 7th," arc representing your
State in this camp of instruction and Iowa
need not blush for her sons here for they
are as true reflex of Hawkeyedom as
could be got up. There are some twelve
thousand troops here to-day, and the Iowa
boys compare most favorably with the best
of them. The Iowa 9th, Col. vandevcr
comYanding, is the Regiment of the field.
Every Iowan has right to be proud of it,
and the writer is afforded no small amount
Of real qualification in knowing that consid-
erably over one half of the Regiment halls
from our 10th Judicial District. Hundreds
Of my old acquaintances are in the 9th, and
I'll vouch for them when the day Of action
arrives. Capt. Powers has splendid COM
pany Of 101 men, in which New Oregon
and Howard county has forty men. Nc
Gregor is represented too; Fayctte County
turns out fine company, besides furnish.
the private Secretary Of Col. Vandever,
Charlie Miller, late law partner Of Senator
L. L. Ainsworth, at West Union, who acts
in that capacity. Bremen county has its
full share in the Cedar Rangers, one Of the
finest companies in the eth. Dccorah sent
noble lot Of fellows and Chickasaw coun
ty besides sending to the field its ''Lincoln
Guards" has furnished Several men for the
Sd and 9th Regiments. Capt. Freeman,
Lieut.. Barnes, Capt. Powers, and many
more Of the same sort are here, ready and
anxious for the fray. The 9th is called the
best looking Regiment from Iowa thus far,
and the old saying that handsome is that
handsome does" will be verified in their
case, probably. They are in full uniform
and make fine appearance but are yet
without arms. The art of arts is we'll rep
resented here. ANDY DRlPs the talented
editor Of the Maquoketa Ercelsior, the pio
neer editor and printer Of Clayton county,
is Captain Of a company Of as fine appear
ing men as there is in the 9th. Andy is
highly spoken Of as an officer, and I'll bet
a f0unt of Nonpariel that if the Seccsh are
| within hail, he will show them new use
for shooting sticks" and will distribute
their forms" so as to make full leases" for
staunch anion sheets. Several typos from
your section Of the State are in the ranks,
and notice two who used to set up the
illusions of my friend Belfoy-now your
contemporary Of the Press. Col. Vandever
has not what the critics call 'miltary
turn" but he is an active pcrscvering
worker, ever looking out for the best inter
csts of bis men, and never failing to make
up by industry what he may lack in mill
tary talent. He is well liked by the Rcgi-
mcnt and predict that he will make a far
better officer than many men who have been
petted through the routine Of West Point
and hoisted into position to please 'influen-
tial friends That Regiment was exceed
ingly fortunate in securing the services OF
Capt. Heron, Of Dubuque, as its Lieut.
Col. Heron is one of the best men in the
field, has seen service and is fully entitled
to tho confidence reposcd in him. Some
dissatisfaction exists relative to the Major
of the 9th, but the matter will be passed
over without trouble.
The 9TH is at present writing at Birds
Point, but is expected here soon. Our reg
iment has been trampng around through
Missouri swamps-ovcr Kentucky hills and
sleeping and eating on those internal Mis-
sissippi bottoms so long, that considerable
disease prevails and its ranks are some
what thinncd by sickness. There is deel
feeling in the army relative to the contem
plated removal of Gen. Fremont and SOM
of the expletives used are not exactly com
plimcntary to the Administration. Franl
Blair has killed himself so effectually tina
no political galvani:m can arouse him t
life again. The contemplate chickering's o
cretain epaulcttcd politicians has done NOR
injury to the Government than the arms q
the rebels, and public opinion will 500
s bling them to the judgment they merit
q Fremont has done all that could be don.
and more than any ten such men as Blai
e or his compeers would have done, and nov
;. just upon the eve Of his heavy blow, he i
set upon by hireling horde of politics
cormorants, who, perpetuaIly in the ma
: ket themselves, would willingly sacrifie
e Fremont and even the Union itself, to gra
fify personal ends. The Union cause w,
:, retarded for months by the milk and waite
& wishy -washy epistle of Lincoln to Fremon
The gist Of Fremonts proclamation ".
e destroyed, the feeling Of terror which hs
II seized the rebel dealers in slaves has BEE
a removed, and they now 60 into the field
1t fight against the Government, with the a
81 surance that their peculiar institution