Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-04-11
Tennessee River Expedition.
from our C0ffeepondentl
Letter from rhe 72d ResimensN

PfrrsBuRe, Tenn, March gath 1862.
EprroR JouRSALi-=The 72d and the grand
army Of troops in this "moye," are lying quiet
ly encainped on the left OF southwest bank Of
the Tennessee, hore at this psce they csl rPitts-
burg" which, by the way, thOugh the South
ernors may call it a town, is not oven hamlet,
there being no more than three or four misora-
BILE log houses, with no claims in the world to
be called town.. The country is rather level
and thickly covered with timber mostly oak Of
an inferiority quality, interspered with hicko-
ry. Axnen go in advance of each regiment
and prepare the camping ground by cutting ont
the underground Of brush, shrubs and small
trees. Little rills rainify the whole ground so
far occupied, furnishing us conveniently with
water. The soil is a light yellow clay which
may be fairly estimated from the fact that the
I land is wholly unimproved, and sold, before the
war, for no more than 90 per acre. The price is
merely nominal, however, as having more ter
rtory than industry, Teimesseeans have been
languidly content to improve aud TIL the bca
only of their soil Tho institutions Of the State,
with the unnatural relation Of capital and labor,
make it Improbable to cultivate any but the
richest and most remunerative districts.
Our camp is five miles from the landing in
the direction of Corinth. We are now proba-
bly, not more than | 5 miles from the Mississippi
line. The present status of affairs hereabouts is
substantially this: There is a strong force here,
which is being daily augmented, and its bearing
is toward the Charleston and Memphis Railroad
which is the only line of communication left
between the Atlantic slope and the Mississippi
valley Of the bogus Confederacy This road
once in our hands aud the rebels of the West are
pretty effectually cut off from those in the East
On this road the rebels seem disposed to make
stand at Chattanooga, in the southeast of this
State, and also at Corinth which Is some 20
miles in our advance, and at the Junction of the
Q. and NJ. Road with the Columbus and Mobile
/ Railroad. 1t seems to me that Cornth must be
place of great importance to the rebels, and
no doubt the obstinaey of their stand there will
be proportionate to their estimate Of its import
ance as military position. The reports of their
numbers are very conflicting, and no doubt as
usual, greatly exaggerated. The more reasona-
Bile reports place the number at 10000. The
country intervening is level and wooded, cross
ed BY bridgeless streams.
Things seem to move slowly, and the great
! I"AnacondaP to draw in his coils very deliber-
ately. 1t is now about 90 days since we left
Paducah, and all that has been done, so far as
can be seen, is to bring this force few hundred
ing for this work some hundred steamers, at an
expense of not less than $25,000 per day.
1 The sanitary condition of this regiment
is rapidly improving, !, and, with slight improve
ment in the commissary department, usual gooC
health will be restored Our Hospital arrange
ments are exceedingly poor, through no fault o.
our surgeons, and certainly demand attention
from some quarter. This regiment has not one
hospital tent nor ambulance. Is nobody blam-
ablef Thanks to the constant care, attention
and medical skill of our most excellent Sur
geon, Major Rice, and his no less attentive and
Iskillfu assistant, DIR. Kaull, not patient under
their treatment has yet died. Yet they have oi
late lahored at great disadvantage, and under
most discOurasing circumstances.
Send me your paper promptly The only
news we can get must be through friends al
home. Let them send the soldiers papers, even
the old ones. You may read them, and send
them to us, 10 whom they will yet be full OF
news. Why paper not more than 10 days old
will sell for 90 cents very readily. A few days
since as was strolling along the river bank my
attention was called by a man running at the
top of his speed. Looking more composedly
| found it to be my good friend Dr. k, who
was industriously employing all his locomotive
powers in pursuit of a newsboy. Had | no
ascertained hispurpose by hisealling out to thai
"boy to hold on" l should have thought hin
mad. On he went, furious, almost frantic, thu
, perspiration standing out in large drops on hi
forehead, painting like Il racer, till he rearhe,
the boy, only to exchange l5 cents for a dali
5 five days old. The miser covets not his golt
as we poor souls covet a newspaper, no matte
how ancient the date.