The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-03-15


count of the cold piefrlng wind. and fros,
The next day was u little milder. but still
. cold with chilly wind. We surroandel
Clinton, in Henry county, and drove TIL
citizens into corral, formed on the pub
lie square, and then "swore'' them. afte
cuiiing out Eve or six to accompany us j.
prisoners. You may know how much de
pendcnce Is to be put in swearing thes,
traitors when | tell you that we freqnentl,
take persons in arms who have been sworr
from one TO six times. Some new wor,
ought to be invented to express the idea,
for farce is no name for it.
The following day IL NJ found Us 80
miles distant, ut the drill and muster.
grounds of these traitors, but nobody there,
rs We fully expected, for their plan now
Vas 10 be ecitizens,o and il any were from
q distance, they were to take the bush for
escape. Not to be foiled BY this, a Dor.
ton Of the LIST Iowa cavalry were sen. GU t
during the afternoon to scout, and the in !.
fantry to skirmish in the brush. They
returned about dark with 90 prisoners
Now came the hardest part OF the whole
expedition. The LIST Iowacavalry, by or
der, started just at dark, and taking the
round of traitor houses, surrounded them
and promptly ordered the male portion to
fall into column, and took good care Of
arms aud ammunition. During the night
we surrounded village, known as Pleas
ant Gap, and bagged some Is prisoners,
among them Capt. Msrchbanks and Capt
Neff. 1t was now about 4 clock in tho
morning, and We were eighteen miles from
camp. We took up cur return march,
capturing a few more prisoners by the
way, and met the entire command about
9 a. IN, en- route for Pleasant Gap. We
halted and joined the column, and en-.
camPed at 8 P. m, having been in our
saddles twenty-ose hours, without food or
rest; and to add to the whole, We were
notified by COL Geddes to be ready to
start at an early hour for a "forced march
of IS miles to sedalia. The only relief
to this heavy march, for man and horse,
was. that the lst Iowa cavalry regiment
were ordered to Kentucky, and to this we
all said Amen, for We are heartily sick Of
hunting and capturing what is not Ct to
kiln when taken.
We made the entire march in two DAYS,
and reached Sedalia only to learn that Col.
Geddes was mistaken, and that we were
not going 10 Kentucky, but to remain to
follow up the programme of scouting
Although We took not less than rs pris.
oners, releasing portion on taking the
oath, &c, | am fully persuaded that we
complished absolutely nothing in secur-
ing quiet TO these neighborhoods or in
crushing out this unholy rebellion
Nothing is more certain than that the muir
dsring Of Union citizens will be resumed
and other refugees pray for our protection
in the same settlements. This is speci.
men scout, having marched over 200 miles
in six days, besides scouting. And if
any Of our many friends ask you what our
battalion is doing, jus. please say .They
are scouting
Our scout to Warsaw capturing Gen.
Ed. Price. Col. Dorsey. Col. Cross, and
Capt. lnge, and several others, together
with large number Of mules en- route to
Prices army; and also the scouts 70
Brownsville, and to Leesyille we're all of
the same character a. this last. 1t is
amusing to witness the efforts Of the small
fry in other regiments to claim the labor
Of the LIST Iowa cavalry as their heroic
achievements. We were informed Chat
Capt. Stubs. of the Sth Iowa, arrested
Gen. Price d Co., when the fact was that
my portion of the 9Th was miles in the
rear. Also that Capt Tompkins, Of the
9Th Iowa, took the prisoners to ST. Louis,
when il was Capt, Thompson, co. G, LIST
Iowa II is needless to enumerate instan-
,es. You may rest assured that If there
ire any movements in this portion of Mis-
'ouri, the lst Iowa Is very apt 10 figure ID
t, and as cavalry have the advance, 10
have the best opportunity to see what
Jun there Is going. .s. IL
Yours. &C., ~
HOTEL.