The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-05-03

emergency and acquit themselves nobiy
Health of the company is good-ver
anxious for fight
Yours &c,
ADVANCE.
From PIttsbarg, Tenn.
! PIrrsBuRc, Tenn, April 22, 1862
FRIEND OsHAN reasons given in
former letter, write you agrin this.
have nothing in particular to communi
cate The weather which for about tw,
days had been pleasant, suddenly changed
about two or three days since, and unit
this morning has been cool and stormy
The rain has for much of the time fairly
poured down until the ground has become
thoroughly soaked, and the roads are al
most, if not quite, iinpassable-artillery
could not possibly move at all, and it is as
much as we can do to procure our rations
from the landing, a mile or SO distant
Of course with this state of things, the
men have suffered much from sleeping
upon the damp ground, from poor diet
Cooking has been out Of the question a
part of the time) and from necessary ex-
posure while upon duty; though the sick
list is not as large as one would suppose.
We have recently lost two men, Henry
Able and John Shepherd, both of Co c.,
and | think the Surgeons report some six
ty as sick in Hospital or in quarters In
addition to those, there are about as many
more who are not quite well and who are
taking medicine. All of the officers men,
toned in my last as being SICK, are better
/ believe; but Capt. Vaugn of Co. E., and
Lieut.. Griswold Of Co. B.. are both quite
sick, though no fears are entertained as
to their ultimate recovery. Wagon mas
ter, Fellows and l.. Tower V. S, are both
sick the first named is improving-the
last is quite ill.
We have been placed in Marshes Brig.
ade-Mc Clernand Division, (he lIth,
Goth. and 6lst, are in the same Biyision,)
and our position is on the right wing, some
2! miles from here, whore we would now
be. but for the condition of the roads
spoken of above.
/ am tol! that an order was given US
to move, but on the representations of our
Colonel who never overlooks wha. is for
the welfare of his men, the order was
countermanded for the time being.
1t seems to be the general opinion that
the great battle id this section is yet to be
fought. Troops almost without number
have continued to arrive ever since we
have been in Dirie and now to day, a
whole fleet of 3S boats, containing Gen.
Pope's Division has arrived ami encamped
a fs.Ir los oh = sc ilvs
posed here, that the rebels have vacated
Corinth, and ~il not fight US in tins vi
cinity, so that have no clear ioea what
this tremendous gathering Of hosts means
doubtless | shall be enlightened in due
time.
Since the battle here, nurses, doctors
and visitors generally, have thronged our
camp, and have roamed over the battle
fed. picking up bullets, cutting walking
sticks and amusing themselves generally.
Many OF these men and women have been
sent by anxious citizens at the north, with
presume a strong desire on all hands to
do good and mitigate the immense
amount of suffering which exists here,
but in nearly every instance so far as |
have observed they have not only been
OF no service to the sick or wounded, but
have positively interiered with and him
dered those who were at work. One fell
low came to our hospital and attempted
to prescribe for the patients there, not
withstanding they have received all posi-
bic attention from the Surgeons in atten- /,
dance. He was informed of the facts in
the case and politely told that he could
not prescribe, but it was finally necessary
fairly to order him off and repyin,and him
severely before he would leave This was
L n m vfpavv bot H.
that can be said, as general rule, of these
committees, is that it is a vast of money
to send them TO our battle fields when
they must of necessity arrive too late to
do any good, even were they competent,
which many 0. them are not
If the people Of Ottawa, for instance,
wish to benefit these who are fighting the |
battles of the nation, let them procure |
some medicines, especially the vegetable |
tonics, and medicines for diarrhea and !
as mentioned In my last |
let them procure dried fruits, dried beef, |
some butter and eggs when practicable
some rubber blankets, some good wine
and by and by some havelccks and mos
quito bars, together with many other ar
ticles which any intelligent soldier or |
physician would designate-let these ar
ticles be directed to the Colonel, or the |
Surgeons of some regiment--ours for in
then let one good energetic /
business man be sent with them to see |
that the articles reach their destination,
and that they are placed in the hands of |
those for whom they are designed In
this manner, one half the money would
do four times the good that it now does,
as l have known it to have
been done recently
Excuse haste. Yours Truly,
REvIELLE.
P, 81 learn this evening that we are
ordered to march to our position to NOR
row. As the roads have dried up consid-
erably today and as the distance is short
we may possibly pade through.
Capt. Fords company are quartered |
near u.s. acting as the body guard, or es-
cort as he prefers to call it, OF Gen. Hal
leck. Capt Cogswell's company are also
near us, but are probably permanently
detached from us.
understand that Capt. Houghtelings |
Battery has just arrived and are quartercd |
across the river, but do not know this to
be true.
Among the Hospitals.
Trip to PinsJurg Landing-Paducah- Cairo
ST Lcuis-AAon-to Quincy on board the
Steamer Rack Hawk-trom Quincy to he |
okuk on board the steamer Vernon--CoL |
Moore 23d Missouri Regiment dangerously |
scounded-Keokuk City Mississippi Rirer
- Eis;f IN ILeroDdrjn and Wnf,r}oo ;u !