Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-10-24
Letter p from Dixie.
NUMBER III. s.ss q.


i CoRNru, Miss, Oct II, 1862
Most of the Iowa soldiers who were out II
pursuit of the flying rebels, week ago, hav'
returned, and are now encamped within tn,
lines by which the town is surrounded.
have visited some of their camps, and find the
most Of the boys looking we'll and hearty
Some of them with whom .bave long beer
personally acquainted look in better case thar
l have ever seen them. There are some
exceptions, however. and know Of one o.
two individuals whose lives depend on their
making change. s
Something more than month ago, Capt
W. 3. Cav, of Gen. Rosencranzs staff, organ.
lied what he calls the "Pionear Contrahaad
Working Party" and it now comprises
between two and three hundred able-bodied
work hands, who are constantly employed
making roads, chopping timber, throwing up
fortifications, &c. They are kept under mill
tary rule, in camp, and are marched to and
from their work in squads of from twenty to
twenty-five, each squad having its own over
seer. For several days and nights just before
the battle of Corinth they were worked almost
incessantly, and am told that not murmur
was heard from any of them so willing do
they appear to serve the Government. They
seem to have unbounded confidence that the
war will ultimately work out for them some
great good. . 1,r~-t
Every evening, when the weather will per-
NIT, they have religious services in camp.
There are two preachers among them-one
hard-shell Baptist, and the other Methodist.
| believe. 1t is truly interesting to hear the
exalted flights Of eloquence in which they
occasionally indulge. But the most agreeable
part of their exercises is the singing; which,
though it may lack every essential of scien-
tific music, is quite pleasant to listen to.
Some OF them, who are not of a religious turn
of mind, find their evening amusements in
fiddling and dancing but at "tattoo" they
have roll-call, and at TAPS" all the lights go
out, the same as in military camp. 7
Last Thursday, Capt Cav took about sixty
ofthem out to the Hatchie river-some thirty
five miles = to build bridge. They left
here in the afternoon, and marched all night,
in cold rain, built their bridge on Friday,
just in time to afford division of the army
safe and comfortable crossing, and returned
to camp on Saturday. Many of them say they
would be willing to bear arms and fight for
the Union. Most of them are from Northern
Alabama. -..
This place, like Columbus, KY, is city of
tents-for, apart from the Government build
ings, shops, depots and storehouses, the town
is rather an insignificant affair; especially
when we remember that it is situated at the
crossing of the Mobile and Ohio, and the
Memphis and Charlotte railroads-two of the
main arteries of inland trade in the South.
From what can be seen anywhere in the free
States, it is fair to conclude that at such rail
road crossing there would have soon been
considerable city. Nearly all the houses are
small, wooden structures, there being only
two brick houses in town one the Tisha-
mingo House, and the other dilapidated old
church. There is not good storehouse in
town.
have heard election returns from several
Iowa regiments, which were of character to
commend to all Republicans the wisdom of
our Legislature in making provisions for
taking the soldiers votes. C.E.