Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-06-26

Letter From the Army.
COMPANY X. Sd Iowa INFANTRY, I
NEAR ConlNTB Miss June 8. 1862 [

LOttCl lUIu tHC Amy.
COMPANY X, Sd Iowa INFANTRY. | |
NEAR CorlNTH, Miss, June 8, 1867. |
FRIEND HILDRETH:--We have been
camped on the Memphis and Charles
ton Railroad since the evacuation of
Corinth. We are six miles from Cor
NTH on the way to Memphis. There
is not much news now of any interest.
The railroad is being repaired as fast
as possible. They are now building
bridge across the Tuscumbia River,
small yet clear and beautiful stream.
1t is said the main force of rebels are
at Ok aloha, Miss, discouraged and
Disguised with struggle they now
see is hopeless for them. 1t is gen.
orally thought there will not be anoth-
er fight of note in the Southwest, and
but one more in Virginia if little
Mac" is successful at Richmond.
There is not much excitement mani
tested in camp now, only when the
news.boy arrives with pa pers. Then
every man is all astir to know the
news. And when mail day comes and
the soldier receives the kind missives
from home and friends, filled with
kind, cheering words, then the day is
a happy one in very truth. Mail
usually arrives twice a week though
sometimes weeks will elapse ere we
hear from Iowa.
The country here is more thic ky
settled than it was in Tennessee. The
people arc hospitable, yet extremely
ignorant class, and the traveller may
wander on all day and see none Of
those snug, tasty school-houses which
make the Northern States more plea
sing than the Southern. There are a
good number of slaves in this section,
some tried the contraband game, to
which proceedings Gen. Halleck put
veto at once, and in few instances
the slaves have been returned to their
owners.
/ believe Gen. Halleck still adhcres
to his famous "Order No. g." Buell.
is also strongly opposed to allowing
slaves free access to the Federal lines
undr pretencc of being contraband.
lately saw such a picture of Pow
erty and ignoranc as hope | may new
er sec again. l was taking morn
ing stroll with comradc, there
being no danger of prowling rebels
now, when we came across fine or
chard and corn-feld. In the midst was
log hut that my comrade pronounced |
a house, and we mutually agreed
to enter and find something, if we
could, more palatable than our soldier
rations. As we approached the house
a few dogs came out to bid us well
come by nipping our heels. A few
kicks from our heavy army shoes sent
them off sadder and wiser dogs. The
confusion created by the mingled
bark of the dogs and imprecations of
my friend, whose legs still smarted
from their bites, brought the lady of
the house to the door, who asked us
to walk in. In the house-and such
a house, without floor or fireplace,
window or shutters, merely the logs
rolled together without thinking and
no chimney-they had no stove but
used one corner of the house for that
purpose. In the opposite corner was
the family bed, said family consisting
of the old gent and lady, four daugh-
ters, four dogs, three cats and litter
of kittens. The venerable dame re
minded us of stories of those old la
dies who used to make journeys
through the air on broom-sticks and
aillict children with sickness just for
pastme. She was an out and out Sc
cesh, and thought Beauregard demi-
god. The old gent seemed to be the
poorer horse as he spoke but little
But the eldest daughter capped the
climax. She wore no hoops and with
her lank form, yellow hair and freckled
face, reminded me of species Of long
orange carrot.
The rest of the daughters were
very small, the youngest being clad af-
ter the manner of the Greek Slave.
They could give us nothing but corn
bread mixed up without salt, and
poor bacon, for breakfast-certain
not much improvement upon our usual
fare. They said they had to sell their
corn to the Southern army, receiving
in pay Confederate Bonds payable six
months after peace
They could all swear, chew tobacco,
and manifested much surprise when l
told them it was not customary for
the ladies at the North to swear or
use "the weed" One Of them asked
me if they "could dig out stumps and
log it," and thought they were not very
smart when i informed them it was
work never saw ladies engaged in.
We babe them goodbye and went to
camp thinking of the misery and ig-
norance SO plainly manifested on eve
ny side.
/ never saw such splendid evenings
in my life as now. So warm, plea
SAINT, with such long twilight, and
as l sit here meath the shade of this
old oak, can let my thoughts go
back just one year this very day
when we were mustered into the Uni
ted States Service I think of those