, 1862-09-05
Ghe Gtihttttt.
Gathering Cotton among the Seces4l.
Sharp SAtt mlsn1ns, etc. I'D


[ForrcfrondcEcc Of the Chicago T1ibune.1
OLD TowS LAND1SC. Ark, Ang. 10, 1851.
On the 2SIh cf July, Col. Hoycy OF the 23d
Illinois infantry, commanding the second
higtde of Ger. Stee1e's division, then at H.
lena, was ordered to hare bis brigade F" ready
to march By land and STEAMBOATS, in two hours,
and to report in person to Gcu. Cnrtis
for further ordcrs.'' Tie brigade con-
sested of the 33d Illinois infantry,
Normal regiment) 11th Wisconsin Infantry,
1st Missouri and 10th Oaio batteries Of artil-
leTy and two companies Of the 5:h Illinois
cavalry. As usual with this brigade, it was
ready ut the hour aud the infautry On steam
boats, and the artillery, cavalry and transpor:
tation wagons on shore, were pushing along
south into the land Of cotton. Sun down and
twenty miles travel brought us to Old Town
Landing, en- tie banks ofthe father Of waters,
In Arkansas.
A couple OF busy days suf1lced to get GU.
camp in order to initiate the men into their
new enterprise gathering cotton Aud though
il. hss been often said that white men could
not gather cotton, and live, our boys have
nailtd that talsehood to the counter by gath
erirg some S50, ,0o0 worth, and not only living,
hut looking so healthy as to surprise the
soptherners who hare seen tnem.
Our :st lot Of cotton came from the plan
tati'n Of the notorious Matt Ward. the n.uf-
derer OF Butler Matt seems iastir:tigelY to
have known that there were schoo1-masters
about, Tor the Normal boys had hardly got
TIL lr camp in order before ia glided af1St
With G:n. Curtis Il safeyuard'' in hi, pocka..
We ;"ok lis cotton, nevertheless, and he must
cx.ff fSc 1}u Sff1 at1f3fr
Bul tGo much de:all viii make this letter
tGolns- Enough tlat Col. HoyeY is q acorE-
ing man; bnt he soon gathered all The ba}1d
! co1lcn> in the Vicinity, and -ginned and
presScd great d=al y hica was fouud ss1ging
around ioofe,'' aud that hc thus began to *
hnd is cotton fed into the Mississippi.
| Nc had two steamers, and part CT Inc line
| th!fc, at onE service. Their fires we're ike
tbst III the valley Of Gehenna-they never
went out. Soldiers, cannon, horses, mules
and wagons we're loaded on these time after
| time, AID frequently at midnight; and hur-
ried down the Mississippi to a point convc-
Ms mt to some valu lble and hidden pile Of cot
| Ton, known OIL II to the rebel owner. few
taithfnl'' slaves, ard Col. Hovsy. Tue
te$1ett neig ighbors were frequently astounled
capped the ire How, in the name OF G ID, y
| iu!uirt oIc OF them do you kuow SO well
! at:t:ut that OF which hare known nothing ~
+.By 6nowiog arother thing Of which you :p-
pear 70 know rothiug," was the reply" tie
true character Of the negro"
The Mississippians It length showed fight !:
and q Well disciplined budy of mouutsd rifle
men EurE always on our skirts, ald several
| times gave us the contents Of their rifles.
| How they fought will no be seen. On one
occasion The. stole up Ike assassius upon
few pickles sta+ioLed in gin-hunse, fg:d
three bslls into Henry Hays, company c, :;}
Illinois, and tten fled. Hays, though badly
hurt, is recovering.
On the second day Of August q considerable
ilImish occurred il Cohoma county, Mss,
LaIti Z, in which tie enemy, though supe.
1iur in nu:lbrIs, were dLfeated.
IEe forces on cur side engaged were parts
Of companies E, Il and OF tue 1lth Wiscon.
sir lniantry; part of company K Of the 33d
Illinois, and part of 4 company Of tue 5,t
IIl:uois cavalry, all engaged ai4oantins to no;
more than eighty 1n:n- The euemy's force
was near 2G0, ;we1l mounted, well Drilled, aui
arried with Mayna1d's rifles Of very IoDG
range.
| onr1ittle force vas out recoanoitering, By
idcr tf Col. lIoysy. The cavalry, whicf
waf IN advance, was first fred on by the enc
m3's plckets. They were armed only witt
Iietols, and finding the range too short, fl
lack.
Capt Whitley Of the Wisconsin 11th, wht
vas II command OF our force, sEnt conplu.
b ot tue l1th, and company Z OF the 33:
| ahead, d. 11logcd as skirmshers, tue b2lauc,
of the force following Us l. reserve. Tley
soon c;ne up with the enemy in force, an
PITCHED into him But the rebels took al
! vantage of the longer range Of their gun;
and endesvored to regulate their dis1anc
accordingly. C.ps. II. then sent forxar
such companies HIS were armed with r.fs
muskets, 10 Take tie Place Of thuse who hi
! been fighting ui:l cid Euiled Suites muskets
Ihe result was soon manifested in the tii,t
Of the rcoeis, aud their naal disper.ioa in III
canebr1kcs. Casualties on Our side Were
Three men wounded, fall Of the 11th,) an
none Of them mortally. On the enemy
ejtt, one man killed, txo morsally and IL
baH1g wounded.
While this fight was in progress, otne
portions Of Colonel Hove,'s cpla1aaed Ia
loadId the toatE with cotton, and Ill re1ucns
| TO camp Ct Old Town neNs morning.
One more fight in Mississippi shall clio:
language ot Lieutenant Burnhaln's Oil :ial II
port.
Lieutenant Burnham says:
? .:on the morning Of Auguet 4th. while on du
With Col. llovey at "'Ik1nson's Landing. M::
plantation, with small tran IT wagons, far u
pntposc Of obtainlpg cotton. Gould learn not
lug That indcAted the presence Of the enemv bt
i'll acrnrCnEce with i1sti uc:iuns, pnated q qua!
consisting OF eeyen men ard curpo7ll, III ee
then. ncur tllc house aud garden. and the rest
IL 1co11on gin. about twenty rods from the hou:
ant,,1'r - n n1a1ter vas in The corn un th= Toul
while the ba1ance, ,pss rs; III window ii the cotton g
door yaf # The dwe1in M jnT -"bm1Rany b1Rncy were in
s,S;y q tae 1T s's:!ssipia ssssi ssssii9 at% a91
= acting as infantry, suddenly rushing fr.m III, :
4 corr attacked The GUARD at the cot:oL- GIN an
u. company al the house. They were reso!ut.l; n
sid in few minutes driven back with heayy L
70 tlc cover o! the wouds in the rear Of lhe co
ne5a: It;eiF Vt whole force Including the reser
u 10y ha %s 6nr nndSF Of 1t
'ef ft1ed ahe fol1o,sngl 10 s:-Cnrpora Alvin T. Lew
kiiied Lear 'he house; Corporal Charles Boy
en- p1iso1er; private johnson n Straight, wouut
aro left for dt2G At the co,tu1i-gia liz Is ecroy
. ing. with the lnss Of ief- arm private Scah F
T. Well, taken prisoner at the cottun-!s!n Mv Il
e without exception behaved e1celcntly; and Il
ctscrye tue credit Of rtpe!irg the cnemy, Us "
near the cot'on,sin with the teams. at the time
= the nt'ees; and GANG near being. taken prison
% OF killed" j. h BUnSHAA. It. Comsdg,
q Company A, SD Illinois Infantry
In In This is the same company A, of the IS NJ
Ill mar regiment, which did snch Salaut Fl :!
r.. ing at the battle OF Cache River, ! month
e. e. fore. Lieutenant Burnbam's modesty
'ur prevented bis doing Justice to himself or III,
eea In The firet place, he personally saw that
t.. men were constantly in line, ready for IN
seE tack Ut any moment. This no doubt SAY
lSS i;1 his command. And when he had reloin
''n The company after the ait .ck commenced.
aid coolncss and disposition Of lis men i,l I
best manner, even convinced the r2emy ii
" ~ their attempted surprise was failure A
Of before the arrival Ct company c, Capt
M Kellogg, who even came to his SUPPORT.
en- enl rebels were in tull flight through the wo D
10 In his flight, the rebels hai plumber
ect arntd d cgrovs with them. whom they m
2s cd before Them, much TO the embarrns n,
[r;t Of our men. Thi= fact Is vouched for by bt
officers and men Of our command.
~ Company A is composed CHIEFLY OF Mort
ne stu5cE1s from the University q. Bloonings,
be When Col. Hovey heard Of the dsa
I'm. wounds ard capture Of lis men, the bovs
hin be looked like thunder cloud; aud prtpa
Sill tons tor recapturing the prisoners and .
JILL ish'ng the ene1ng bryan to show themselv
But the prisoners were all parul.l ,
r. brought it to Colonel Hovey uuder fla:
. truce, in 1tT III urs and he returned 4
his command to camp at Old Town
Tie UouuGtd nlen are all doing we'll.
- During the time that General Curtis al
.. has been rCstiug at Helena, Colonel HOVE
I brigade and he himself have been on az,
-, du'y. Would that all our Officers we're
Ills '"t7, as he IS QuI V1vl
Seventy-Ftfth and One Hundred q
Fifth Regiment.
,,n+ Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribune. I
sHn.; The 18th regiment, consisting OF i've Ct
TIC pauiea from Lee and five colnpan{ea Fl