Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-03-28

- FfdHl ouT I0IT18pfHde1tlI N |" q n
Letter from tho rand Regiment.
Aboard the Steamer Baltic, 4miles above Fort ,
Henry, Tennessee River, Tenn,
aA Match q 1860


sions Of great one. As my hasty note Of the
9Th informed you we got marching orders on
Thursday last our destination being fxsd at
savannah Tenn. was out on picket, shiver.
ing IN the piercing cold. Tho pickets were
withdrawn abopt 8 p. M, and we got into camp
Just in time 10 find every thing about ready for
embarkation. The weather was intensely cold,
and we were only the more pleased to move
southward TO warmer cline.
We went on board the Baltic. the same steam
er which carried us to Psducah. little after
dark Once on board we sought rest as
best we might The vessel from hold to hurri-
cane deck being literally strewn with sleepers.
At 6 a. M, Friday, 7th, the hawser was haul
ed in and in few minutes we were steaming up
the Tennessee The river was very high; the
banks on either side being oyerfowed, and tho
neighboring fields, where there icc,c fields, alto
gether submerged. ait-- "
Civilization seems to have left very few traces
Of her works along the banks of this stream; q
few miserable novels only could be seen, and
these seemed to be suffering from the general
deluge. One house and plantation presented a
scene worthy the hand Of some artist The
habitation itself was partly submerged At one
q
cows of the domicil and one forlorn descendent
of Baalam's charger found scantry room to stand;
chickens and turkes were perched on driftwood;
and lashed to the dOor-p post was what should
style the life-boat of the concern. This was
fair specimen of the scenery on the entire river,
froniits mouth TO Fort Henry, One might fair
ly judge the river ran through wilderness.
AT noon OF Friday we reached the scene ofthe
recent brilliant performance of the Western gun
boat feet, in the bombardment of Fort Henry
must confess was disappointed in all my eyes
could CLEAN at this place | saw nothing which
to any satisfaction met my idea of a Fort.
could not forbear laughing outright to-day az
read in paper some poets rhyming strains
about the browning walls" of Fort Henry Ifa
mud breast-work four or five feet in hight is a
"frowning wal" then are there ''frowning walls"
here, otherwise not. The Fort is situated i'm a
low spot just at bend in the river, and consists
simply of few breast-works protected by shall
low mOats. 1t was in an excellent place to COM
mand the navigation of the Tennessee, but to an
attack from the land must have proven quite un-
tenable. But ifsuch places are to be designated
with the name of Forts, ! shall have far less hor-
ror of Forts On the hills on the opposite bank
the rebels had commenced Notifications, but
their time proved too brief for the completion Of
the task. ta
Five miles above Henry is Battle Landing,
where we are now lying; the place where our
troops landed to march TO the attack on Fort
Donelson. Between this place and Henry as we
came up, ] counted thirty five steamers, loaded
with troops and supplies. Men are hourly arri-
/ wing from Paducah and other points below.
| General Smith is here experimenting affairs
| which is about all can be said of what is doing
or to be done; for it is the Master of the boat
expressed himself to an anxious youth: "General
Smith, sir, knows ALL weare permitted to know
nothing" So it is We are going somewhere,
and for some object, but precious few know
whittier or what for. -
Twenty miles above Fort Henry, Steamer Bal.
tic, Tenn; Going SolahtOdrd;; March TO-
Two days have flown since we arrived at Bat
tie Landing, aud We have made the enormous
distance offifteen milesl When we shall get TO
Savannah, some $50 miles away, you may reck-
on up at your convenience. The 72d have now
been four days on this boat, crowded, iammed,
and discommoded as much as possible. The
soldier lives precariously and roughly enough,
at best but place him on shipboard, where there
is not room left to straighten his weary limbs,
or exercise even the least, and where there is
not one e-quarter the proper means to prepare his
ratons for eating, and when he must lie down
at night in filth and suffocating closeness and il
strikes me you have himin the most unpleasant
unhealthy and undesirable place anywhere tc
| be found. Should we remain much longer clos
eted in this boat the regiment will need many
days to recuperate the ply sical strength and en-.
durance it enjoyed before being subjected to this
imprisonment. Nothing so quickly and surely
destroys the effectiveness of regiment as con
finement such as we arc now enduring.
The weather grows perceptibly warmer
Last night we had rain, of which this region has
had sufficient oflate, judging from the now over
flowed banks of this stream. yesterday morn
ing woke, for the first time in Tennessee, TO as
beautiful sunrise one need desire to witness.
Could one have gone ashore and rambled in the
liberty of his nature over hill and through, val
ley he could have found enough to interest in
struct and delight; but what's apleasant morn
ing and fascinating river scenery TO the soldier
shut up within the limits of dirty steamboat.
There are some beautiful spots along the Tenn
essee, but not till you have passed the southern
border Of "Old Kentuck." The banks are skirt.
ed with rugged hills reaching back in successive
ranges, many miles, ia some places, into the in
| terror These hills here are covered here with
flint stones and the tops are decked with cedar.
| Yesterday afternoon the men were allowed
the liberty of going ashore for cooking and exer.
cise You may be sure they all improved the
opportunity TO set foot on secesh SOIL though
We were provokingly limited to small area BY
guards. Toward evening General Sherman
passed up stream and left orders for the Baltic
| to follow. -
About p. M, we got under motion and ran
up to where we are now lying, which is just
where the railroad from Louisville via Bowling
Green and Clarksville TO Memphis, crosses tho
| Tennessee. There was bridge across the rive
here, but believe it was not wholly completed
ferry boat being used to carry passengers nnC
freight across, up to the time our troops pene
trated this far. What there was of the bridge
whether it was completed or not, was burned
either by our troops or the rebels; nothing no,
RENAME but one span of the structure and tn
stone abutments. n u
There are now fifty boats between here an,
Fort Henry, and many more coming. As
"shade" had it, l think asunthin's a gwfne to b
did, but dunno wot." So there is. An "expe
dition" is on the carpet. The rebels will fnt
themselves "linked in" at some point But in
formation you know is contfabsnd. g y = u
We have a huge rumor about Manassas bein,
taken, It's only a rumor, however. Should
complete history of the war be written we MAJ
know what is being done in these times, other
wise we shall remain in blissful ignorance.
u eugA Monday, 10Th, p. IN.
The Expedition" movesl At 9 O'Clock tn
vast feet Of steamers began TO get into line il
order, and move off up the Tennessee i doub
whether feet Of like dimensions ever decket
the western waters. The spectacle is a gran,
one. More than seventy boats does the expedi
tion number. For miles the river presents
forest of smoke stacks and as far as eye ear
pierce up or down, boat after boat meets the Wis
ion, ali loaded TO their fullest capacity. Man,
miles away at some bend in the river, we ca
, behold the black smoke enrhng away from tn
boat chimneys and we know they are following
; General Sherman commands our Division, whic
has the advance. HowmaBy men compose tn
expedition may not be told; but it is not small
The Tennessee never before bore such fee
. | Il all a,lu kkatt IA