The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-11-01
Army Correspondence.
CAMP slGEL, FRANKFORT, KY.,
October 2lst, 1862.

Free 7radr--We had been spending
our time here, liesurely, ever since wrot
you last. The people are very clever ans
obliging and every comfort in their gif
is bestowed upon our sick officers ant
men. Our tents and baggage had all come
up from Louisville, except what had beer
stolen, which was considerable, (your cor
respondent having lost his fine boots ant
e pair of buckskin meccasins.) It. Pres
colt and Capt Leighton, Of Co. A, anc
many other officers also suffered severely
All the privates who, on account of sick
ness, left their knapsacks behind, hat
them shamefully riaed. We had settled
down on the romantic banks of the Ken
lucky river, once more enjoying all The
comforts Of camp life. But soldiers life
is tickle and und uncertain. Scarcely had
we cleared Off our camp ground of extra
rubbish, when an order came to be ready
for march in one hour with 4S hours
provisions in our haversacks 1t was now
8 o'clock in the evening. Many Of the
men had laid down for the evening; others
were chatting of loved oned ones at home
while others still were engaged in reading
newspapers or writing letters for the morn
ing mail. All this was at once abandoned
apd the men went to filling their haver
sacks and at 9 clock we were in line FOR
the march. 1t was soon ascertained that
our destination was Nerseiiies, fifteen
miles distant, for the purpose Of intercept
ing Sea. Morgan. the guerilla chief, and
by half past 3 in the morning we had
made l6 miles Zone mile beyond that
town. At Versailles. we learned that
= organ had taken the Lawrenceburg
pike, and Rad passed along there between
> and s o'c+ocl: tGe eveEang before, and
that it was quite probable Ge had encamp-
ed but Il few miles ahead on the Kentuek Y
river As there were q heavy body OF
cavalry, regiment of infantry and two
pieces of artillery ahead Of US, we laid
down to rest until daylight, and then
pushed forward again.
AS vas apticipat d, Morgan and his
marauding haAd, ,420 strong, had follow
ed up the Lawrenceburg pike until they
reached the Kentucky river, about mid
way between Versailles and Lawrenceburg.
and there IN a narrow passage, between
two high and almost perpendicular bluffs,
encamped for the night While lying
here by their camp fires, In Supposed Sc
c.rity, Col. Norton, commanding the ad-
vance, came suddenly, to the top Of the
hill, In full view of them. The artillery
were brought forward and fired few shell
into the camp, which, of course created 4
stamped among the guerIllas, and in les
than no time their feet horses had carried
them beyond all further danger.
1t is generally conceded tha, this part
Of the chase was mi.eraoly managed. A
more favorable piece of ground, and =
better opportunity for capturing nearly
the whole of their forces under this willy
chieftain will scarcely ever again be pre-
sented- Had the infantry been thrown
forward on the top of the high bluffs in
the direction Of the Kentucky river, and
there descended into the valley, they
could have entirely cut off the retreat of
the greater part Of Morgan force, as an
escape up tie bluffs On horseback wovlj
have been impossible. They would have
had him hemIncd in with the infantry in
front and the cavalry aud artillery in his
rear. But this splendid opportunity was
lost By firing the she'll at his rear and leav-
i.uc ;ha road open for his escape in front.
Another force was sent, on another
route, 70 Lawrenceburg, under command
of Gen. Dumon:, but they reached that
place Just two hours after Morgan passed
through there The pursuit, however, was
kept up all mex. day-but the bird had
aolyp.
We reached, I.awrenceburg the same
day abou, II o'clock NJ about > hours
after Dun,ont had left. Here we rested n
few hours, and then started back to this
place, where we arrived about O'Clock
p m, just iG hours after leaving The
- IT, n.
chase True, the different ,etachments
captured some twenty FIVE or thirty pri-
soners; yet, practically, it was a miserable
failure
Since oEr return, learn that Morgan 5
band are again back in the same vicinity
they were when we started after them ;
and to-day another aetachmeA: have
started after him. How they will succeed
remains to be ascertained One thing
however is certain, that we have not got
cavalry enough here to ever catch this ac-
complished guerilla chief, and i. is folly to
pursue him with infantry.
There is considerable sickness in the
army. The diseases, however, are not of
a fatal character. Fever and ague, inter
militant fevers, rheumatism and dlarrhpa,
are about the only complaints. We had
in one company, twelve reported as unfit
for duty, this morning.
The weather has been quite cool here
for the past week. The nights are espe-
cially cold. We hare had several severe
frosts. 1t has been very dry all though
this part of the State. All kinds of vege
tation is literally parched, and the streams
are mostly dry, and we are frequently
bothered for good water. The farmers are
much annoyed by the scarcity of water
water for their stock, and much labor has
been bestowed in constructing tanks to
collect rain water both for family and
stock use. NJ.
CAMP SIoEL, Oct 81, 1862.
To the Free Trndsr-This morning we re-
ceived information that Morgan's band of
guerillas had got south of Versailles again
and captured large provision train des,
tined tor Bucils army. 1t seems, the mo-
ment we left the vicinity of Verceilles, he
was back their again.
Col Norton is still, out in puIsuit Of him
but it requires no prophet to tell what the
result of his pursuit will be.
Col Moore is now acting rs brigade
commander in place Of Col Limberg, who
IS under arrest. 4 court martial is now
in session and his case is being Investigated.
! do not deem it expedient at this stage of
the proceedings to state the cause OF his
arrest or to express an opinion as to the
result of the investigation. 81
Col. Moore seems to enjoy the full con-
fidence of Gen. Dumont, and ] am little
afraid he will station this brigade here to
garrison the Capital position which is
regarded as of the utmost Importance. =
As an evidence of the esteem in which
this regiment is held by our commanders,
/ here insert an extract from general
1.-The commandant of the seth Brigade
of the 18th Division of the Army Of the
Ohio. takes this opportunity to express his
entire satisfaction to the officers and men
of the lO4th Regt H. Infantry, for the
great pro6ciency they are making in com
pany and battalion drill 1t gives him