The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-05-15
A Forced March nnd the Fun.
of The Kenosha Telegraph.
CAMP WALKER, Ten,

|
| CAMP WALKER, Ten,
May 5, 1862.
Friday morning, May I'd, brought Acting Brig.
Gen. Starkweather, an order by telegraph that he
should take portion of his command, and by
forced march, proceed to Lawrenceburg the Go.
seat of Lawrence Co., Tenn, there to make the
effort to entrap large body of Cavalry, known to
have been there the day previous, in the morning,
but on the evening of the same day, (Thursday),
thew had reached Pulaski and had captured $50
of Gen. AIitchcll's force.
| The above is the substance of the order. Three
DAVIS raticns were ordered to be put into the wag
ons uncooked. The General made selection
from his brigade--I need not tell you that the
| First was not left behind. Gun, cartridge box
and a canteen constituted all that each soldier was
| Obliged to take-very few took beside, even
| blanket. We started at II O'clock A. M to march
90 miles. Rapidly onward was the word, until
about nghtfa, we came near the town, when the
utmost caution was enjoined on al, The cavalry
must not let let their swords jingle the artillery
must go softly over the toughest roads, aud the in
fantry with the rest were told not TO speak A
new moon lent its feeble light which was reflected
from the bayonets and sabres of our force The
noise of the tread of the men and Of the horses was
all that could be heard, The officers in command
smoke TO each other AMI to the men in whispers
II takes many schi$pers to equal the clarion voice
of the Colonel In giving intelligence to the host,
the Chaplain was used on this occasion, with many
other subOrdinates.
dozen cavalry men were sent Is scouts the
edge of the town,-after these anumber more with
orders to go quietly and post themselves at the
opening of every road leading out OF town. One
company of infantry thrown out as skirmlsh'
ers ON each side of the road that we were advanc-
inc on Skrmishers single nile OF soldiers Oh
a line with each other, placed at distance from
each of about from five to fifteen feet,-they ad-
vance, with rifle in hand to scOur the roads, the
fields and the woods before them, and in advance
of the main body of troops. The reason why, need
not tell
! We reached the town about P. NJ. The clti-
zens were generally in bed-at Least, we saw few
lights in their houses. The town was soon sur
rounded If the cavalry were in 1t revealing OF
camping they had as we'll been buried.
Lights soon began to CLEAN from the windows
Of avery house; the women to run to their neigh
bors. The reserve of the command camped in the
door ward of "a captain in the rebel army. The cap
| tain nOuS6HOIu hSd3 ASe'' iAis7 49, -'-'--'@
shower of rain at the moment began to fall the
Gen. and Staff went into the house
Here the "fun" commences
In the parlor feather bed was lying on the
floor. Adjoining the parlor was what we would
call parlor bed room,-there was bed in 1t, and
if it had been less inviting than 1t really was, 1t
would have been welcome as the flowers OF
spring In this room the General and staff talked
over the position. Companies so and so were at
such and such points The rebels had decamped
for Pulaski but they might return soon II SO, the
companies were ordered to fall back and let them
into the town, on the principle Of Come into my
parlor said the spider IL the dy. Into the gen
erals parlor focked the negroes to welcome us and
to give us information We were told that the reb.
ell cavalry about 900 strong, under the infamous
Morg an had been there. That everybody in town
had Toasted them. That the negro women had
been kept up all Wednesday night to cook tor
them That their horses had been shod in town,
That they we're going to Pulaski to whip IS that
then they were going to Columbia, Mt. Pleasant
and that they would not stop until they got to
Nashville, many other things calculated to
make us tura pale, ifthe sun had not pat veto on
that for this campaign, at least
We furnished the coffee, and 1tnty somebody,
a black woman made it for While we drank
the coffee and were eating some Lincoln hard
bread negro woman was expressing her delight
at seeing us and telling Of the terrible things that
their masters and mistresses had said the Yankees
would do to the Jlack folks. That they would
take their children and cnt off their hands and car
nv them away with them At this old Aunty in
terposes 10 stop the talker: but she would not be
still. an tell them,' she continued, these are
the first that l have seen and i not afraid OF
them Iii tell them the truth tho J be killed by
| my master the next minute While all this was
talked over at the table DIR. Dieiendorf Yenera-
bic looking y0ung surgeon was undressing pre-
paratory to getting into the best bed in the house
Dr.'s hair and whskers ale gray. When he got i'll
the feathers said he to the negro women, Did you
ever see Gen. Washington Z" NO replied the
women. Il am that man., said he. The negro
: women held the candies over him in bed while the
General and staff burst out into roar Of laughter.
just at this moment our pickets brought in pris-
oner lie was questioned while he stood at the
foot of the Doctors bed The questions were very
direct and the answers, had they been true would
have proved the fellow traitor, but he pretended
to be fool. Said he ''You irighten me, and he
the doctor, here is case tor me- and he jumped
, out of bed. Said lie to the mau, have you got a
, dorse?' Yes was the reply. is he good
one e. inquired the Doctor. No. replied the pa
, tiene. The Doctor went to bed again without feel
ing the mans pulse
A sleepess night was passed by every one who
felt any responsibility resting upon him. At 3
o'clock NJ, the colonel who sees to almost every
| matter in detail ordered the horses fed and sad
died Major Bingham was then ordered to vis
the outposts. By daylight the house called Head
quarters, for the time beng was full of suspected
persons of whom more bye and bye. When the
Major returned to II. Q he was ordered to take
cavalry escort aud proceed to the house Of noted
rebel by the name of Bentley and to confscate the
> whole Of his personal property out especially thu
r live stock, including the negroes The Chaplain
suggested that if there should be library, to fetcf
J., it along for the Regiment Bently proved to be
y as was suspected, not over fond Of literary pGr
d suits. With respect to the library, the writ of at
n tachment had est jAgentUs endorsed on it -
Nine negro men, six or splendid mules, sew
y eral horses and colts, yoke of oxen and wag
0 on, were driven before the cavalry escort, headed
e by the Major The slaves are to be freed, and the
g stock sold Good
While at Headquarters, fine library was dis
covered. Selections were made from it, acd boxed
up by some Of the youthful officers, with the semi
official sanction of the General A copy of ma
/ poeon and his bIarahails was written on to THU
effect, "Confscated for the Chaplain Of the Firs
Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, by J. G. Stark
D weather, A. B. G.
The ladies ofthe house discovering that we were
I numbering women and children, as they had beer
told would be done by us. came into their home
They discovered the books packed up and being
told that the General could resist the petition