Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-05-02
OUR ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
CAMP OF TIE 11rM Iowa,
PITfsnyRo LANDING, TKNM., April 10, 1852

nedIu Ho ihote. TeaCe, tempoSafy peace, Nv
reigns, and we have full time to review IL
the devastation of the field on which the la
battle was fought. Now we may study II
revolving effects of war, the fruits of whic
: bring naught but bitterness and woe to
once happy and prosperous people. To al
preciate fully its horrors one has but to pa
ticipate in battle, or visit the ground befor
theinterment of the dead. This have done an
seen, and God knows that have little desir
to witness a re-occurrence of the scene again
The mangled bodies and the groans of tn
uffering wounded causes one to fully real
ize the dreadful storm, the result Of which
has entailed so much misery on the friend
Of those who were engaged in the slaughter
Many axious parents will4ioo in vain for tn
return of their sons whose bones are now
mouldering in one common grave by the sid'
of strange CON npanions. Such is the fate o
war.
The woods around, in which we are en-.
camped presents different appearance from
what it did before the battle. Scarcely is one S
eyes directed to a tree or bush that does not
bear the mark of cannon or musket ball.
The desolation Is complete. Visitors from
the different States, sent here to enquire into
the condition Of their respective troops, are
loaded down with trophies Of the field. You
see one man seize upon gun twisted into an
extraordinary shape by its collision with a
cannon projectile, another contents himself
with procuring fragments Of shells, fattened
bullets, &C., while one, more ambitious than
the rest, carries off the field 60 pound shell
thrown from one of the gunboats. The SOL
dier is satisfied to see the sights and let the
missiles repose as they were thrown from the
mouths Of the guns.
Our dead and those Of the enemy's are
buried promiscuously, through the forest,
the ground chosen for our own dead being
generally on high land and marked by neat
head-boards with suitable inscriptions, erected
BY the boys to distinguish them from those
of the rebel dead, and also to enable their
friends to find their last resting places should
they ever wish to disinter them.
The wounded rebels have been sent down
the river and have either gone to ST. Louis
or Chicago. One old man noticed was bad
ly wounded he was accompanied by three
sons who refused to desert him and fell pris-
oners to the Federals. Another my attention
was particularly directed to; he was Lieu
tenant in a company from New Orleans; his
wound was in the thigh and painful in the
extreme. He, however, seemed very patient.
While watching him he motioned me toward
him and requested that would raise him in
a position that he night rest on his elbow.
This l did. He then grasped my hand and
asked me 'sdo you think l. will get well?"
that thought he would, and that
his wound was not necessarily fatal onc At
this reply the poor fellow burst into tears and
said: 80, my mothe., my poor mother, what
will she do? she will think me dead p The
sight was truly affecting. 1 consoled him as
best could, and informed him that thought,
in all probability, his mother would, by some
means, learn of his whereabouts, and prom.
ised that would write her if he wished for
this promise. He seemed gratied and ex-
pressed his gratitude by warmly pressing my
hand. This was the last saw of him; the
next day he was sent down the river. He
seemed to appreciate the kindness shown him
by our boys, and acknowledged that they
were more humane than he had been led to
believe before making their acquaintance.
Lieut.. Col. White, rebel, Of the 4th Ken
lucky Infantry, was prisoner in our camp.
He was wounded through the lungs. Tie
old gentleman was very peevish and seemed
70 regret his wound at period when his
country most needed his services. He lin
gered two days and then died. The contents
Of his pockets were Buckeye and an old
Barlow knife, the original cost of which was
8 cents. From all appearances he was very
eccentric. Those acquainted with him re-
pute him to have been very wealthy, and that
he was formerly General Of the Kentucky
State Militia. ssae- rze
Gen. A. Sidney Johnston is dead beyond
all possible doubt. His cousin, the provis-
ional Governor of Kentucky, was wounded
and takea prisoner. Gen. Nelson sent an
ambulance to have HIM brought where he
could identify the body of the dead General.
Upon reaching the place where Sidney lay,
the wounded man was raised in a position
where he could see the corpse and pronounced
it to be that of the rebel commander-in-chief.
Provisional Gov. johnson has since died Of
his wound. Gen. Bragg is reported killed,
but the story is generally discredited. Beau
regard loosing his arm is hoax, and was got
ten up for effect. One thing, however, is GER
tain, that at the present time he keeps proper
||dkstance from Pittsburg Landing. How long
he will remain idle we know not. but would
not be the least surprised if he attacks us
again The battle will be less severe than
the one fought on the 9th and 7th ult.
Doctor Ady, of West Liberty, Iowa, has
arrived and is doing much good among the
boys of our regiment. The boys are in very
good health with the exception of their lat
1exposureia lying ont Sunday night.
4 SO -sl ,@t E. G. Fl.
! y EW We now have three iron-clad nava
batteries at Hampton Roads, to give the reb
el Merrimac greeting should she again ven
tire oou into those waters-the Monitor, th
Galena, and the Naugatuck. The latter j
armed with the Stevens battery, but her el
ficiency is vet to be satisfactorily tested.