Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1862-01-29
Camp Correspondence.
WESTERN, Mo-, Jan. II, 1862.

nent are at last ain Dixie.' We left
Camp Randall about o'clock on the
morning of the 18th. There are few
things that are worth mentioning in an
ordinary railroad trip, and as the car
windows were coated with frost 1 saw
nothing on tho journey through Wiscon-
sin and Illinois; so | have nothing to
write save the commonplace things: that
we took coffee at Harvard on Saturday,
arrived at Chicago early in the evening
of the same day, marched through some
of the principal streets to the great Cen
trail Union Depot, had coffee served to
us i'll the cars, and left by the Chicago,
Burlington, & Quincy Road, at 9 P. NJ.
The weather, which had been moder-
ate, became intensely cold during the
night and the following day-sunday.
The farther south wo progressed, the
more severe was the weather. The wind
blew over the prairies with almost an
Arctic eoldness. We stopped at Gales
burg at noon, and had coffee. We ar
rived at Quincy at midnight, and re-
manned in the cars until morning.
Our train, through Illinois, was COM
posed of tweuty-one passenger cars, seven
freight cars. and three engin es and ten
ders. There were few demonstrations
or exhibitions of enthusiasm as we passed
along. This has all died out with the
novelty of the thing, but there remains
patriotism and steadyness of purpose
in the hearts of the people that will
never fail.
And now I must describe our initia-
ton into active service. We were to
cross the Mississippi at Quincy, and take
the cars for st. Joseph. But the rebels
had burned two bridges between Quincy
and Palmyra, and there was no other
way left for us but to march to Hanpi-
bal, distance Of twenty-three miles, and
take the cars there. Accordingly we
| fell into line about 10 A. NJ, and took
up our line of march with our KNAPP
sacks on our backs, and scant ration
| in our hayersacks. Our route lay
through the Mississippi bottom, and the
road was icy and difficult to travel; new
ertheless we pushed ahead, and about
halfpast o'clock we reached the banks
of tho river opposite Hannibal. "The
quickest march on record" said Major
Strong; and the 18th felt as though they
lad accomplished something.
| But here a new obstacle presented it.
self. The river was partially frozen over
and the ferry boat frozen in. To cross
that night was impossible. And what
were we to doi Comfortable quarters
could hardly be found where we were
for a company, much less for 8 regiment.
We were hungry and tired, not having
had rest or food on the march. The
cold was intense and the wind searching,
and just before us was Hannibal with
| food, shelter, and comfort; but between
us and it, like silver thread dividing
the weof of Loyalty and Liberty from
that of Secession and Slavery, flowed
the Mississippi; and we cast more long,
ing eyes across its flood than ever did
the poe, across the stormy Jordan. But
we made virtue of necessity. There
was wood at hand, and wo kindled large
fires and those Of US who could took
shelter in an old warehouse and in the
adjoining dwellings. Those who could
not, gathered about the camp fires and
passed the night, alternately toast;ng and
freezing. When I arose in the morning,
found the wood. lumber, and rails in
tho immediate vicinity had vanished, and
the honey comb, feathers, and pigs feet
scattered about told what the boys had
been about during the night.
All the forenoon of Tuesday we
waited anxiously for the boat. A large
number of men were on the ice cutting
it away. We were told that the captain
of the boat was secessionist, and had
attempted to disable his boat, but that it
was guarded BY a squad detailed from
the 10th III. Regiment, stationed at
Hannibal. About noon the ice was
cleared away, and the boat steamed over
and took us across.
The first Mssourians that I met were
unionists, fleeing from the State. They
were of the quiet, inoffensive sort, and
appeared much detected, giving a sad
account of the trials they had undergone,
I paid the Goth Illinois volunteers a fly-
ing visit at eheir quarters in Camp
LOOMS, and found them healthy.
hearty, good-feeling set of fellows. They
told me that they had plenty to do