Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-07-02
For the Daily State Sentine
Our Army Correspond" d"nce.
STEAMER METEOR, ,


CAIRO, June /, 1862
EDITOR SESTINEL:-I am on board the
above named steamer, expecting to leave
momentarily for Pittsburg Landing, Tenn,
together with Captain Bradshaw's force; the
Captain having been ordered to report for
duty instanter at that post.
1t is a beautiful evening, and delightfully."-
pleasant. The sun is sinking in the West Sc
renely, and the gulls are lazily fitting over
fhe calm bosom of the Ohio, ever and anon
dipping their wings in Its placid waters. The
emerald shores of Kentucky and Missouri
stretch far away down the father of waters
seemingly so tranquil, and betokening peace
but on our steamer everything sounds of busy
preparation for some coming conflict. All is
hurry and commotion. Munitions of war,
camp equipage, animals etc, are being slowed
away with the utmost dispatch. Immediately
astern of us, lies steamer laden with the
sun embrowned and bronzed veterans of Pea
Ridge-some of Asboth's men, and part of
Gen. Curtis division, bound for Tennessee.
They have escaped the disasters of bloody
battle-leaving their comrades sleeping on the
hard contested field, and these, the survivors,
are seemingly anxious to participate in the
expected fight about to come off at Corinth.
You cannot discern any sign of fear, nor any
evidence that they are at all conscious of their
ultimate fate; for they seem utterly Indifferent.
No thought of the future is shadowed forth
from their countenances, and their iron vis-
ages betokcn a sternness that will carry them
to the gates of death.
do not know what may be in the future
for me, but l think in getting away from
Cairo have at least escaped pestilence, il not
death; and death in the field would surely be
preferable; consequently have made good
exchange.
Our Department has been very active of
late, in collecting and concentrating supplies
for the coming conflict. Every necessary
required for the sick and wounded has been,
and is being forwarded to a locality contiguous
to the field of strife-such as hospital tents,
stores of all kinds, sanitary supplies by the
thousands of packages, and convenienees to
render the sufferers comfortable. Philanthro-
pic looking sons of Esculapius are journeying
to and fro in force, and sanitary commissions
are floating about as thick as mosquitoes in
Cairo. think that Halleck will have to con-
centrate the whole force on captured soil, and
subsist them on rations regularly issued by the
United States, or they will eventually impov-
erish their respective States. The ladies too
and | say it with reverence-are diligently
engaged in concocting confections, fashioning
garments, and cutting cloth for bandages with
their delicate hands-all to ameliorate the suf-
ferings of the poor fellows who may be
stricken with disease or horribly mangled by
shot and she'll. My earnest desire is, that their
labor will prove in vain, and that the soldier
may never need them, and hope | will not
be considered unfeeling in giving utterance to
such wish.
At nine o'clock at night our boat leaves
Cairo, and away for Secessia. After a nights
restless sleep, awake and find myself at Pa
ducah, where our boat is coaling and receiving
the mails. Whilst this is being accomplished,
Capt b.. one or two others and myself, took
stroll through the town, and were highly de-
lighted at the change we experienced, and the
wonderful contrast between it and Egypt.
Ii is very pretty town. The streets are
regularly laid out and exceedingly clean.
There is profusion of shrubbery in the Yards
attached to the residences, and more generally
distributed than in our own town. The air
is redolent with perfume, and it seemed a
Paradise to US who had been breathing the
pestiferous vapors of Cairo so long. We felt
as though load had fallen from our shoulders,
even as did Christian in Pilgrims Progress.
The fact was, we discovered grass as well as
flowers, and an exclamation of delight es-
capped from one of us at the very sight of
Plat of grass. / gave a little boy five cents
for some roses. which act aStonished the boy
quite as much as the possession of the flowers
delighted me. 1t is an honest truth, that |
had not seen blade of grass for weeks, save
now and then piece of turf which had sur
vived the mud. and had really belonged to
some foreign soil. and that had been floated
down from more genial cline, and deposited
in our Egypt, where it had involuntarily con-
cluded to stay, and under protest. As we
are about departing from Paducah. a steamer
Is arriving freighted with troops, which prove
to be part of JEFF. c. Dayis's brigade and the
25th Indiana. Their band is playing the in
spirrng strains of Dixie. All are enthusiastic.
The standard bearer waves banner, whereon
is inscribed Pea Ridge" and the men look
prepared and willing TO enact Pea Ridge over
again.
There is nothing attractive about the Ten
nessee River for miles from its mouth. Its
low wooded banks continue for miles, and are
exceedingly monotonouS in appearance.
Farms appear at long intervals. The river is
very tortuous in It's course. We are not much
preposseSsed with the idea as we steam along.
that some diabolical sechesher may "pick US
off" at long range with his rifle, which event
has been common of late. / presume it Is
simply to practice on the wing, that they may
be able to hit whilst they are running This
forms part of what Is called guerrilla warfare,
and is a very humane proceeding. Whilst
am writing, my eve is attracted BY a card
suspended from the chandeliers in the main