The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-04-24
From tine First Regiment.
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From Gu. Own Correspondent.
CAMP NEAR Mt. PLEASANT,
Tenn. April Is, 1862.

Friend Telegraph;
As our fate has seemed to decide that we
shall stay at this place TOR a few days, have
ventured to address you few words, not that
| l have much of interest TO write, but merely
to let you know how we do. few of the reg
iment have been left in the hospital at Nash
vile, but those who have managed to get
through are now taking their comfort. Co. X
have been left as provost guard at Colun-
bla.
| Since last wrote you, Negley's Brigade
las been removed from MeCooks Division.
The boys were all glad of this change for the
proslavery proclivities Of McCook were so
great, that many were dissatisfied to have him
as a general Negley has received command
of division. Col Starkweather has now
command of the Brigade. Two companies OF
cavalry and two pieces of artillery have been
attached to the brigade, so that we now con-
stitute a small army of ourselves. Our bust
ness here seems to be to scatter any band
which might DO organized in the vicinity, and
TO protect the trains of wagons which are con-
stautly passing here for the advance army.
The long roll was sounded few days since
in our camp. We all hustled into line in short
order, waded creek which CT osses the road a
short distance beyond our camp and formed
line of battle quarter Of a mile further on.
But this proved to be as usual, false alarm
and after short time we returned to our
quarters col9rs flying and bands playing.
1t was finally escertained that the alarm
was caused by a cayalryman, who was sent in
after few men to arrest a prisoner. This
cavalry are constantly securing the country
day and night, and are of great service In &C
quainting US with the movements Of the enc
my With such man as Col Starkweather
at our head, there insn't much danger of our
being taken BY surprise, getting surround
ed
1t is little amusing to those who have
passed thorugh the winters campaign, to see
the ado your correspondents from the Ist Wis.
Cavalry, make at being exposed at night to
the open air, or making march of few miles
through the mud. I fear that their ideas Of
rough times will be somewhat modified when
they have spent winter in the field.
How it would make the farmers around
there stare if they could take short visit here
while they are waiting for the ground to thaw
out, SO they can commence sowing. Here the
| wheat is six inches high, Peach trees have
been in blossom some time; the foliage in the
orchards is so dense that you can hardly gee
into one a rod aud the for est trees are i'll full
leaf. I think after portherncr had seen this
be would turn reluctantly to the chilly winds
and seet aud storms of his home.
But he would find their style of cultivation
here, quite as curious as the climate. Till we
got South of Nashville, three fourths of all the
crops we saw raised was corn. Here there is
considerable wheat, and an occasional field of
cotton. Their blowing they do with shovel
ploughs, putting three or four of them on the
same land, with mule in front of each and
darby in the rear. This style of cultivation a
yankee would call sla elk, but it is in keeping
with everything one sees in the South
We haven't any very reliable means of get
ting the news, but we hear reports of a most
sevsre battle row raging in the vicinity of Cor.
NTH, Our anxiety to get news from other parts
of the world is intense as on it hangs our des-
tiny. The colored population are having their
holiday now For many years their ssrvtuds
has been most abject. Their clothing is the
most miserable kind, and whatever they have
besides their scanty allowance, they must earn
at light. They are not allowed to learn to
read, and oflate years their churches have been
broken up for fear of instruction. Since the
war broke cut, they have been told the most
absurd things respecting the northerners and
their intentions; indeed the opinion was gener-
81 among them, that the yankees were COM
| ing TO steal them, and carry them to Cuba or
tiers fed on our approach, and left them to
work or play as they saw 6t.
I For many years as slaves could not leave the
plantations without pass, but as an old Sambo
says, ats all turned around now, massa has
to have pass, and the darkey goes free where
| he has mind to-
| To day our brigade, in common with the
whole army, is to join in praise and thanksgiy
ing for the recent victories in she Federal
army. The entire brigade was formed into
hollow square and sang the "star spangled
banner after which the band played Hail
Columbia and other patriotic airs. To stran
ger 1t would have been quite q fourth of July.
but We have seen SO much of these things
that they have lost their variety.
During cold storm we had few DAYS
since, we tried new experiment. Our stoves |
had been discarded when the warm weather
commenced, and now We were without stoves
and the weather decidedly uncomfortable. So |
we went at it indian fashion and built fire in |
the centre of our tent and lei the smoke go out
at the top. This worked very well, but when
any one came in we noticed that he appeared
to think the roof was very low and evinced a
desire to sit down as soon as possible. But l /
think cold weather 10 about at an end, as is
this letter. w