The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-02-06
ARMY C0RREsPoNpENCE
CAMP NoRTH BRANcH


On the night of the 9th ult,, about $500
Federal troops left Romney to attack Blues
Gap, sixteen miles distant, where it was
said there were some two thousand rebels, I
strongly entrenched.- We. arrived at the
enemy's outposts early on the morning of
the 7th, captured their pickets, and took
the rebels by surprise. One Of the Ohio
regiments was in advance, who, coming
across few struggling rebels, fred at them,
killing some half dozen, while the balance
took to the woods as fast as their legs could
carry them. The veteran l4th Indiana
was deployed up the side Of a mountain, to
attacks the enemy's breastworks They
went up like veterans-found the breast
works-but "nary" secesh. It was not
their fault that the secesh were not there;
but had they been, l assure /" something
would have been did,
We captured two cannon and horses at
tached, some half dozen prisoners, &c, &c.
and by 10 o'clock were Oh our march home
ward, not, however, until after Blues fine
hotel, barn and outhouses were burned be-
sides several vacant houses near by, which
had been used as places of shelter by the
rebel pickets. This destruction of property
was not looked upon with much favor by
the officers, yet it was said to have been
done by the order of an Ohio Colonel.
The weather was quite cold, with snow
upon the ground, and when our men re-
turned to Romney, many of them were
completely exhausted and all very tired.
The second night thereafter, the men
were ordered to lie on their arms, conse-
quently they got but little sleep. On the
next day, late in the evening, they were Or
! dered to get ready to march Immediately,
which we did, and at early candle-light,"
\ we were on our way, through the mud, for
what part but few knew. Our popuZar
| Quartermaster had fire teams to move the
l4th with, two of which it took to remove
the sick and hospital stores one for Head
quarters, and two to haul the camp equip
! age, baggage, &c, of the regiment COnse-
| quently, you must know that nearly every
thing that soldier needs was left behind.
| Why this want of transportation, our then
corpulent Qaartermaster can only tell We
have another Quartermaster now, with the
consent of the entire regiment. How he
will dOsis yet to be deternIped, Certainly,
we will not be 1oorSted
l. 'ueu ChtEltu All lnty CUulu On THEIR
backs-marched all night, and pretty near
/ fy all the next dAy-eat what they had, and
laid down on the cold, damp ground and
went to sleep without tent, or the least
covering. exp me clou.5 which were how
ering oY,i H.. = ads, INST of the time dis
charging heavy torrents vi rain. Yet those
men, from the loss of sleep andsuperhuman
marches, slept soundly- the effects of which
are now felt by many; and many, no doubt,
will feel it to the end OF their lives.
When we arrived at this place, the Cres-
q cent City Guards had but two complexities
to cook in, and many had lost their blank
cts and clothes, for the want of transporta-
ton; and they, perhaps, Jared as well as
any other company IN shs Tegbip66PEh Gen
eral, who was housed mp in some room
either at Cumberland, or soIae other place
had got it into his head that we were about
surrounded, hence our haaty, and some
think, disgracetul retreat We saw no enc
my, nor do | believe that there were any
considerable aumber within forty miles.
We have been at this point some twenty
days, and ten days ago we got, through the
i1tlaeace Of our then Efficient Quartermaster
good Sibley tents with stoves in them for
i the men, which render them very comfort Ia
BILE. Our orders now arr to keep three days
y IdllOuS Oh manu-, dbQ JG. l6au1 10 udIC4 al
a moments warning. Where we are to &C
3 is unknown to us, and It is my opinion thai
it's equally unknown to every one else
? Secrecy is a great thing in an army, and
forms the only Qualification that some Off
GERS have.
Col. John R. Mehan has resigned, on &C.
count of i'll health. Col Kimball is now
{ acting as Brigadier General and il is pre-
sumed that he will soon De appointed K
that responsible position Major Harrow
consequently, has the command of our regi
ment.
Our late Quartermaster ana Commissary
Tonsaint Cameo Bnntin fwhat name) ha:
been appointed Brigade Commissary, and
Lieut.. McCulloch has been appointed to fiji
the position lately held by Mr.. Buntin. BY
. the by, charges we're preferred against Bun
tin, TO- day, charging him with all manner
of rascality, and among other things with
altering the platform scales, when issuing
provisions TO the soldiers. There are
many other charges of a serious character
but the proof of course is another thing.
There is one thing however, certain, that
much of the time, while we were on Cheat
Mount tain, and even since we left there, The
men did not get enough to eat.
The ladies of Evansville, who were so
kind as to fixsup box fun Of presents for
the Crescent City Guards, will regret to
learn that the box was opened at Indianap-
oils, or some other-point, and the articles
therein either stolen or sent to other regi-
ments, except such articles as were labeled
to the persons for whom they. We're intend
ed. This, however, is true We received
only segen pair of socks, except the articles
labeled as above.
II We occasionally receivea package of jour
! NAILS which. / assure YOU are welcome
81 visitors, particularly TO the Dutch company,
as we are called
1 The regiment is enjoying its usual good
health, there being butsa moderate number,
either in the hospital or on the sick list.
We now have a considerable force here
sufficiently large to make our mark at al
most any place; bat where and when that
mark IS to be made is unknown to as. Al
though We are in mid-winter. aud the roads
are bad, yet the men are all anxious for
a forward movement More anon.
Yours, M.s. ".