Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-04-11
Correspondence Of the Gazette.
From the Third Iowa Infantry.
... NRAR PITTSBURGH, TEyN.

...... ..... .....- NRAR PITTSBURGH TENN. !
Up THE TENNESSEE, March y, 1862.
We are still in statu quo, encamped upon
the banks of the now swollen Tennessee
| The condition Of the troops is not as we could
wish. The long voyage here and the river
water which at this season Of the year is bad,
has produced distcmpcr in the camps
From this distcmpcr, which exhibits itself in
diarrhca, probably not more than one in five
escapes. Officers and men alike, are subject
to it. We are all patiently waiting for the
command Forward March p but expeditions
of the size of this cannot move suddenly
We are busy getting transports off the boat
and getting our positions. Go down to the
landing any day and YOU will see the ground
covered with the mule teams and the mulct.
GERS with their everlasting one line and shout
ing to their teams
For few days past the weather has been
fine and the roads are fast improving their
condition. To-day Surgeon Edwards was or
dercd under arrest and understand that lac
will have a speedy trial.
There have not been many fatal cases Of sick
ness as yet in the army here, and nonein our
regiment. noticed few days since the
grave of an Illinois volunteer, which had
been kindly cared for by his comrades. Up
on the board at the head Of his grave was
the simple but expressive epitaph: /" lie was
much loved by his fellow soldic,s." The
grave is situated upon a high bluff overlook
! ing the Tennessee. Sadly it brought to
mind my own dear brother who sleeps upon
the banks Of the Mississippi in Il soldiers
grave.
There arc plenty of rumors about camp
! that the enemy are in large force between
Corinth and Florence and occupying a
line OF some fifteen miles. OF the truth of
these rumors am unable to inform you, but
presume there is some reliance to be placed
upon the statement There are here one
hundred and thirty regiments and rumor
says portion Of Buc's army besides Re
port says that many TennesSecans and Al
abamians are getting away and joining our
regiments that arc not full. ... .s... ..
presume that the people OF Iowa are CON
gratulating themselves that in a few days .hc
war will be at an end and your volunteers will
soon be at hone, but you must be patient ;
The war is not yet over and single fail
IRE may prolong the war for months. In
the mean time let us hope that no such fail.
ure will happen and that victory will continue
to crown our arms. Meantime, too, let the
people of iowa provide good supply of pro-
visions, for those of us that live to get back
will be set of desperately hungry fellows
that is if we stay much longer in Tennessee.
Our gInhoatS that arc not ron-cla have
received pretty severe raking from the reb
el battery up the river. The range of the
rebel guns seems to be greater than the range
of those Of our gunboats.
j MARCH 28rn-We are still in camp. The
weather is fine and the roads are fast drying
up. We have orders to leave our tents when
we move from here. Last night we moved
our camp about one mile and are now en-
camped in little opening, where the ground
is dry, with water near by. ea
MARCH 29Tu--The weather is still fair
We continue to lie in camp waiting for the
storm gathering for us somewhere. We have
received papers from home containing the
latest news by telegraph: Attack upon Ft.
Henry; Probable Advance upon Fort Do
nelson; Rumored Evacuation of Columbus I;
Move upon the Potamac," &c.
Here where so many troops are congrega-
ting many friends meet each other for the
first time during the war, and some for years.
the Steamer Iatan German jumped aboard
and hurriedly exclaimed, are there any of
the Sd Iowa here?' His acquaintance with
our bows had been short, but of that kind
which is always remembered. We had seen
him standing the last man at his gun at Blue
Mills when the eaden hail was showering
T around him,-he, too, was the last man at
his gun at Fort Donelson--all alone he gave
. Ia fnr nt fhn laf ,,I
Swartz's Battery for a time was in the hands
OF the enemy. 1t seem as though we had
known him for years, and the grasp of his
hand was that of friend. We shall always
remember him as brave man, though his
name may not go forth to the world in the
public prints. Only a portion of Swartz' S
B,ttery is with us, for their loss at Fort Don-
elson was so heavy that there were not men
enough left to properly man full battery:
ST. CHARLES.
i HUMAN LIFE.--Men seldom think Of the
great event Of death until the shadows fall
across their own path, hiding forever from
their eyes the traces of loved ones whose liv-
ing smiles were the sunlight of their exis-
tenee. Death is the great antagonist Of life,
and the cold thought of the tomb is the slel-
eton Of all feasts We do not want to 90
through the dark valley, although its passage
may lead to paradise; and with Charles Lamb,
we do not want to lay down in the muddy
grave, even with Fings and princes for our
bed-fellows. But the fiat of nature is mex.
orable. There is no appeal from the great
law which dooms us to dust. We flourish
and fade as the leaves of the forest and the
flowers that bloom and wither in day have
} not Trailer hope upon life than the might
est monarch that ever shook the earth with
his footsteps. Generations Of men appear
and vanish as the grass. and the countless
multitude which fills the world to-day, wall
disappear as the footsteps on the shore.
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