Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-02-28
Army Cort.eepondence.



s,t Letter from lhe A8th. IA.
CAMP BELL, Barren Co., Ky, Feb. 10, go.
I. NJ. KKKLtR. -opportunity offers me time
to pen youa few lines. To-day the weather Ia
such that the men are required to keep in their
tents, 1t has raiued now for about az hours
steady. am writing these few lines in a Sib-
ley tent, with mud six inches deep sitting upon
pile of wood, with knspsack upon my knee.
But "where there il will, there is a way,W 70
here goes es--aRed Stick shall not be found fault
with, for, by the way, young lady in Old SAM
dusky, who signs herself "Maud May" was de-
sirous of mynot forgetting you or the readers
Of the Journal. do not intend that the ladies
shall fpd fault have poor imagination, but
they shall have the benefit Of my daring ex-
ploits and adventures in the iS,e'ny South,
On the 18th ult, our Division of troops un-
dor command Of Gen. McCook and Gen. Mel
son, commenced a innrch which was styled a
secret movement of the army" The force con-
sisted of 10000 men. We were started with 7
days ations Our orders were to the effect,
that we should go from Camp Wood to Elizabeth
town, and from there to West Point where we
were to embark upon steamboats, for Fort Dom
elson, whore we were TO aid in the reduction Of
that Fort.
On the morning of the l4th, at 5 o'clock, q.
m., we commenced to march The day was
freezing cold. The water in our canteens froze
and We had none during that day The ground
was covered with snow about three inches deep.
We marched to Upton Station where we halted
for the night the weather still freezing cold.-
The ground'was all we had for beds; we scraped
the snow off before lying down.
Gen. Mitchel's Division was ordered forward
to Bowling Green, which place the rebels evac.
uated on the approach of the Union army. The
rebels left part Of their sick at Bowling Greer
and one train of cars.
! February l5th.-Our Division was ordered t
halt and remain at Upton Station until further
orders. AT 2o'clock, p. m. orders were receiy-
ed that our services were not needed at For
Donelson, and we were ordered TO march bach
to Bowling Green. So we started back anC
quartered during that night near Bacon Creek
On the morning of the 10th, at o'clock, M.
we started forward and marched to Rowlett's
Station, the weather still being cold and chilly.
ID
DR.. N. Il. Rawson accompanied us during our
march to this place. where he bid us adieu and
started for his home in Fremont.
February l7th.--We made forced march tC
this place from Camp at Rowletts Station. Th'
distance was lS miles. The roads were yer,
bad; in many places for ten miles the mud wa
knee deep We marched eleven hours withou
rest, and during the day it did nothing but rain
We had no water to drink, the rebels having dri
ven cattle into the ponds and killed them there
thus rendering the water unfit for use But We
had to use water from some of them, we wer,
so intolerable thirsty purified cattle and mulei
to the contrary notwithstanding. 1 saw at on,
pond soldier sitting upon mules carcass
washing his feet.
Poorshead, village near here, was entirely
deserted, with the exceptions of one old feeble
man and setting hen. We left the old man
and took the hen, SO the personal property o.
Poorshead is not very large.
Gen. McCOok has been appointed Path Mas
ter of this place, and has commenced the dutie
of his office. He has ordered out all the citizen
here, and is making them work upon the Raj
Road, removing the distractions and clearing
out the Tunnel which was blown up.
We will probably leave here in few days, q
soon as provisions reach us. We are % mile
north from Bowling Green. The rebels wei
: encamped here $4,000 strong; the name of the
7 camp was Camp Hardec, named after their Ger
eral. Ours is after the name of the man wh
owns the land
Health of the regiment good. This is heal
thy location. "Herc the works of nature pre-
dominate" Yours for the Union,
!, TRED STICK ~