The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-08-19

from the third division for short par
iod, it being necessary to'strengthen our
lines by Jacinto, which is occupied by
Brig. Gen. Davis, who has the chief com
mand of all the troops at this point. The
army is gradually consolidating and will
soon be in readiness to resume offensive
operations, although the weather is yet
too warm to admit of much march
ing.
Itmay seem paradoxical, but it is new
ertheless true, that the soldier forms
strong attachments at times to lis old
camping grounds, and there were many
things which are left behind us with "A
sigh. The enormous mud ovens, within
whose furnaces the fire cracked by day,
and glowed by night, where loaves OF
bread and hosts of pies first came into ex.
lslence, where anxious cooks fitted to
and fro, and the rubicund visaged chiefs
presided, are left behind. The hunks of
poles. of slaves, of boards, which the
boys bad constructed for their sleeping
comfort, the shady bowers, beneath whose
roofs of interlacing vines, many a song
was sung, or game Of euchre played, are
deserted by the gay and thoughtless fell
lows, whose home is on the tented field,
and whose sole art and study now is war.
Peace be TO their memory, and if we ever
retrace our steps, we shall be sure to re-
visit the spot where we pave enjoyed so
many hours in playful dalliance with the
Feas. The general features Of the coun-
try are the same as that near Corinth,
with the exception of the ridges being
somewhat narrower and sharper, while
the scenery grows more picturesque.
The road winds around the base Of hills,
or loses itself beneath the over archinr
canopy Of pines, their dark foliage furn,
lshing an agreeable contrast to the motif
ed lines of the other forest trees. Small
brooks ripping over beds of whitest
sand, and springs of delicious coolness,
are numerous. On the tops of many of
the ridges there are evidences OF mineral
deposits, the iron ore cropping out in
many places. while rocks of volcanic
origin lie mingled with fragments of
mica SchiSt, horneblende, and Teldspar.
A farmer would term the soil very light,
and waek as the few patches of yellow
corn we saw bore witness, but still it is
capable of producing good cotton and
sweet potatoes. Fruit thrives finely
The peaches are in their most luscious
juciness, while the apples show signs
of exceeding promise. But woe to the
orchard thst stands by the roadside.
When the army approaches, it is doom
ed. The attack is opened by the Skin.
mishers, consisting of officers, cooks,
hangers on and stragglers from the ranks
AN invincible puryeying corps. who
seize the choicest fruit and then give
way to the heavy infantry. who come on,
a yelling, cheering rabble, for the trees,
and they are soon stripped naked as a
liberty pole. No mater how green the
fruit, or acid to the taste, down it goes
in the capacous haversacks, to be cook
ed in moments of leisure at the camp
As general thing the owners are away
on some pressing business, but their
presence would make no difference Al
one place, the boys, having taken all that
the orchard afforded, had gathered in
front of the house, and Were discussing
the propriety Of carrying off a bee hive,
totally regardless Of the owner, who was
standing near by. One fellow averred
that he had hankerin arter the honey,
but didn't want to be speared by ten
thousand bees getting it I; another was in
favor Of making a niger seize the hive,
and run off with it, but happening TO re-
member the fate Of. the poor bear, they
forbore, and finally went away leaving
the apiary unframed. Such an act of
magnanimity and sacrifice of appetite to
fear, was never before known in the three
DIVISIONS where are all the men that
own these farms and houses % is the
first question that naturally suggests it.
self TO the traveller, as he passes along the
highways, and views the fields untitled,
the fences falling 10 decay, and out
houses going 10 ruin. If the curling
smoke betrays the presence of family,
he finds no one there but the mistress,
with brood of frightened, ragged chill
dren. The negroes, with the exception
of a few superanualed aants and ANGLES,
are scattered far and wide, never to come
together on the old plantations again.
Tishmingo is the largest county in the
State, being forty eight miles square, and
showing on the census returns Of 1850,
a population of Is, 500 white inhabitants.
Al the last presidential election, 300
votes were poled, and what the Union
sentiment Of the county is. may be in
ferred from the number of troops it has
furnished to the rebel army, being TWEEN
ty eight companies of one hundred men
each. These were all voluntary enlist
ments, and the same number are now
dispersed in the southern part of the
county, fighting against US on their own
hook. When rebel makes up his mind
to take the field, and die, if need be, for
his cotton god, he does not stop to pro-
vide himself with arms and equipments,
or paddle up the channels of red tape, 10
secure bounty money, but forthwith
grabs up an old shot-gun sticks a chunk
of corn bread in his pocket, mounts his
horse, and departs with the banners of
his shirt waving gloriously behind, from
the torn and rent panialoons. What to