The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-06-19
pr.n ,n. .,,h wiseon.in Volunteers.

l7TH REoT. Wis. Vol, lsT BRIGADE. 9TH |
DIVISION, CoRINTH, June 10, 1867.
Dear Telegraph:
Many of my friends and immediate acquain-
tances consider me ungrsteiul in not writing to
them, and your valuable journal might justly
say Little Mac our protegee might at least keep
US posted on the affairs of the Corinth grand
armies under Pope, Buel, Grant, Mitchell, &c.
I often wished to have written to you my i'm
nression of matters and things. but hate that
mawkish desire of being seen in print, at least
before smelt powder. Our brave, intelligent
and highly accomplished Colonel was appoint
ed Rripsdier General by Gen. Halleck on his
arrival at Corinth, he (the GeneraD knew the
rough diamond and estimated it at its proper
value, and therefore, by General Doran's kind
ness was allowed to see much of our defen-
sve operations From the day we landed in
Pittsburg to the present have not been absent
by sickness or otherwise, from drill or patrole or
any other duty devolving on a soldier, although
have had considerable sickness which we call
the "Tenn essee Quick Step" or Diarrhae. Our
regiment was nine hundred strong when we
came here, it is now about five hundred, al
though We never participated in battle. Ev-
ery day you hear the sound of the muffied
drum as some brave fellow is gone where
| "hel never, never march again" Yet we take
tho right of our Brigade, and are conceded to
be its crack regiment; at least Gen. Macarthur
says SO. The General, by the way, is brave
Highland Laddie, formerly a Captain of the
Chicago Highland Guards, he sports his High
land cap; he won his laurels at Fort Donels0n
and other places, and is every inch soldier
| I was anxious that Kenosha should be fairly
represented in me, its Irish delegate, there
fore sought every opportunity on picket and
skirmishing to meet the hell hounds. The
Colonel would often crafty my wishes when
it was not my turn, and we would be sent right
in the direction of the fire, but if / went on the
right the fire was sure to commence on the
left, and if ordered to support the left the firing
was sure to be on the right, and thus like Jim.
Lane in Mexico, although I would give hun
dred dollars for bullet hole, d-n the one
came within a rod of me. The truth is, found
by Irishmen living here, that our regiment or
as they termed, the Irish Brigade of Wisconsin
were considered inGarnate devils, that no re-
spectacle Southern gentleman would care to
meet / assure you we often lay in shelter OF
the breast works from night until morning,
and whenever signal was given they would
leap to their feet with joyish enthusiasm, and
when they would find out that it was false
alarm, they would lie down chop-fallen and
dissatisfied Such my dear sir is the spirit Of
the Northern soldiers, judging all by the 18th
which have no doubt is correct.
built bridge within so rods of their can
non and d-n the shot they ever fired at my
command, although they were firing like h
he previous day at the party l relieved. Now
we are not much as sharp shooters, but if they
fred upon us we would walk up with the cold
steel and one volley. There are many surmis
es about the conduct of Gen. Halleck in letting
the rebels escape. l assure you we may thank
God, aud be grateful to Halleck for not ad'
vancing on their breast works. rode along
their lines from Purdy, where Lew Wallace
was stationed to Pennington, where they made
Pope fall back distance suppose of twelve
, or fourteen miles, and every inch of that
|, ground was fortified with redaHs and well built
trenches, capable of accommodating sufficient
force TO keep up perpetual fire. They never
could be dislodged unless they were sheled out
The ground was admirably chosen and
strengthened by all that engineering skill could
do They were so constructed that they could
, take us in front and flank as we advanced
hence say it saved many lives, although we
, were all as savage as bull dogs, because we
f did not get the order to advance. Judging by
8 the ground lately occupied by the secesh, they
! must at least have force equal if not superior
, TO ours, and plenty of the luxuries as well as
the necessares of life. There were thousands o
: barrels of beef, and bacon, -four and molasse'
: left on the field which indicates they left ir
haste. We found chests of mastcated vege
tables cases of catawba and many other things
we never had, besides we could pick up any
I amount of feather beds and pillows.
War is certainly a sc0urge, and as you trave
through this country, the more you would bt
8 impressed with that conclusion; all the beau
: tifu fields are waste, the wheat trampled un
der the boot of artillery horses and everything
: wears a look of desoatiou.
It's true l would like to see Kenosha, but
never desire to see it until the rebels are
brought to their senses and peace restored t.
the country. 1 should love to see our mud.
stills charging on the Southern gentlemen ant
teaching them to understand that muscle is
necessary adjunct to brains in time of war
Hoping all my friends in Kenosha are well.
1 remain yours, respectfully,
H. MCDERMOTT,
Co. B. 18th Regt Wis Vol.