Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-12-04

CAMr Lyon, NEAR McCuILouGns
Store, Nov. 26th.

Although We picked up and left onr
camp at Finley Creek IN such hurr,
that We had no time to stay over nigh
with our friends at Ozark, and, notwilh
standing the incIemcncv Of .hc weather
were unable to halt at Robinson s Mills
any longer than just 10 put hali-doze,
crackers apiece into our havcrsacks, yc'
on our arrival here, We found that oul
hurry was over, and that We could rest
/, bothered me for several lays to divine
the cause Of our being IN such " stew
10 get here, and il was equally perplcx
Ing to guess why We were here at all
Last night the difficulty vanished, and
found mvsef in position to give a clev-
or 9ucss at the reasons which which in
fluenccd the hurry aud the halt. When
Gems. Totten and Heron marched their
divisions northwatd from Pea Ridge,
Gen. Blunt was left there with his com
maud to hold the enemy in check.
understand his headquarters to be at Elk
horn tavern.
The rebels had, as you have heard, re-
treated to the Boston mountains il lot
beyond them, but the other day they
moved forward to Cane Hill, a town
suppose 10 be some eighteen miles south
west OF Fayetteville. Their force vas
L.. \ Il /.
two good DAYS march of Pea Ridge.
Gen. Blunt, thinking that they might,
perhaps. mean business, made his dispo-
stlons IT, meet them.
Blunt's own command, | am told,
numbers 10000 men, a considerable part
beng Indians Nth this force he would
no H. ubt ave fought the buiternuts, and
guess, wobld have whipped them II
they had offered battle, but 1t was tho't
best 10 have force on hand sufficiently
large to make "A sure thing If it. SO
Gems. Totten and Heron had orders 10
march to his support.
Now we could not have arrived at lea
RIDGE short of three days hard marching
in the best ot time, and under the CIR
cumstances it would have taken us four
DAYS. But then it was likely that Blunt
coald have held the cncn IN check long
enough ior u to come up, if lie had N
tended t. advance to the assault, tut 1t
,pp ars that he didn't Onthc contrar,
:. nly caue as far as Cane Hill, stald
-, NJ lay or SO and then retired. This
,hc'' poAnto cen. Blunt of course
, 20, = - .'e not ecdel there, and
so we halted here, 80.
], niger than at any 9th = f''o' ''"e '"
lett Clinton. .,,oa orr
Well. we rather like the 'act ~ ou'
camp is on the eaetcrn slope =. & Wy
pretty hillock, tthey call 1t moi.
mere overlook no on our rlgh a nice Ia. "
of about 100 acres, very nearly enclosed
by hills on all sides.
On our left is cncanpcd the first brig
alc on "A similar hill, and overlooking
similar farm of rich bottom land, almost
entirely separated from the first by The
drawing IN Of the hills on either side.
This expanding and contracting OF The
bottom lands Is the peculiar feature OF lhc
face Of the county here. \ faflnef
almost need no other land marks 10 dc
fine his boundaries thnn those furnished
by nature.
Richt between the two brigades, and
wLerc the bottoms are narrowest, is an
excellent spring OF awater. "A hunurca
thousand men couldn't use all the water
it affords. The only draw back is that
the people are anionists, and we are not
ncr,n ,tted to burn their rails.
As l,,ng ago IS when we were at Pea
Ridge it become evident that the shoes
furnished .ov the Government were good
for nothiuy, for the purpose of marching
over the sharp stones OF Arkansas. Inc
stitches were soon cut Oft, and then the
soles went by the board in less than no
timc. The socks are equally worthless.
They can't be wore a week without being
ont ut the toes, and heels too. The con
sequence of this has been that those who
were not wise enough to bring a pair of
shoes and extra pairs OF socks from home
with them have been baretooted for some
4;me. unless they had the means OF buy
;rg them of the suter at prices which
would make you stare. | know of seve-
raj pair OF boots bought of him the last
time we were at Usage Springs for seven
dollars pair which have been worn out
and thrown away so long that the un-
lucky buyers have almost forgotten that
they ever had them, and good many
pairs Of shoes Of equally extravagant
prices have left their owners in the lnrch
the same way. have never said any
thing abou, this before, because | be-
lieved that the time was at hand when
the evil would be remidled. | think
it was at Pea Ridge where the First Sar-
yeant was ordered to make requisition
for shoes and stockings. We were told
that we only needed to tell our
wants to have them supplied
We didn't hesitate to tell them, and the
reauisition was sent to headqu rters.-
Shortly after the Sergeant came round
again. "Boys," said he, ''it any of you
want any shirts or drawers or pants, just
say so; l am going to make another re-
QUESTION" Some OF the toys did want
pans and >hirts and drawers, and the re
quisit,on Was sent to headquarters. A