Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-05-02

e of our batteries, which was situated
out half q mile back from the Landing
ID which at the time had not commenced
ing. We remained there for q short time
lily, when we were directed to take another
,sition half mile in advance, where we re-
aimed nearly an hour. The enemy in the
eantime were approaching US gradually but
rely. The rattle of musketry during the q
hole day had been unceasing and at two or
,ree o'clock it seemed to be increasing in
erceness and intensity. Our lines were az.
medly giving way before the steady and
igorous attack of the rebel army, and while
he mastery genius who directed their move
anks, on our side there seemed to be some
hing lacking. i
The work assigned to US during the after
loon was exceedingly light. The order now
anne to fall back behind tho battery. Other
egiments had already passed us and taken
heir. places there. The battery then opened.
It was comprised ola good many pieces,
Imong which my attention was principally
attracted by couple of monster guns, said
10 BE- one "a and the other q 64-pounder-I
They belched forth their iron hail upon the |
the advancing enemy,-and should these
fail, the word came from an old staff
officer, our last and only resource was the
bsyenet We were not forced to this dire
however. The artillery proved
to be very effective. uat 49,
The day was rapidly drawing to close
/ can well remember when an urchin at school,
with what satisfaction l used to see the
shadows Of evening come on,
knowing school must soon close. Ihave view
ed the same spectacle with the liveliest salts
faction when engaged in the eminently useful
but somewhat laborous occupation Of hoeing
corn. Those who are accustomed to pay
evening visits to young ladies assure me that
the approach of evening is always hailed with
pleasure. But never to the tired school boy;
never to the wearied laborer; never to the
ardent lover; never even to that industrious
poet, who was so much edited when
'.The curfew toned the knell of parting day."
not to Wellington, even, when at 'red Wa
terloo he prayed that Butcher or night might
soon come" was the close of day more well
come than it was to US when the golden
chariot of the sun wheeled slowly down the
West and passed out of sight
Just before sunset, as our regiment-now
fearfully reduced from killed, wounded and
exhaustion, was standing in its place, fresh
regiment of Buelps command made it's ap-
pearance and relieved us. Capt. Grant, Of
Co. A, who had been in command the after
part Of the day, directed Us to place of rem
devious, which was near an old house, IN
which but few hours before sutler was do
| ing thriving business. But commerce. you
know, is proverbially timid, and trade does not
flourish amid the rude clangor Of arms. So
the sutler finding that it was unpleasant ia
transact business while cannon balls were fly
through the roof of bis establishment, had
prudently abandoned it to its fate and taken
care of himself The judicial decision which
pronounces pirates on the seas enemies Of
mankind and as such liable to capture by the
ships of any nation, is paralleled by another
decision-if not of the military courts, al
least of most members of the profession, tc
the effect that suffers are foes to the human
or at least the soldier race, and their goods
therefore lawful subjects of capture. l assure
you the theory was acted upon promptly tina
night. A barrel of excellent crackers wa.
the frs. to suffer, in the general scramble fol
tho suffers estate, of which was so fortu
nate as to receive as many as my two hands
would hold. With these and chunk O
cheese Of most prodigious strength made /:
most excellent supper, after which transient
acquaintance of mine from Company gave
me large paper of excellent smoking tobac
co, which feel confident he never obtained
by any legitimate purchase. l sat down
and filling my pipe, commenced musing ovel
the affairs OF the day, and you may well sup
pose my musing were not of a very agreeable
character. The prospect vas most decidedly
blue-not the bright, cerulean tints of ths
summer sky, but dark despairing, deplora
BILE blue.
| That we were whipped was certain. That
on the morrow We should all be taken prison.
ers was more than probable Nothing but
the appearance OF Buell. could save us from
utter destruction. Fortunately, Buell. was
near at hand and all the night long we could
hear the constant FLASHING of the steamboat
wheels as regiment after regiment was
brought over the stream. During the night,
as if nature was disposed to add to the gen
| eral gloom, furious storm came on, which
continued for several hours.
The gun-boats which had somehow obtain
ed an idea of the position of the enemy kept
up pretty regular fire during the night
The roar Of that firing was appalling, and the
next day we learned that the effects of it had
been destructive in the extreme. In the
morning the enemy, acting on the maxim that
1.-THE carly bird catches the worm," commenced
operations bright and early. But during the
whole day the tide of success rolled the 9th er
way. Not only had the force of Buell. crossed
the river, but Buell. was with them, and it is
no more than the truth to say that his per-
sonal presence was worth more than his whole
army. To-day we had generalship; yester-
day chance seemed to rule the hour. The
change was miraculous. Regiments the day
before had gone into battle with no idea of
what they were to do; without support and
with no provision for following up their sue
cess, or recovering what they had lost. To-
day it was different, and for the first time we
could perceive the difference between scien-
tific soldier, for such Buell. assuredly is, and
an imbecile character, which term describes
somebody else. sssu
Towards night, when it became evident
that the enemy was in full retreat, we were
near our old camp and concluded to stop
there for the night, so turning the-head Of
the regiment in that direction we came in
about half an hour to he pleasant spot which
some six and thirty hours before we had left |
under peculiar circumstances. Our home
looked decidedly the worse for wear. In our
principal avenue nearly in front of the Cap |
aims tent lay dead horse. The tents were |
considerably torn by balls. In our tent was
! six-pound ball which had torn quite hole |
n the side of the edifice; two canister shot
lad also passed through it and left their marks
behind them. When saw these evidences
# what had been the character of our visitors,
could not help entertaining the inhospitable
bought that was glad was not at home
Vhen they called. Our knapsacks had all
'een broken into. Our blankets were all
AIKEN. From my knapsack they had pilfered
pair Of sky-blue pantaloons, which were my
special pride and joy, and in which had
cen wont to array myself when preparing for !