Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-02-06
Army CORRESPONDENCE.


Jsvvsasox Crry, No. Jan. u.
Ny DEAg DEMoCRAT.-Some time
has elapsed eince last wrote you, and !
would have written You before, he'd ]
/ not been afraid that my pen would wear
out its welcome iii we're continually
obtruding itself in your columns. Be-
fore turned my ploughshare into >
sword, and my pruning hook into a
spear, l recollect that soldiers letters
seemed to me singularly uninteresting,
and shrewdly suspected that matters
which afford rs in camp topic Of con-
versation for . week, would be consid.
cred by you at home Of no earthly in.
terest whatever. Some old gentleman
POLITICALLY remarks:
The pilot best Of winds doth talk,
The peasant Of his cattle;
The shepherd Of his neecy flock.
And the soldier Of his battle.
Now, We soldiers of the 18th Iowa,
are not in the "battle business at pres
ent, but in the very monotonous occu-
patton of standing guard over this God.
iorsaken city Of Jefferson, and, if l we're
to follow the spirit Of the lines which l
have very learnedly quoted, and write
about the "third relief or other mat
ters connected with my daily employ
ment, l might write better than could
upon any other subject, but my letter
would be as dull to most OF your read
ers as a Congressman's speech on the
nigger question. cant write about
guards, that is certain, and if / don,
write about them, what shall l write
about, for our lite is almost as varying
as that ofthe Monks Of La Trappe, and
makes tomorrow q new second edition
of to-day. We are, in fact, mere Pc.
licemen protecting the lives and proper
ty of the skulking traitors who swarm
in this abode Of ignorance, secession
and small listed nigger-drivers. Willis,
"secesh" sleeps in security, We are
walking our beats, and preserving better
order than the town ever knew before.
But that is not the only benefit this Ian
tern-jawed ch,valry in butternut colored
points derives from our presence. The
soldiers are almost the only persons in
this county who have any money, and
what they spend keeps the body and
soul OF many secessionist together.
These miserable people charge as ex-
orbitant prices tor everything, and
though we have no protection against
them and their extortions, they have
the amplest protection against us. Only
two men Of one company are permitted
to 90 to town at the same time, and the
Provost Guard is patroIing the streets
day and night, capturing soldiers if
they happen to be without pass from
the Colonel, and throwing them into the
military prison, as though they, and not
the secessionists, were the rascals to be
put down. Sccessionists, however, can
walk the streets and talk treason with
IMMUNITY. In fact, do anything but join
Prices army, crime which is punished
by the administration Of the oath of al
egiance. Can you wonder if soldiers
inquire Why these things are SO Is
the Federal Government in earnest, 10
using sugar plums as weapons! There
are men here in first rate standing with
the powers that be, who are notorious
| sympathizers with rebellion. One man
IN particular, the proud proprietor OF
seventy niggers, donated to Sterling
Price one thousand pounds of bacon for
the use of his ruffian followers, and yet
he is just as secure in the possession and
enjoyment of his property and slaves as
is old John Schmidt in the occupation
Of his store. If ] were to attempt to
knock the letters from one of bis bonds.
men, have no doubt that should be
punished with terrible severity that
ought to be visited on him. But "sioh
is life" as Shakespeare says, and it don't
become the rank and file to criticize the
conduct OF their officers.
Last Sunday, we all thought we we're
about to have fight. After dress pa
rade was over, | went to my tent and
had just put off my cartridge box and
laid aside my pun, when the lonp.roll
called us to arms. We all turned out
in hurry, the sick vieing with the best
Of US in getting into the ranks, and iu.
vaiids shouldering muskets, who had
been excused from duty ty the Surgeon
for weeks. Every body was ready 10
the twinkling Of an eye, and the regi.
ment waded through the mud down to
town, where we formed in line Of battle.
Where we were going to, no one could
tell, our company officers being as igr or.
ant as ourselves of our destination. At
last, We were marched down to the de-
pot, where We learned that we were to
capture German regiment, which was
in open mutny. 1t seems that the Sd
United States Reserve Corps, composed
Of Germans recruited in st. Louis, had
become dissatisfied at something, and
refused to do duty, though they were
detailed to guard the bridges on the line
of the Pacific Railroad. At Usage sta
ton, nine miles below this town, two
companies, when ordered to leave the
cars by their Colonel, positively refused
to do 80, and, being sustained by the
rest OF tho regiment, swore they would
60 to st. Louis or nowhere. After ex-
hsusting entreaty, command and per.
snasion, the Colonel telegraphed to Gen,
Mexican, who communicated the facts
to Gen. Halleck aud received orders II