Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-11-28
lovR ARMY c0RREsPoNDENcE


Jour ARMY CORRESPONDENTS.
The ASH Iowa safe at Cairo.
CA1Ro, Nov. "a, 1921
ION the Levee, on q Cotton-bale |
Ed. JOURNAL After pleasant journey, |
considering the circumstances, the 18Th Iowa |
arrived safely at Cairo.
I am told boats are ready to take US to
Memphis, but the Colonel is not willing to go
further until our present arms are exchanged
for better ones. After the 'parting scenes in
Muscatinc, which VIC will never forget, we
were borne away from loved friends and
homes on an GRAND on which nothing less
than the urgent call of our country could
have induced us to 60. At Wilton, we found
a large crowd, partly from Cedar county, to
bid us God speed. Here three of our men
were left, after which the car-doors were
closely guarded. At Durant we stopped
few moments; and when gone some four
miles, we found three cars of our train miss
ing, containing company A, part of company
D, the guard and musicians. We were of
course obliged to 60 back for them found the
coupling broken. .... ..4'
| We entered Davenport amidst cheers from
all sides, the noise and shouts putting the.
boys in high glee. Here we received an ad-
dition to our already crowded number-16
convalescents, of the 26th, 31st and S2d regi
ments-we crossed the bridge and took a long
look perhaps the LAST at the State we are so
proud to hail from.
At Rock Island, we made o right-about-
march, and added two more cars, making our
train 10 coach and baggage cars, drawn by
two locomotives. Time and distance passed
rapidly and pleasantly, as we were greeted by
the good folks of Geneseo, Anawan, Sheffield,
&C., &c. Arrived at Lasalle, at n o'clock P.
NJ, the companies were formed in the dark
and in the mud, and marched about one mile
through the town, to the Central r. r. Depot,
where we found the train ready for us, with
about the same accommodations as the one
we left. Arranging the companies in the cars
and transferring the baggage occupied until
- o'clock. ..-..t... ..
Now the "boys" are quiet; each one trying
to get into comfortable sleeping position
Sleep was much needed, but twas not to be
had the two last nights we were in camp, and
now we had to get it as best we could in a
crowded car. s. s. s
We were all highly pleased with the accom-
modations furnished us by the NJ. & NJ, G. &
R. I. and Illinois Central railroads. Some
say we Jared so well in this particular because
our Colonel "knows how to provide for his
men,"
l cannot record much that occurred during
the night In company with the Chaplain
and friend, sought sleeping quarters in q
frcight-car, loaded with baggage, &C., where
had the misfortune Of having lot of camp
kettles and frying pans tumble on me, to dis
turb my slumbers, besides meeting with
several smaller mishaps. We were all acct
dentally locked in by the carman, and nearly
froze before morning. 1851
Daylight at length dawned, and found US
slowly ascending the grade near the beautiful
town Of Bloomington. At 7 o'clock A. NJ the
companies were formed for roll call" at
Wapello, and bread and meat rations for one
} day were issued The neighboring ponds of
water were soon taken possession of for
washing purposes, and all the pumps in the
vicinity thronged with empty canteens for a
fresh supply of water. The 'clean dickeys''
on the town-boys reminded me it was Sun
, day -but it brought to us no preaching, no
Sunday school, no nothing of this kind, and
maybe not for many a day to come are they
again to be enjoyed by u.s.
Haversacks and canteens filled, and faces
t washed, we were again on our way, after a
e delay of two hours, all apparently cheerful
and happy. The mile-post says "Cairo, 21s."
We are passing through country that can't
be beat, only by Iowa. Towns are plenty,
and so are "Sunday folks" but we glide
, along scarcely learning the names of the most
important of the former. We know, however,
that we are among friends by the hats that
come off and the numerous white handker-
i. chiefs that wave.
Sandoval! Here Mrs. Col Hill, Lieut. Col
. Rothrock and lady, and our Adjutant, left us
for St. Louis
Centralia! This is a live town-the gayest
place Of ALL In ten minutes after our arrival
it looked like a 4th Of July, with the display
of flags, &c. AT no other station did we see
such demonstrations of joy. We saw here
, the first "large guns Dahlgrens, of TO-
: inch calibre, We were complimented as be-
ing one Of the "best behaved" regiments that
has yet passed through here. Swollen streams
indicate late heavy rains in this section.
Night again-all tired and sleepy, and not
, . very good time for sleepers, either. We
) arrived at Cairo at on Monday morning. A
guard was stationed around the train, up and
, down the levee for about quarter of mile
After waiting about two hours for orders, we
built 'camp-fires" on the levee, and soon had
plenty of hot coffee, which, together with
crackers, composed our breakfast. Arms
were stacked, and the boys made noise
enough to wake better town than this ever
was. ~ r s..ss.is,sf
| am writing this on cotton-bale (plenty
of them here), with about hundred men
around and about me, In all positions, writing
home. This is the first thing after an early
breakfast. We are nearing "Dixie's Land"
but our hearts are with the kind friends at