The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-02-06

from a private letter Il exhibits some Of the hard
ships OF a soldiers life
DUBUoUE, Iowa, Oct. G, 1861.
A long time has passed. since my hastily -pencilled
letter. informing you Of my being the way to the
war, sent of. The gap in writing could not,
under the circumstances in which I was for some
months placed be helped-writing generally i'm
possible, and had letters been dropped into post
Offices a march, it is not likely they would have
got Of the State
IL is not an easy matter to give clear idel Of my
summers tramp-it a hard one-and am now
astonished at my endurance the end. When
speaking Of myself, you will Of course understand
that thousands OF others were in the same "hx-''
The '' First Regiment Iowa Volunteers to Com
pany ~ Of which belonged, left Kcokuk,
the Missouri line, in May, going to Hannibal, in
that State, where took possession Of the ST. 10.
Railroad. After stopping awhile at Hudson, Macon
county, the junction Of tie North Missouri Railroad
with the ST. 10, and apparently settling Secesh''
in the neighborhood. orders came attaching the regi
meut to Gen. Lyons brigade, then lying at Boone
vile. on the Missouri River. We went down the
North Missouri Railroad about GO miles. and then
took to the woods The men had ten days rafions,
aud crossing the country from Monroe, through
Randolph and Howard counties, arrived Bonneville
n day after the battle there between Lyon and
jackson.
soon. news came that Southwest Missouri was in
arms against the Union, when started on another
tramp down through the State We left Bonneville
on the 2l Of July, and in the following three weeks
winding course exceeded GOO miles. Never did
July weather blaze more hercely and to make the
case WORSE We short Of food, often without il
entirely for time We passed from Cooper
county Pe;tis through johnson. Henry, St. Clair,
Oates, Cellar, Polk. Dodge and Green counties, en-
camping near Springfield, and making n junction
with Col. sigel. who had jus, fought his way from
Carthage, in Jasper county. His force was only
about 700 men-ours rising $500.
In this long march, the army performed quite n
feat-iu my opinion, ut all events Our commander,
hearing that Sgel was hard pressed by the enemy,
and anxious succor him, started from the Usage
River. Osceola, aud before we stopped, in 20
hours made ~ miles A fraction two miles an
hour don't look big-but what with crossing creeks
and rivers, often breastdeep- dragging artillery over
the Ozark Mountains, (the horses had given out)-
melting weather and nothing to eat-the march was
certainly a great one. Every that day worked |
like mad, in the hope Of reaching and hemmng in |
Jackson. But disappointed.
We stopped awhile Mt Springfield. where the army |
again out Of provisions, (Which means three |
crackers and small piece of pork to n man per |
diem) Two weeks lived what called /
chicken feed At length Gen. Lyon started mill
grinding corn, and then we had :" mush," with an
occasional cake of meal and water, for two weeks
more the cake, however, was luxury, which |
accounts for the sparing manner in which it was fur
nshed-high living being, probably, considered un-
wholesome to soldiers yHush diet (don't name milk
nectar to y cannot be very nourishing. for under
it soon became much emacated, and almost unfit
for duty,
Now. a portion Of the force made another move {:
we started for Forsyth, in Taney county, where
Z" secesh Z" was said to be doing much mischief On
this march broke d0lca, for the first time, dropping
in the road ike a dead man. One Of my comrades
carried Of the ranks when after the dust Of the
passing column had subsded, revived, but delirious.
couple of women came along IN light
wagon, and seeing my condition, kindly took me to
: priu gdeld went to the hospital where n tumbier
OF spirits was given me, which had such enliven-
ing effect that gained the camp again, IL miles
away in four hours. We laid out that night, hav-
ing tents, and Mt o'clock in the morning pushed
on, and male during the day 30 miles, the last four
in double quick''-had fight, too, rather skir
Ins for the scamps did not stand long, though their
position Forsyth being on top OF mountain seemed
strong enough to bid defiance with their number, TO
four times ours Up the hills the men scrambled.
yelling like Indians, and ragged, wet and dirty, from
vading the creeks, looking worse than sasages The
enemy fel, but were Kind enough to leave suppers
cooking and many tables set, with the yictuals yet
waru-nouc OF which We left to spoil. Returned to
SPrir ghe!d next day. Nobody killed yet
After n short rest, some 1900 Of us took turn
through the mountains in Lawrence and Barry conn
ties aud had a couple OF skruishes with the advance
Of MeCulIoch's army. which was quietly moving
from Arkansas on Springfield in three divisions, said
to be 10000 men each. a prisoner to our company
said 80, and We l-ughed at him for joker. But II
was soon found that large force-certainly over
81. .OOn-reay was coming " Ben and his friends
had acted cnaningIy-the skirmishes we had. were
only got up by them to engage our attention until
they could surround US We made quick time back
to Springfield In the two fights, we had men kill
ell, and or 10 wounled-the enemy not less than
-O killed for that was the number Of them we buried
when were inferred |
Gen. Lyons army was yet under 6 900 men. Ii
known that neIrly quite four times that NUM-
ber were coming against II. Lyon called council
of his officers. who, IL said, advised attempt
to retreat ROa in Pulaski county, ll5 miles The
General however, concluded to fight, and soon put
into il. The rest, n whole no doubt, you know
the Union papers generally had accounts not varying
much from fact, far as l have seen them.
The s Iowa First only got fully into the battle
whea ordered to take the place II Missouri regi-
nent which almost exhausted with the desperate
work Of driving and keeping back the strong enemy
Iitted against IL IL is said that Gen. Lyon had eI-
pressed fear about the IOwas when they should be
brought into action But just before he was killed.
ais mind was lightened of that weight-he specially
us highly.
Our regiment was rather staggered. The
Texans who had revolving rifles, delivered tre-
nendoas volley, (perhaps you can imagine such n
shower, rather, Of balls,) and just then,
Lyons " Regulars" broke and rushed through our
ranks Both together, rather the latter, however,
threw US into considerable confusion; but We soon
,traighened up again, and gaining the brow OF the
1ill gave the famous Rangers dose Of "a" Minie''
hey did not relish. They gave way, and scattered
N the valley Thanks my early hunting practice.
came handy There is much. in such a time,
n being used to n gum hope mine did good service
The Texan Rangers fought we'll but did not see
and my eyes were on them. You may believe) any OF
he desperate recklessness of life they have often
,een credited for. When they prepared to charge
lpou US. I confess a misgving as to the result
here seemed escape from death But there was
othing left US but to "pitch in strong. and they
Tere whipped. Hereafter, big stories Of the prowess
+ these famous men Of war, will be taken by with
large grain OF allowance
Our term of service was up four days before the
.attle of Springfield We remained for the Be- ut,
nd had it-and must be allowed some pride IN
avine belonged to the 4" First lowas''
Rebel reports claimed the victOry-but if they had
/, why did they not take fine train, worth mil
ion and a half of dollars We had $50 six-mp's