Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-02-13
mTIITIR7 ooRREsFONpENoE.
Rron Rdsarton,s battery.

BAoOH CAEHE, KY, Feb. 2, '62.
EDS. LaADzE-on account Of the long
stsy that Gen. Mitchell's Division is making
here, the hitherto obscure place Of Bacon
Creek has become very widely noted. 1t
Wss formerly q very quiet place, consisting
of some ten or 6ftesn log houses Of an infe-
rior order Of architecture, and containing q
population Of perhaps hfty persons, white
and black. Now, however, its population is
fifteen or twenty thousand, and the dispro-
portion between the sexes is as great, if not
greater, than in any other portion of the
world, there being at least s thousand males
to one female. Its streets, which once used
to witness, on very busy days, half dcssn
mules loaded with grain, passing by to the
grist mill short distance up the Greek, now
are lined from morning till night with the
four horse cenveyances Of our beloved Uncle
Samuel.
The weather at Bacon Creek may be said
to be very eVen, no sudden changes taking
place. Il has only rsined thirty-four days
out Of the last thirty seven, and during that
time old Sol has smiled upon US IL hours all
told. And the moon, too, since the new year
beg n, has been very modest and retiring in
her disposition. Her veil Of clouds has sell
dom been thrown aside to allow her smiling
rays to cheer the guard on his lonely beat
Owing to the rain and the ineessant tray
sl, the roads here have become almost i'm
passable. A corduroy road has been built
through the camp, over which VIC manage
to get our provisions, but woe to the unfor
tunate teamster who misses it. His wagon
sinks into the mud 50 deep that the wheels
eeaae TO be of use, and the wagon becomes
sled. Indeed, the natives here have had
sleighing all winter. At least they have
used sleds, as it required less motive power
to move them than wagons.
Since writing the above have learned
the legend from which Bacon Creek is said
to have derived its name. Some sixty years
ago a company of hunters, after an unsuc-
cessful tramp over the hills and valleys Of
this rocky section, ,encsmped for the night by
the banks of q creek. Their only food was
some bacon brought with them. Upon this
they made a seanty supper, saving enough
for their breakfast, but during the night
their dogs becoming hungry devoured the
remainder of their bacon. Day light dis
closed this fact - the unlucky hunters, who
went on breakfsst,ess in pursuit of game
This f5et becoming known, the creek was at
first distinguished as the creek " where the
dogs ate the bacon" and finally for short
was called "Bacon Creek"
The health Of the troops of this Division |
has been very bad, but is now improving |
Some Of the regiments stationed here have |
scarcely any sickness, while in others 3 |
large per eentage are on the sick list. The |
87th Indisns has over 800 sick. This fact |
seems unaccountable, as the whole Division |
is ped within the radius Of mile, |
and use the same water and food.
The health of our battery is also imprOv- |
ing rapidly. Capt. Edgarton does his best |
to get furloughs for his sick. Quite a num-
Der have gone home, and we hear that most |
of them are getting along finely under 3 |
mothers care. Nothing will make a SOL |
dier home-sIck so soon as being sick in |
camp. The sceomm odations of the hospi- |
tails are poor at best, and when the sick SOL |
dier feels that there are those at homo who |
would esteem it pleasure to care for him, |
he lopgs to be there.
A very distressing accident occurred in |
the battery on Wednesday last. While the
battery were on drill the order ives given
to FIRE with blank cartridges. While the
firing was going on one Of the guns was by
sccident premRturely discharged, tearing of
the arm ofa young man named Xenophon
Peck, of Lorain county. The wound was
dressed by the Division surgeon, and is do
ing we'll. No one would leave the battery
more reluctantly. Yesterday his face was
SO much swollen that he could not open his
eyes, still he says ne will never leave the
battery until IL returns with honor 70 Ohio
he says that he will still make good "num-
Der two man" and has begged Of the Cap
tain the privilege Of remaining with US.
Word was brought to the advance yester-
day that the rebels were repairing the rail-
road between Bowling Green and Green Ri
yer, and also that they were cleaning out the
tunnel which they blewup. If this be true
they are doing good work for us. This is
new idea for the Tebels-repairing instead
of destroying. Ihope soon to write that we
are making use Of their public works.
]. S.