Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-06-23
Our Army COrrespondence-The 35th
Indiana.
CANT DUFFIcY, SoUTH OF WINcHEsTER.l
TENNESSEE, June 10th, 1862.


TENNESSEE, June 10th, 1862
EDITOR OF SExrINEI-Sir: AS YOU have not
heard from me for some time, perhaps few lines
from the Irish Regiment will be acceptable to
you and the numerous readers of your sheet.
The camp of the United States forces, COM
manded by Col. John @. Walker, has been named
in honor of the gallant Captain commanding Co.
B, raised in the city of Terre Haute.
The range of the Cumberland Mountains is in
sight of US, and the country in which we are
camped is picturesque and beautiful. Winchester
is very pleasant little town, containing about
2,5OO or 3OOO inhabitants. 1t is within a few
miles of the dividing ridge of Eastern and West
ern Tennessee, and about ten miles of the Ala
bama line. 1t is celebrated for being the selt of
two very fOurishing female academies. The
students represent some fifteen States of our
once happy, but now distracted Union. In the
midst of all this beauty, however we are in an
enemys country, and involved in the worst spe-
cies of warfare-the enemy having adopted the
guerrilla system.
Col Walkers command, consisting of infan-
try and cavalry, after several hundred miles of
marching and counter marching, was ordered
rom ROdgersvile on the Tennessee river, in
Alabama, one hundred miles from here, to report
to General Negley at this place. On arriving
Winchester, We found that General Negley had
proceeded to Chattanooga, which has left COL
Walker in charge of this immediate country.
Our situation is precarious in the extreme.
We have no support nearer than Chattanooga or
Columbia and couriers sent towards the
former place have been regularly cut off, so that
we have no communication with Gen. Negey.
In fact our cOuriers sent to the rear have to be
guarded by strong escort. Our fOragng par
ties, which We are obliged to send to the country
every day have frequent skrmishing with guer-
rilla bands. Our pickets are almost nightly fired
upon. ard scarcely night passes that our whole
command is not called out and formed in line of
battle The country, however, which abounds
in hills and gorges, is admirably adapted to
guerrilla warfare, and while the enemy whe are
supposed in this vicinity to number two or three
thousand, can annoy US constantly, we have but
little opportunity, having but small force of
cavalry, to operate effectively against them. The
labOrs of our officers and men incessant and
wearying. But as we expect either to receive re-
inforcements in few days or to join General
Mitchell's division, we will look forward to day
of rest.
While the Irish regiment has been cruelty de-
MED an opportunity which every officer and man
in it has prayed for, to distinguish Itself upon
some great battlefield, it has nevertheless rem
dered our country as much valuable service as
any other regiment that has been in the field
an equal length of time 1t is with real
pleasure that record the fact that wherever we
have been posted, the regiment has established
reputation for good discipline and good order un-
surpassed by any other which We have been
brought in contact. The citizens of Mt. Pleas
ant expressed universal regret when we were
moved forward from that place, and although
we have been here but a short time, the people Of
of Winchester preparing to petition General
Negley to leave Col Walker in command of this
post. We all, however, prefer to be pressing
forward, and are anxious, and expect soon to be
engaged in pitched battle.
| will add that while we have had great deal
of skirmishng, we have lost but ten or twelve in
all-killed, wounded and prisoners. Col. Walk
er's headquarters are filed almost with trophies,
consisting of shot guns rifles, and every descrp-
tion of pistols, rebel uniforms, &c, &c. We take
from ten to fifteen prisoners almost every day,
the majority of which released upon their pa
role of honor.
As this letter will be sent with many others by
scourier, who may be captured, and as a conse
quence, may never reach its destination, shall
not write more at this time, but will write you
again at the first opportunity. Letters from
friends directed to Columbia, care of Gen. Neg
ley's division. will eventually reach us.
"AMISE."
PSI am sorry to add that. since writing
tpe above. we have lost three men from company
E, who were taken prisoners while guarding a
forage train, with others. The boys fell a short
distance behind. and were snatched up and carried
before relief could reach them