Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-09-25
LErrER FROM the slxrEENrH
CAnp OF rue 16rH Iowa INFANTRY.
NsAa CoRTsrH. MISSISSIPPI, 7
September 18th, 1852.


| NEAR CoRIsrH. MrssissIPpr, I
September 17ih, 1852.
En,roRs DEMOCRAT: - The Iowa
Brigade has again returned to Corinth,
and after becoming accustomed to soater
We now have to subs;st on CorinthIan
lion. Corinth is no doubt the most de-
,es.able place on the sacred soil" OF the
Secesh States your readers can form
no idea of i,s appearance. In the vlcin.
i,y of this place, within the last year,
there have been camped over five hun.
dred thousand troops, and those who
have passed through deserted camp
can form some idea Of the state OF the
atmosphere at this place. Shiloh can
boast of her thousands Of dead, but Cor
NTH has seen we'll nigh as many graves.
A soldiers grave is not always a deep
one, nor is the ar above it always free
from corruption. The south wind here
is not aways ladencd with fragrance, az
the novelists are in the habit of painting
it, but is generally redolent with quite
another substance. Then the vast
amount Of decaycd animal matter has
drawn to this quarter such numbers OF
flies, that it seems as though they had
combined to expel US. Your readers
have no doubt heard of meat being Fy-
|Jlooed, but did they ever hear of the
same thing being done to blankets and
clotA;nq? Nevertheless it is true !;
when blanket becomes damp, if not
dried in short time, it will become
alive with corruption. Notwithstanding
these unfavorable circumstances, large
division hospital is located at this place.
There are no doubt some movements
on foot in this vicinity calculated to
bring on fight, if any may judge from
the manner in which troops are being
moved about. Indeed, we need to have
little fghing done in the West to re-
cover possession of our lost ground. In
deed, it appears as though the generals
Of the northern army have not the good
of the country at heart. The rebel
general imagioes he is fighting for bis
liberties: his home is behind him and
his foe is before him he stakes his life
against success. He has no thought Of
fame, for he risks too much for Mat.-
If he fails he meets an ignominou,
death; if he succeeds, glorious dream.
J Of The future rise up before him. He
feels that his position is an unsafe one
and fights with all his soul to make it
: stronger.
On the other hand. 1t Is to be feared
that cur generals have less earnest mo-
tives in view. The federal general, toe
often, aims at the future Presidency he
shapes his course to gain the encomi.
ums Of one party, and to conciliate the
other, and in doing this be generally
} does nothing to benefit his country.
Then the princely pay our higher off.
receive may have some effect towards
prolonging the war. Many Of them are
now living in finer style than they ever
lived before, and drawing larger salaries
} and if they have no true patriotism
r what incentive have they to close the
war! Reduce their pay to the of tina,
Of a private soldier, and what would be
the result? There might be rush o
, designations for few months, but thu
country would be benefited by tn,
/ change. Earnest, disinterested Wash
. ington's would head our columns, and
then our leaders would be as willing tc
close the combat with short and san
culinary campaign as their followers
Why should they expect to profit by
their positions any more than private
soldier!
Our leaders know not what hardships
are. 1t is the private soldier that plods
YEARLY on under burning sun, suffer
ing from hunger and thirst it is him
who sleeps en- the damp ground covered
not from the dews, or the storm; it is
him who must breast the stern discharge
OF grape, and shell, and musketry !;
therefore, let his leader who encoun.
tiers but a small portion Of these be re-
wardcd in proportion to his deeds.
The guerrillas are numerous in this
section, but are doing no especial dam
age. When we camped on the right
bank of the Tuscumbis, coming from
Bolivar, we discovered Indications of a
large camp, and on enquiries beng
made it was ascertained that two thous
end rebel cavalry had camped there the
night before. They had come to inter-
cept our brigade. out hearing that we
numbeeed over five thousand, they left
for parts unknown, The trurh is, there
were not more than two thousand of ne,
but their cavalry would been no match
tor our infantry.
Yours, CLINTON PARKHURsr.
To Gen. McClelIan-says cotempo-
rarv-hplOno a., tho j. lorv sc h.,,; -