Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1862-07-09
letter fron tho Eleventh Regiment.
BATESYJ 1.E, IitDEPENDENCE co.
a. June 18th, 1862.

Dear CovER:I thought I would
spend an hour this afternoon, IN GIVING
You some items of news, which | believe
will not be void Of interest We left Pilot
Knob March 23d, marched FIVE DAYS to
ReeYes's Station on Black river, where we
stopped Gill The 10th day Of April. Our
march was through q very broken country
such as | should not choose for home.
We camped OH 1Ir Reeyes's farm, or rath-
or what had once been his farm. Mr.
+ Reeves had the III luck to he Union man;
bis brother was a rebel, and at The head Of
Ia band of rebels, and this man must suffer;
The rebels headed 81 tne rebel Reeves paid
/ him visit; destroyed his Finest buildings,
orchards, and took his slaves. Mr. Reeves
saw the rebels coming, and escaped out Of
the back door, without coat lat Oh boots
ia this condition he made Ills way as best
/ he could 70 Arcadia pear It's Knob where
some troops were sis.i9aed. All the im-
/ pToYements leftoa this once fae pltntation
were two old log cabins that hal been oe-
cupied as negro quarters; one Of these cab
ms was used BIZ mr.. Reeves family as a
dwelling house while We wero there.
/ April 10th We started south on another
march; found a great improvement IN the
/ appearance Of Che country. Instead Of the
Oh log cabins, You would occasionally see
a neat littIewhito house upon the planta-
lion, (doat have farms here,) showing
some SIGNS Of thrift such as we had reen
but little Of IN Missouri. We reached Pit
mans ferry Oh Current river April 25;
here as at Black river the plantations show
ed that they had been visited by rebel SOL
diely. We campel Oh first rate farm,
minls the improvements; here for The first
time se camped Ola an Oh seeesh camp
ground, well il was not 50 old after alt,
secesh had hearl that we were on our way
southwark, So tbey left some days before
our arrival On The 20lh We marched to
Pocahontas,a distance Of twenty-five miles;
this town is the couuf9 Gent. Of Randolph
county, Ark, situated ON Black river. It
LAS been quite buiaess place, but pretty
much PLAYED ouI. / visited the town.
found plenty 81 Union men, but they
didn'tlo0k honest. May FL, struck tents,
packed knapsacks and again started for
lhe sunny south, found plenty Of secesh
camp grounds, but secesh were just two
weeks in advance Of US. | guess they have
more than that the start Of Us now. From
Pocahontas TO Jacksonport we found a
beautiful country mostly, sometimes q low
marshy plantation but as Q general rule
they bad large and well cultivated farms;
The buildings denoted q degree Of prosper
ity that / was not prepared to look ior.--
We reached Jacksonport the 10th inst;
this Is a beautiful town, The county seat Of
Jackson county, situated atthe Junction Of
White and Biack rivers. It has done
considerable share Of business, and may clio
acain, but ii ID a miserable seeesh hole.--
was informed By citizen Of that county
that TWENTY-FIVE union men have be u hung
n that town. Also that there was one
brave shirt til sre,-one that dared to stand
IN for lis country; this was too much tor
tie chivalrY it would rot do TO let such q
man live Oh southern soil; they mast ses
id Of him, and fend like they caught him
nailed him up in a dry goods box, marked
the box "Abe Lincoln, this side up, let i
pass they then placed the box IN the riy-
an. this wis ill done 10 the presence OF his
wife. And these fiends Of darkness call
themselves chigalry, honorable men, ETC.
Nanv ~ tbasa chiyarous sons Of the South
have already gone to people the regions
ftbe damned. but there is vet room for
the mean, contemplate. hell-desefvlug
traitors Of Jacksonport, and our boys carry
passports for them in their cartridge boxes.
Traitors in general, and Jacksonport trait
ors II particular, would do well to keep in
doors At night. There IS very aiiter feel
mo II our brigade toward that town; II
they ever Get a chance they ! rake It.
We left J5ckbonport for this place about
f5nr weeks go; came to our present camp
oround three weeks ago to-day. We have
Z rood healthy location.with plenty ofgood
water: are camped about half q nile from
Batesvillo, the county seat Of Independence
county; Tbs is q very pleasant town 81
500 inhabitants; the people here seem
Is Be 81 a different class than those at
IacksonpoH.: they are more manly. All
aSrsa that there IS no hope for the south;
manv Oft rebel soldiers arc deserving
and those who arc lucky enough to SCI
home. al SAY that they would desert By
thousands L they could.
In regard to the country, ! would say
taat the people of Wisconsin are very macF
mistaken. / vas taught that this country
was one aleat swamp, and that such
th4n.y a. IS ssntino was not to be found. which
| 4 j GRAND lnistake. Ihave found il sim
asr IS other eonntries-h having It's good
and BAD locations, good ana bad forms,
/ healthy ard unhealthy locations. But as
general fnls, | find plenty q good springs
or well water. As for raising gram, taey
can raise as much as you can ~ Nlscon-
sin but fheg can do A. vel on corr. !
have noticed 4 Great many wheat Ilelds aiid
] they look weIl, obey are about done cut
IL H..