The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-02-27
Our Army COrrcspOndence-Fr0m the
First Regiment.
CAMP Fry, Near Bowling Green, Ky.,2
cDo,


general readers of your paper There are. how
ever, many anxious hearts in Kenosha, who are
bound up with u.s. and whose every tho't fol!ows
our fortunes, and place should be given in your
columns 10 a line for the eyes of the wife who
has husband, and the mother who has son in
our ranks
On my way back to camp, we learned that Fl.
Henry had surrendei ed. When we reached
Louisville, we heard that the rebels were cvac-
uatlng Bowling Green, and in the event Of this
rumor proving correct, we were satisfied that
our camp at Munfordsyile would be broken up
and the troops set in motion, no matter what the
weather might be, or what should be the condi-
ton of the roads.
On arriving at Louisville, / visited the Hos
pitfalls in search of our sick. Finding these,
distributed to them portion of the Undertaking
and stockings furnished by the ladies of s..
Matthews Church in your city; the rest of them
| gave to members of Co L, when / reached
camp.
On arriving at Munfordsville, "Wednesday
night, the 18th inst, we heard all the Bands
playing, and cheer after cheer going up from the
different regiments OF this Division. Roanoke
Island had been heard from. Having got to the
Camp of the First Wis, We heard that Gen.
Mitchel's Division had passed ours on its way
to Bowling Green. We had been kept in ad-
vance of them all winter, repairing roads, build
ing bridges. doing the picketing, cutting down
timber, throwing up the Intrenchments and run
ming across the river every second dav, through
mud ten inches deep, at the double quick, and
praying that we might be permitted to take Bow
ling Green from the rebels; now the rebels hay-
ing left, We were not permitted to restour limbs
on the deserted pavements, but the barren VIC
b,,1 I.t,,
But what remained in store for US? Four
days ratious' were ordered to be cooked, which
were cooked under sleet that came down the
whole night long An order was given that the
Division should be ready to march at SIX O'Clock
on Friday morning the 18TH March. where p
Why, back 65 miles, to an old camp at West
Point, mouth of Salt River "a miles below Lou
isville! Our tent pins were ioosened and taken
out, and the tent cloth stood upright, frozen
stiff. We beat the walls down and trod the can
vas together. The weather was bitter cold We
lett all our sick behind; our hospital stores, and
a great many other stores, and officers supplies
We started towards the north! We marched
about IA miles that day and halted, bivouacking
in body of timber for the night, as we had no
no hopes whatever that our baggage could
come up, such was the state of the roads -ha If
frozen mud filling the way. 1t was whispered
that we were bound for Columbus, or ut least
Fl. Donelson. This nerved lis all TO strive for
the mastery of ourselves; for we were terribly
FESTIVE under the cOuhtermarch. Next morning
the regiments of the 9TH Brigade Gen. Negley's
were drawn up in line, and had commenced
the march, when down came an Aid with the
order TO fall back, to the place where we camp
ed during the night. The rumor obtained that
Mitchell had The enemy in his rear, and that we
must proceed towards Bowling Green, after all
The counter mar.h over the desperate roads
was begun. We met during the afternoon our
baggage trains with the leamsters, guards and
h0rses, almost dead "Our armies swore
terribly III Flanders, remarked Uncle Toby but
such swearing the Chaplain of the lsJ kegt.
never listsn to before har day. We marched
and we ptodded back to Muntot dvie-bnt the
General in command graciousy permitted the
entire Division TO cross Green River and march
two miles beyond it South. This pleased us
all Any place but the same place for an army |!
We camped OH Sunday night, the 10Th inst in
heat field hat had been piowed and Sowed
in the fall. Snow was here water there and
red clay mud everywhere! Oh! what II night
my friends ANY one gifted with the Chad
band style OF Oratory might describe it, but we
pause. i wise enough not to pI oh my
tent. | huddled into the Quartcrmastcr's b'ln-
die OF tCheGt-not straw alone. tried 10 sleep,
but the entire night vas consumed by the Z NJ
ing, and such was the DIN that sleep was out of
the question as it had been the two, previous
nights. On Monday morning We left for this
point, in most awful drenching rain, which
continued until O'Clock p. ri The telegraph
informed our Generals that Fort Dopeis on had
surrendered with -, 0U0 rebels Johnson Buck
ner and others being prisoners This news was
communicated to the troops as they passed along
through the mud, hungry and foot sore. Cheer
after cheer went up from the companies as they
passed along The checks OF the Kentucky
rebels bIanched with terror ~ these cheers were
repeated They truly OWNED that reverses had
befaen their arms.
A. We passed aoUg to this place we found
trees felled across the road III many places. The
Railroad i>amuch damaged. The iron has been
torn up for miles, and laid across the truck, fires
having been placed under the bars, limestone
having been burned under them-the bars are
bent and useless. Yesterday the whole Divis
ion was called out to work on the Ralrond but
the rains drove all back 10 camp-to-day all
have gone again. The bnys now propose that
the LIST Wis. be turned into a Sapper & Miner
Regiment i'll name as it has been in tact
But we are ali talking of home again The
back of the Rebellion has been broken, and if
Time be not given for is doctorng the patient
Will surely be harmless, If it does not de.
We shall leave here when We get the Railroad
in order--which cannot take so many men more
than a day or two. We are probably bound
for Nashville. | would like TO harangue the
rebels of Tennessee while | stood beside the
tomb Of Old Hickory! What glorious text
should take from his lips--"The Union must and
Shall be preserved Some of the Kenosha boys
have been quite i'll, but they are all recovering.
Payday is still in the future Let the people
of Kenosha rally once more to aid the wives a nd
children of her soldiers The agony will soon
be over. Let her brave sons come home to bless
you! 1t has made my heart fill many time to
hear the men of every Company in the Reg
bless the citizens OF Kenosha Be all prepared
20 welcome home the Woodworking and the
anxious to fight First Regiment Wisconsin Vol
unteers, during the mouth of Rosy June, if not
sooner. May God grant it! NJ.
2. S. | have just learned from the Colonel
that the order which we received to march back
10 West Point, there to take the boat down the
Ohio, was meant for General Nelson Division,
while the order which he received to proceed 10
Bowling Green was meant for US This taxi.
the rough edge off our feeIings-Hurrah for
Ma hvie