The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1862-03-19

AIuoy NOtHc0PODOeOCc.
SEDALIA, Mo-, March 9th, 1862.
FRIEND TENNEY The Sd battalion of
the LIST Iowa cavalry has removed from Ben.
ton Barracks where it has remained so long
that the boys claimed the place a. their own
by virtue Of "peaceable possession" This
"consumation devout'y to be wished" was
not effected any too soon for the morals of
our boys, or the chicken roosts of the cit.
izens in that vicinity who were at all sus.
pected Of secession proclivities.
Two squadrons Of the battalion, compa.
MES E and X, left st. Louis on the 9Th by
the Pacific Railroad, but had only got about
eighteen miles west Of the city when we
were brought up rather suddenly by our
train coming in collision with wood train
just as we were coming out Of deep cut
in short curve of the road. Fortunately,
the cars were not running very fast, had
they been running at the rate Of thirty
miles an hour the loss Of life would have
been great, for most Of the cars would have
been thrown down high grade, covered
with large stones, and very Steep As it
was, no person was killed though several
were injured. The engineer on the wood
train had three ribs broken and was other
wise badly bruised. The engineer on our
train was not seen directly after, the disas-
ter, but sohy he should leave so sdon, depo.
nent sayeth not; some Of the passengers
thought it suspicious circumstance, when
coupled with the fact that we were running
on the other trains time and should have
stopped at the last station we had passed
previous to the collision. The locomotives
were pretty we'll smashed up and three of
the baggage cars were thrown off the track,
and knocked into pi, as printers would say;
one Of the horse cars was completely driven
through the first one containing the horses
belonging to company X. Fourteen of our
horses were crowded into space of not
more than eight or ten feet, and it was with
the greatest difficulty that they could be
relieved from their painful situation, for
they were piled and jammed together,
crushed and mangled, in almost a solid
mass. Eight valuable horses were killed
and about as many more so crippled as to
render them worthless. It was sad to wit.
ness the noble animals as they struggled to
free themselves from their living grave
Several of them, maddened by pain, furi.
ously gnawed their own flesh as though
that were relief while lying amid the
mangled chaos. They were cxtricated as
speedily rs possible, the dead ones were
thrown down the embankment and the
wounded taken care of as we'll as circum-
stances would permit. A hand car was
dispatched to the city and q locomotive
brought out to clear the track. The cars
were taken back six miles to little town
called Kirkwood, where we stopped till the
next night the citizens, meanwhile proyi-
ding for US with kindness and hospitality
truly commendable. They fed US gratuit-
ously till the road was cleared SO that the
cars could run, and VIC could again resume
our journey west. Our boys will long re-
member, the kind hearted citizens of Kirk
wood.
Notwithstanding We had rough time
getting away from Camp Benton we all
feel rejoiced to realize that We are now
where we can do something in the service
Of our country. We are in the encmy's
territory and will be kept on the scout the
greater part of the time. The battalion
that has been stationed here so long has
had plenty Of work to do and there is more
in prospect. Last evening they came in
from scout out southwest and brought in
some secesh prisoners-hard looking GUS
toners as ever escaped the halter. The
secesh uniform consists Of bark.colored
jeans, and most Of the long haired imps
wear hickory bark suspenders anG carry
shot guns or old flint lock rifles. The guard
house at this place is pretty well filled with
these interesting specimens of humanity,
and SEE that our officers are making them
useful by keeping them at work. Serves
EN- right
Our battalion is camped on large
prairie close by Sedalia, the western termi-
nus Of the Pacific Railroad. We have a
very pleasant camping ground, in dry
weather, but wood and water is as scarce |
As honesty among the secesh. We propose
learning to eat our victuals raw, and have
for lot Of sand paper to use
. substitute for washing. You see by
little forethought and cute management we
AN obviate all the little difficulties attend.
ne our situation in this military camp
The 1st battalion is quartered two and
half miles from US, close by the village Of
Georgetown. That part Of our regiment
aas been in this neishborhood several
months and the boys are quite popular with
he citizens in this section of county,
There are now about eight hundred Of the
st Iowa cavalry in this neighborheod, but
When descentis to be made upon the reb-
is We must take scout into the country
ome distance as they are all quiet as lambs
a this vicinity. They have learned to fear
he Iowa boys and avoid coming in contact