The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-06-24
From the Ninth.
CAMP on RED RIVER, ARR
Nav %, 1862.

TR1END niCH-We lett our camp near
Batesvile (where | last wrote you) on
the 9Th inst, and arrived here the Goth.
Upon arriving we heard that Col. Os-
terhaus' Division, which is in advance of
US, had been terribly annoyed by the
enemy on the opposite side of the river.
On one occasion the enemy took forage
party of SO men, and several wagons,
belonging to the 18th Mo. Regiment.
When the men surrendered the rebels
said, owe take no prisoners, and be-
gan to shoot the men down, killing about
twenty, and wounding the remainder.
But one escaped TO tell the sorrowful
tale. This aroused the Germans, and as
fast as they could get rebel they would
kill him if possible. They killed quite
number. The enemy's leader is report
ed to be G. A. Hicks, from this State.
They are formed into small parties, and
so in for plumber more than anything
else. They can annoy an army like this
by cutting off evtry horse or wagon that
they happen 10 come across. The bridge
being again completed, a heavy recon-
noisance was made yesterday. 1t was
supposed that the enemy's camp was at a
small town called Searcy, four miles
from our camp. The town was surround
ed, and several prisoners taken, but the
camp was not to be found. We found
Searcy to be very pleasant village of
about one thousand inhabi tants, before
this war, but one half that number at the
present time. Two fine churches, and
one or two fine school houses, were in the
place, besides many excellent dwellings,,
which looked more like civilization than
anything that we have seen. The trip
was made mostly to get forage.
Red River is nayigable up to this point,
the river not being very wide, but very
deep. Our men have built floating
bridge. so it is very handy crossing.
We are now one hundred and fifty miles
from Memphis, and sixty miles from Lit
tie Rock. We are brigaded with the
Iowa 4th Cavalry. The brigade is com
manded by Col. Porter, Col. Vandever
being absent. The 9Th is commanded
by Capt Carpenter, of Co. B., he being
senior Captain of the Regiment, and
Lieut.. Mckenzie is acting Adjutant
The weather is very warm, and we
suffer from heat. We have been rather
short of provisions for some time, but a
large OK train came in this morning,
which has been on the road since the
10th Of March. They brought us a fresh
supply of hard bread, some that the
Government had on hand at the end OF
the Mexican war | should think and
are now sending it out here for US to
devour. Coffee we have in abundance.
| have seen some articles in print about
the 9Th Iowa only having four crackers
day In our march from Huntsville
to Pea Ridge. distance of Al miles, all
that we had TO eat on the morning that
we left untsville, was one cup full OF
meal pudding. and the Al miles was
made in one day. We arrived in camp
on the night Of the 9th of March, and
next morning were ordered to the field
of action. You may know that many o.
} the boys were not able to leave their tents
but as there was fair prospect for a
fight, they all went out but one or two
All of that day we had nothing to eat
and not until next morning at clock
and then we had some bread mixed VI
soldiers fashion. And when we were a.
Forsyth we had no flour, no meal, nc
hard bread-nothing but shorts, (thal
is what we call it, and that was SO very
short that we had only half rations OF it
Nor had we any meat to eat. You may
imagine that II was rather tough to live
in this manner, but we had been taught
by our officers that good soldiers would
not grumble, SO we were contented.
MAY 3lst.-Capt. Bull and Adjutant
Scott arrived the 29lh looking very well.
Captain has nearly recovered from his
wound-he iimps a very little yet. The
Adiutant has also recovered. We were
very glad to have them again with us.
There has been reconnoisances in force
for the past few days, IN order to procure
forage, but nothing of interest has trans
PRED, until yesterday. AS we were out
after forage, teams were driven in, and
reports came to us that the enemy Were