The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-12-27
Army Correspondence.
CAkP NEAR. OXFORD, MISS, I
December IL, 1862. I


commenced moving south early this morning
Gen. Ross came up to-day with his Division, and
amped miles south of town.
Gen. Grant sent 500 prisoners North to-day,
to be sent to Vicksburg to be exchanged
About 200, having taken the oath, were paroled
and have returned to their homes There is .
large number Of citizens coming in and taking
the oath to bs true to our Government. There
is strong Union feeling among the citizens in
this State.
Dav clear and pleasant
Dec 12-Our Division commenced moving
south at half-past o'clock, q. N. We met q
great many citizens going to Oxford to take the
oath. We travelled miles south of Oxford and
camped on a large plantation, near good grist
mill, which our Quartermaster took possession
of, and commenced grinding corn for our troops.
We have slarge train, and have ID travel slow.
1t is hard to get provision for the Army. We
have had no coffee or sugar in our Division for
the last five days. Can't tell Why; but Uucle
Sam should not tolerate such living, for We still
have our feelinga and taste, If We are soldiers.
We Jour Division) have received no pay since
sOth Of June last, and We want some pocket
change, and our families ct home look to Us for
support, and We look to our Government for
means to support them.
Commenced raining about noon. We endured
it we'll. Our baggage train came up At o'clock
p. m, and We pitched our tents; and now 70
o'clock p. N.Y. I am writing in my tent, and the
rain pouring down, and you don't know ohw hap.
py We are.
Dea. Is, l0a. m.-No movements to-day
All quiet in camp. Cloudy and raining.
E, l7fH Iowa.
CAMP OF McARfHuR's D1vsIoN,)
Abbeyvale, Miss, Dec. IA. 81
Mr. DUsHAx-Dear Sir The long nights
of December drag heavily in the quiet camp of
the 9th Division. This division favored with
the advance go far on the way into the heart of
Dixie, seems now to be doomed to bring up the
rear of the grand army for time, at least
Macarthur cleared the way At Waterford, the
Tallehatchie, and pushed on taking possession
of this town and the country round about
Here we were halted and are still hating Lo-
gan, Quimby, Lauman, aud oil other divisions
have Como on. How far, or at what point they
may now be, am unable to say We expect
to be moved forward as soon as the railroad
bridge over the Tallehatchie is rebuilt, which will
be some days yet.
On entering this place we were in time to see
the smouldering ruins of the railroad depot, in
which had been consumed large amount of re-
bel army stores. We fshed out some clothing,
knapsacks, a few barrels of molasses, sugar, and
corned beef; and being hungry-a soldier is
always hungry-we ate all the digestable arti-
Giles on the spot, a. we'll as everything else of
that nature remaining in the place.
There is some mystery in my mind as to where
the people Of the country go to. Did you ever
make dash to catch whole handful Of flies
aud come to look, you didn't have fly, and
there wasn't fly anywhere to be SEEM The
natives are swarming at some place. The planta-
tons for twelve miles around here are deserted.
The very old negroes, the very young negroes,
the lame negroes, and the blind negroes, are left
to sing ''hassa's gond away, ha, ha." House.
hold furniture. bedding and clothing are left,
but likely negroes aud likely mules-they hav-
ing legs-are required to run of With their val
liant masters The negroes, lamentable and sad
% it may eeem to some, often in the general
confusion get headed the wrong way and then
heel it.
Half million dollars worth of cotton has
been brought in by our Quartermasters, and is
piled ready for shipment on account of Samuel,
When the railroad is in running order.
The plantation near Oxford, of Jacob Thomp.
son. late Secretary of the Interior, has been Wis
tied by our foraging parties. Some of jacobs
cotton will 90 to pay for Jacobs folly. Jacobs
family were so exceedingly kind in their hearts
as to give all their household goods, including
tat feather beds and handicapped furniture to
certain lame, halt and blind negroes, whose legs
refused to carry them either way. The negroes
in this vicinity have moved into the parlors and
are running "a big house,
The Iowa troops in this army are still in high
favor. The I'd Cavalry is still considered the
EYE Of the Army" They are kept always on
the extreme front, and always on the 20. Our
friends. Capts. Moore and Gilbert, are No. one
officers in q No. one regiment.
The 'Iowa Brigade" under Crocker, who
should have been Brigadier long age, ia in
fourishiug condition Health good, and "Pills'.
at discount ("Piiis" means Doctors, in the
Army
The weather here, is what the almanac's call
variable; one day it rains, and the next it
it does neither. The roads are not
bad as yet nor are the streams high, and we are
well supplied with shoes. Yours, ~
7 CAxp on PRAIRll GROVE BA1rLE-FnLDl
December 18th, 1862.
EDITOR MISUNDERSTANDING reports have
undoubtedly reached you ere this, concernine the
battle fought on the 7th inst, at this place, for
it would be difficult task for any one man to
lnsrn m tall I'll that t,.ne~s.>l 49,. s.-a.F