Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-02-07
UUR ARMY CORRESPONDENCE {

81 case would admit of; yet we cannot boast
anything superior in our style of living. Son
es of the men have provided themselves vii
small she,tir stoves, which they have p'
up in their tents, addlng much to their con
fort, and by the aid Of vivid imagination
giving them someth ng OF home-like appea
ance.
/. Grub is plenty and of a substantial chara
. ter hard bread, -four and corn meal ate
nately beet, bacon, beans, sugar, coffee, an
rice in plenty, allowing surplus for occasion
al trades with the natives, for butter, mill
eggs, pies, chickens, sorghum syrup, potatoes
;, &C.. by the aid of which we now and then e
- up dinners that go down quite satisfactorily
e All things considered, we get along NOR
y comfortably than might be expected.
e The health of the regiment is better than a
q the commencement of the winter. There ar
yet some severe cases of measels which dis
ease has proved fatal in a number of cases
e Capt Stevenson, of company /, died las
$ night of this disease. lie was universally be
loved as a man, and was an excellent officer
He has a brother-in-law in Muscatine County
But little is doing in this quarter in the way
of active operations against the enemy. Th'
: last expedition over the line was conductet
! ~. n,
New Years day. The Captain had obtained
inf rmation Of an intended festival, of somt
description, at the house of a noted Sece>h
: between the ancient sites of PaIinsville and
Butler, to be held New Yeer's night and as ii
was thought that certain gentry whose pres
ence was particularly desire at our camp
might be in attendance, the Captain asked and
obtained leave Of the Col to invite himself
and company thither. They left camp in the
afternoon IN mule wagons, the distance being
twenty tve-miles, and arrived at the appcin-
ted place about midnight. But few persons
were present, but it was EVIDENT there hau
been a considerable gathering of the faithful
Although capt Foremar. and his party We're
unexpected guests they made themselves quite
welcome, lartaking OF the good things hat
had been provided. Ihe persons of whom
they Were IN search Were not present, and the
party proceeded to search throughout the
'ne'ghborhood, visit ng many houses, and cap
turing notorious scOundrel named Hartman,
who is s&id to have been in .he border troub
ble in Is, being present at the burning of
Usawattamie, and more recently engaging in
numerous torays along the line. "A young
Lieutenant in Prices army, at home on fur
Iough, was also brought in a prisoner. His
furougn will probably be somewhat length
ened.
Since the party returned, Hartman, it is
said, has been recognized as one of party,
who, in September last, shot two men of the
Sd regiment who were attempting to reach
their homes in Missouri. He will probably
be shot.
The party was absent two days They
brought in with them two or three Union
families, with their stock and household goods;
also about fifty head of beef cattle for our
use, some horses, and one of those interest
ing animals peculiar to tn, soil of Miss >uri.
distinguished for their graceful movements.
matchless symmetry of form, and delightful
vocal attainments, known in the political
circles by the nane of Jackass. He was
sold for the respectable sum of thlrty-hve
dollars, and the young man who went into
the investment has been employed to do the
revielle business during our stay here. Thus
the rebels are made to bear their share OF the
expense cf the war.
We pass our time in various ways, accord
ing to the tastes of different indlvidutl tls.-l
Books and newspapers are eagerly sough
for; debates are sometimes held OF evenings,
in which the ''lrrepressble Niger" comes In
for a share of attention. Some pass many
hours pouring over the mysteries OF the tour
ancient kings; Others again, find great pleas
ure in tripping ''the light fantasuc toe,
whenever the mud is sufficiently plant. "A
few evenings since some OF the officers having
no doubt the good of rhe country at heart,
got up ball at ncighboring farm house,
expecting good time. 1t so happened that
number Of the high privates whose homes
are in this vicinity, found themselves that
evening, {by the merest accident, OF
course at the same farm house, and being
acquainted with the ladies, bid fair to monop-
olize the dancing to the disgust of their supe
riors, until finally the shoulder->trapped gen
try resorted to the cxpedient of issuing num-
bers-and only to themselves. The boys
finding themselves headed off, left for their
quarters, but by some mysterious process yet
unknown, all the cakes, pies, and chicken
"fixers" also disappeared, land the place
that knew them, will know them no more for
ever" The Kansas boys have learned that
to cut off an enemy's supplies, is one OF the
surest methods of annoying him.
We have heard, with great pleasure, that
jim. Lane has been appointed to the com
mand of this department, and that he to bcls
Immediately supplied with men and means
Already, rumor with her thousand tongues, is
busy sending us now here, now there.
shall not venture an opinion as to our destina-
ton; we will no doubt 60 where we are led,
| and Lane once declared in public speech
that his boys would follow him right into
h-ll.
A few days since a contraband found his
way into camp, who report himself as coming
directly from Prices camp. He represents
the rebel Generals situation as distressing in
the extreme. Besides general scarcity of
provision and supplies, his situation was none
the less pleasant. that he was daily expect
ing an attack. The negro was employed by
the General hin self, as cook, and he had
frequently overheard conversation between
his master and the other officers concerning
their desperate situation. Although no at
tempt has been made to prevent the escape of
this person from our midst, he is still here.
i and as vet he evinces no inclination to return
to slavery, bearing important Information to
the enemy. Such is his ingratitude toward
an indulgent master, and his distastes for the
life he has heretofore led, that | doub,
whether he could be induced to return.
Mrny and varied are the speculations con-
corning the return of peace, or rather the
advent Of peace, for we are now enjoying fol
ourselves, the blessings Of peace to which
four millions of men, women and children II
our country have long since become accus
toned. We are naturally anxious for peace
, and would hail it with delight, but let it be :
true peace; rot hollow truce, built upor
the compromise of every principle that woult
render us capable of enjoying it. Let u
e have peace like that described by Wendell
t Phillips in his speech at New York, when h
says, 81 love peace. But it is real peace
not such peace as we have had !; not peac
that meant lynch law in the Carolinas an'
mob law in New York not peace that mean