The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-03-20
From the. 9TH IOWA Cavalry.
BENToN BARRACKS. st. Louis No.
s1EFs March 10 1851

| BENTON BARRACKS. st. Louis NO.,
March IL, 1861. 81
j. w. NoRRIs--Sir: The 4th Cavalry is
at last on its way to the Gland of Dixie. -
The first battalion left Mt. Pleasant on the
26th ult., the second on the 2sth, and the
third on the Sd inst We all had very
hard trip. We scared" our horses at Mt. P. :,
and the "uncaring' at Burlington was very
severe. Our ronteiwas from Burlington via
Galesburg. Peoria, Chenoa, Bloomington.
Springfield and Alton. At the last place
we took hnat and camc to this city. The
third battalion arrived last Wednesday
evening. Taking tho trip oil through We
done very well. No horses were killed, and
but few were crippled. We are now at our
old occupation-drilling From the way
other regiments are moving. we will be or
dered away soon. Some regiments who have
come recently have stayed only three or four
days. We arc ordered to be ready for ser.
vice ct the earliest possible day. There are
no prisoners here new, they have all been
sent to Alton, where the privates are shut
up in the State PRISM and iails Of the city,
while the naughty, red men who wear
mustouches and shoulder straps board at the
first-class hotels At 81 per day, onytheir pa
role. had the honor, or rather dishonor,
to eat breakfast with three officers who were
taken at Fort Donelson. had quite live.
lily conversation with them when we came
through Alton. They seem to be very san.
guins in their cause, and say that "Confed
crate Scrip" is as current in the South rs
Treasury Notes are in the North. They are
in good spirits and say it wiz not be long
before they will be exchanged. This Ger.
tainly don't look very probable, for we now
have about $4,000 prisoners at different
points through the North.
| Company F Is very anxious to he travel
ing, and il there is not great change soon
we will get all the service we want. They
exhibit the same anxiety that all the Wa
pcllo boys have done previously. As the
most of our Company are from ''brave Wa
pello," send the roster Of the company.
There are about 10000 troops here al
present and more coming every day. Yes.
terday the 18th Illinois Cavalry came into
camp. At the same time part of the low.
First Cavalry went toJelferson City, and ar
Ohio Battery started for Pilot Knob. The
health Of the troops is good, and the reason
is that no troops remain here long enough t.
contract camp diseases.
While am writing, orders have coms
from Gen. Halleck for the 4th Cavalry t.
move Immediately to Rolla. and from ther'
to reinforce Gen. Curtis. There seems to b,
great deal of anxiety for that General,
safety. He has whipped Price, but being
SO far out in the Boston Mountains, his fate
may be uncertain. We will be likely to q
near the old battle ground Of Wilson's Creek
where our old Iowa First 80 bravely distin
guished itself. Our regiment has been mus
tered for pay, hut we do not know whether
we viii get paid before we leave. The reason
we have not been paid ere this, is that thu
Paymaster has NO money, as Congress viii
not issue any more Of the old Treasury
Notes. More anon. aa
/ Respectfully yours.
! THOS. J. COLLARS.
Roster Of Squadron F, 4th Iowa Cavalry
Names and Rank. Residence.
To- =. wIHsLow, Captain, M. Pleasant