The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1862-06-21

er we will ever have any more or not. We
can get along, w. H.K.
e. FROM MISSISSIPPI. ,s =
CoRISrH, Miss, May Sd, 1862. q
DEAR NoSpAREIL: Again the Southern
Confederacy is /" on to the wing.' Yester-
day, Messrs. Beauregard, Bragg, & Co.,
pulled up stakes aud started with their show
toward the ~sunny South" Wednesday
and Thursday firing was kept up uncea,iagly
on the left wing. No-general engagement
of the whole army took place, but portions
Of our forces were engaged during the
whole Of these two days. On Wednesday,
Spoor, with oils battery, had one of the
hardest fights Of the war, and gained for
himself place and name among the
fighting men of the country. OF some
Thirty regiments that have visited, off,
GERS and men all agree that Capt. Spoor and
his "a Iowa battery saved Us from defeat
on Wednesday. On Thursday morning the
l7th Iowa, among several other regiments,
had lively engagement of about an hours
duration. The bullets came full thick
enough and fast enough for comfort, but
our regiment was so thoroughly concealed
in the thick brush that the rebels couldn't
get our range, and very few of our men
were hurt. In one of the adjoining regi-
ments FIVE were killed and thirty wounded.
found rebel letter on the Geld next day,
(Which send herewith) in which their loss
is admitted to be five killed and fifty-four
wounded. We fred so rapidly that the reb-
els thought we had came out against tnem
in force. One of our boys picked up let
ter 10 which occurs the sentence: co Ten reg
iments Of those id cut-throats from Iowa
came out against US yesterday and killed
City Of our men," One Of our Captains
who walked over the ground next day, saw
the bodies Of seventy rebel dead, lying un-
buried upon the field. The 18th stood Ere
like regulars. We have been covered all
over with compliments from Generals and
Colonies on account of our conduct during
the action. Every one, far as have been
able to learn, stood Up to the rack without
ainching. Col. Rankin, naturally nervous,
appeared less excited under FIRE, than have
frequently seen HIM when on drill. Lieut..
Col. Hills. always cool, appeared not the
least excited by the presence of the enemy.
Acting Major S. NJ Archer, distinguished
himself on this occasion, and gave the reb-
els taste of the true Iowa "pluck." The
Major rode at the head of bis command,
and led his men square up to the face Of
the enemy, nor yielded an inch until order.
ed to fall back.
We are now moving rapidly Southwark,
and the farther We 60, the better becomes
the health of our men. The appearance of
the country also improves as we get further
down. 1t looks quite like civilization here
abouss, except that We have not yet been
able to discover church or school, house.
| formerly thought that the people OF Nor
thern Mississippi were generally loyal, but
that idea is :" played out;'' there is not
real Union man in the country. Nlne-tenths
Of the men are in the Southern army
Those who remain at home pretend to b.
neutral, but would like no better sport
than poisoning Union soldiers. Many year.
will be required by this State to recover
from the effects of the war. The army Of
the Confederacy, as it retires towards tbt
Cult, destroys everything in Its way.
i No man, however lively may be his i'm
agination, can form just conception Of
the havoc and desolation left in the trair
Of a retrcating army seeing, alone. vii
enable one to realize the facts as they exist
The rebels, in their exit from Corinth, we're
evidently short Of transportation-or rath.
er horses and mules-wagons they had in
abundance, and the number destroyed was
immense. Thousands were burned for the
want Of teams. In one place space Of at
least two acres was covered with the char
red and smoking fragments Of army wag.
ous. The amount Of arms DESTROYED i,
would be difficult to estimate. Cords oil
gun barrels we're to be seen in numerou.
places, where their arms had been piled "
and Cred. Hundreds upon hundreds Of
barrels of beef had shared tho same fate
The best farms Of the country have gone to
utter destruction; orchards, which, to the
owners were Of inestmable value, have
been cut away to make room for forts and
batteries in short, the whole country is a
ecene Of thorough and complete desolation.
Everything that could in auy manner be
used for military purpeses, had been ap-