Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-11-08
From the 2Olh Regiment.
CAMP AT OsAGg SpRISGs.

Arkansas. Oct. %, 1862.
The rapid>dash, constant. activity, anti
.ct-she- boys.roi-in.camp party, will have
no cause 10 complain of the way Gen.
ochoticld manages the affairs in his de-
partDcnt, if the experience of the past
few days is to be fair c.itcrion by
which to Judge of his disposition.
had scarcely mailed my last letter at
Pea Ridge when the order vas given
to cook three days rations, and he
ready to march at five o'clock in the
afternoon. Well, as have had charge
of the commissary stores in company
- for the last few weeks, ] fonud my
hands full issuing rAtions, and then
packing up for the march. We were
told to GO As light as we could, and we're
warned that VIC had long and tedious
march before us, and the bu k of our
baggage was to be left behind, as we'll
as all those who were not equal to a
march, during which no one would
be allowed to fall out of the ranks
Precisely at 5 O'Clock we commenced
our mach. Backward we took our
way as far as "Elkhorn Tavern" and
the feeling began to prrvall that we
were gong back to Ca syille. Bnt n
at the tavern oar road depicted from the
main road in South. easle,ly direction,
and we kept ny "a steady march through
the WOODS, aud over detes' able path.
but under beautifully star-l'g ted sky,
until about midnight, when the ire
qneut starts and stops Of the column tol.'
very plainly that some obstacle u.s
ahead. AT about half past on. o,clorl
we found ourselves on the + h.,,ks of ,ha
White river. OF came o,r shoes ond
stockings and in we r,,nrad 70 fora i
w ,o''. w yer to be deeper than
We eNpe''o"' oeing swift and cold, but
- o.''s' e got across, though We wet
uu' Wv Users some, and on we went. The
=" .ness Of the night prevents my de-
.crip,ion of the country. only know
that it is pretty much up and down all
the way, and rocky or muddy accord
ingto circumstances. A little after day
light we came to another river, the War
Eagle, | 'hink. After crossing, we
halted about An hour for breakfast =
Then began an uphill march, which it
seemed would never end. we reached
the top at last, howevr, and then h Slted,
and looked about us. We were on the
backbone of narrow ridge but little
wider than was necessary for the road.
On the western side the bank was q
gradual slope, covered with wood and
rather rocky, but on the east the side
was almost perpendicular, rising to the
height Of $50 or 800 feet. AT the base
q ..rlvulet stole quietly along, its waters
rejecting the many tinted hues of the
irost bitten leaves. An almost level
plain Of some 200 hundred acres laid
ccsily, nesting in the embrace Of the
hills which almost surrounded it. A
farm house, aud barn and Other
out-br'Idings embosomcd in apple and
peach orchard., wheat and corpfields,
aud all basking in an October sun, pre-
sented such see ne Of peaceful ovcl,ness
that I could not help stopping to de-
scribe It.
Forward march ou we GO, on the top
of this ridge. The road as level, or
nearly so, and hour after hou we march
ed along, Til st at su pset we halted for
au hour on the brow ,,f hill. After
da'k We marched again, down :he hill,
into valley, along the l,ank Of a little
creek. On our lett were burning the
camp fires OF the Union tro ops, VIII, had
came i'm ahead Of us. On 0, r right We're
n fully 'smoulderl g the dyin 9 fires of he
rebel TO rces, who had run aw sy atIoon.
at noon our advance guard b ad reached
The place, and found thous. snd camp
hres brightly burning, hut I. se 5000
rebels who built them were von est
The 2Olh boys have made up thsi. minds
that to start after the rebels is one thing
aod to find them is quite another. = .
We laid down and slept for the mig ht.
We had marched % hours, and con ,e
over 40 miles. Next day about no, IN th e
tram came up. We cocked our g, ,,ppers
md made ready for another mar ch BY
night. This time II le 20 b was II the
Fssr, a0d company D was the rear
guard. - s. s,.----
.oAmmor was cur, ent that Gen. Rains