Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-09-04
4 roRAGlnG EXPEDITION.


,Epfrors DxnoCRAr Our regiment
rcceiyed orders to start on . foraging Ok.
pediticn, on the 23d inst, and we
| marched off at 3 o'clock p. NJ. Our
expedition consisted Of the 10th, about
twenty cavalry, and howitzer, accom-,
panied by twenty-five wagons the
whole number Of men being about four
hundred. We marched off on the Mem
phis stage road, and for a couple o.
hours suffered considerable from the
heat and dust. After darkness set in
our condition was much more tolerable,
as We had to endure but the dust and ia
tigue. After long and toilsome jour
ney We halted at midnight at an obscure
station on the railroad, and prepared
for our short slumber our howitzer was
planted. the muskets were stacked, pick
cts thrown ont, and the men directed
to sleep in the road. / Assure you that
it was no dainty job to sleep in four inch
es Of dust, but we were worn down, and
we're SATISFIED with our accommodations.
Our sleep was short, for the revelI'e beat
At four. and we were ordered to have
our breakfast cooked aud devoured IN
three quarters of an hour. At sunrise
the detachment moved forward, and |
venture to say that no troops ever NOV
ed through a section Of country more
o .er,ious of fruits. The road on either
side was lined with peach trees, break
ing down with their lucions loads; they
seemed to grow wild, for let the road
pass through ever SO lonely q spot, yet
the peaches were th.re. Nor were
peaches and apples all that attracted
our attention, for melons grew IN the
greatest protusio",-grest, broad, red
cored ones. beautiful enough to tempt
the appetite Of a ghost. The orders
!, a,nst b, eaking ranks were strenuous
but could not be carried out; the fruit
was to entic,ng, and we devoured it I'LL
we could scarcely keep pace with the
advance guard. Many rebel seen a
years crop vanish "hke the baseless
tabr'c OF dream" yet it was not just
the thing Tor him to expostulste. A
grim survey OF the movement was more
d scree!. The plantations that TANKS
The road frequently bore evidences OF
great taste aud wealth; the residences
were fine and the surroundings elegant.
As we passed, the deoizcns of each plant
alton would turn out to view the martial
array; at every door and window coulc
be seen some curious face, while the
dar keys would flock to the roadside and
view with mute wonder a specta lie
they never before beheid. Towards
noon We passed a young ladies' seminary,
i, beng the first school the writer has
| heard OF since he has been in Tennes-
see. The young ladies seemed to take
great interest in showing their really
pretty faces, and did not exhibit that
huutuer with which every true South.
c,n lady is supposed to greet the elm
coin hireIlngs.'' 1t is useless to state
that the boys We're much pleased with
the appearance Of the Seminary, and
hope at some future time to again have
the pleasure OF viewing its pretty stu.
dents. In The afternoon marching be-
came an atfair moro irksone than pleas
ant. The sun poured down bis hot rays
till the earth seemed like an oven, hiie
clouds of dust almost hid the PAL ty
from sight; both binding and suffoca-
ting. We would have been a poor look
ing crowd to have been presented to oul
mothers and various other femi,.ines al
that time; indeed, we might have pass
ed for genuine Africans. We made q
halt about three O'Clock, few mics cas-,
Of Somcrvfle, at small creek, or the
purpose OF eating dinner and resting
awhile. Here many an unlucky gande'
I'D farewell to Lis earthly woes, and
many an old hen gave her last squat
After gosging ourselves, we laid III the
shade, adopting the plan of the boa
CONSTRUCTOR, to let our food settle A,
about tour We prepared to march into
>omeryille, and rouse mp her rebels to a
sense Of their DDS ger. We entered
with drums beating and colors flying
much astounding everybody generally
At every street corner the citizens gath
cred t. contemplate tie march of north
esn aggression, while the old ladies ant
maidcns could be seen peering through
thc carefully dawn window cnr,ains
anxious to catch a glimpse of live
Ialhee. he little BOYS ( .thcrcd II
qus'is and followed the music, hur.ah,
I"g tor lie Uaion, ana expressing then
wonder al such "ncc gum" W.
marched T. a fine fair ground and wcr'
jiaarte'ed IN the balIdings. On th'
49, II, OUT teams were sent out in ever,
direction Qthoring in forage, while III,
iiicers al headquarters we've busy IN ad
mlnlsterlpg tie oath 10 the CT zens, " Ii,
thsoagcd Il Office. TIE principle d
coniiscal ION j. NOS kirg well. The ras.
cs.s re tnal l:they d. not leave of lhei
wicked ways they viii lose tier cntr
crops, willie If they rcnouHce theiv en-
mIiy tbcy VII! Le pad for their pGoyls
ions al tie end Of the war. There Al
about hsrly ttne Cn.~u mon N IT,
place, ana they have Suffered III! man
ner d pcrsceaiion-. Onc gta}haised
old nan, wbo had been "A resp ecte
resident q the town for tbi,tyseye,
: years, tod me that in HE Iast week {,