The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-07-24

BOILING FORK. franklin county,
Tenn, July 9th, 1865.

Tenn, July 9th, 1865.
Eds. Gazftte: The once Glorious
Fourth passed off with as to the eu:ire
satisfaction of nobody. The overbearing
demeanor Of the recently promoted; The
sullriusss ofthe atmosphere; the compact
camp guard; the rigid orders in our regi
mtnt only; the ennui Of a few weeks past
our absence from the actual seat Of war;
and the disheartening news from The reb
el Capitol, together with the comparisons
that would naturally flow from the heart
between the 4Ih of 1860 and that Of ! 8G9
al tended to cloud our merriment and
cast shade of gloom over our every ac-
ton. n ..H.si. fy4AI Iyt'}'.
But aside from this, little oases in the
desert appeared. cheering us on. Major
SIaiford's presence, enough Of itself to
drive away the blue devils,) Doctor
ShaW's and Quarter master LaceyNs So
journ amongst "the boys" although re-.
qaested to make their abode at headquar.
ters, the mail from home, and the assur-
ance that the Government could and no ID
maintain itself at whatever cost of blood
and treasure. were the little bright rays of
the sun peeping from under the porten.
tious clouds the silver lining 20 shade
Of gloom.
On the 9th we marched to Huntsville,
Alabama, the pretllest place and the lar.
gest we have been in since leaving Nash
vile. Here is where Gen. Mitchell had
his base Of operations the while we were
at Corihth, And now a rare sight met
The vision;a sight that sent the rich blood
curdiirg hot and fast through sluggish
veins; sight that cheer, d our spirits and
waked an huzzaing response from weary
soles sign of civilization in the shape
Of a LOeomotive We had Been woods and
woodticks, forests and mosquitoes, ewamps
aad gray backs, corduroy roads and liz
ards, forlifcations and toads. hard crack.
ers and snakes, rifle pits and scorpions
salt junk and mule teams. greasy niggers
aud di.ap dated white men, for so long q
time, that the idea OF seeing ever again a
regular. full grown. rip s1orting, loud
screechiug. big tearing locomotive en- ngne
had never yet crowded itsclfinto our era
NUNS. w @ A
From thence we vent by way Of Belle
ionte through 10 Stevenson, and there
deviating from our original course Chat.
tanoogaward. took Tie cars, yes, actually
had a ride on the Nashville d Chattanoo,
ga road TO this place, which. as you will
see by map, is about three fourtks of an
inch! All we had TO do on this trip was
to cut the dog fenneof the ties, sand the
rail, raise and depress grade where need.
ed, push up heavy grade, get off leVe)
grade, glide down down grade, cut wood
to I'll up tender. carry water for boiler
and crowd whole companies on platform
cars, We made the distance (26 miles, }
in 10 hours All we have to d. now, out
of companies averaging 80 privates; is ,c
put on camp guard ten men, on railroad
work, such as track laying. stone rolling
and bridge building. twenty FIVE; cooks
three; water carriers and wood getters
four; police duty, two; on the play off anc
sick list, four; making 40, out Of which
numbers have to be taken same day fo
duty again, 10 make up the guard com
plement Of ten ...Ht.a
No armed rebels (except guerrillas. )ar,
nearer to US than Chattanooga. at whisl
place it is reported force 81 between q
} and 10000 are entrenching, commanded
by Gen. T. Kirby Smith and Gen. ]. A
Leadbetter,
We are now only 86 miles from Nash
Vile and after travel of over 800 mile
by the Walker line, H. Knapsack, Con
duclor, find ourselves repairing railroad
track and building bridges near Cowar
Station, on Boiling Fork, Franklin Co.
Tennessee, near where we started from
four months agoi The American Eagl
{ don't flap his broad wings in my bosom
as hard now as he did once, but / hav
still his claus in the share Of gun an,
bayonet. HARRY COMER,
a Co. A, 1st o. V. U. 8. A.