Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-04-09
ARnY CORAEoPONDRNCE.

s"ss IsW lines iSOn IN Old friend nigh
10 '->----''-->1 =" snu ond ro-h~.,.
Of your readers, take my pen, and vii
try to the best Of my ability to repa,
, for time spent in the perusal Of these
few lines. see, in the late St. Loui'
papers, that the llth was in the fight q,
Island No. 10, which is news to Us here
for assure you if we were there we
heard no guns. The mistake undoubt
eddy originated at Cairo, for when Nc
arrived there Com. Foote made applica
ton to the General commanding us, fol
permission to take us down the river
with him, as he had steam up on biz
gunboats and was just leaving. The
General would not consent, and ordered
Us to keep on our course, which was
soon found out to be up the beautiful
Tennessee. We had pleasant trip Of
it up to Savannah, where We found any
amount Of troops, all on their boa,e
awaiting orders. We staid on our boat
two or three days, and then marched
out through the town and eucamped a
mile from the river, where we remained
until the 23d, which being Sunday, Of
course we had to move, that being the
day of the week on which we have made
all Of our moves yet. We embarked Oh
the steamer Westmoreland, and steamed
up the river eight or ten miles and land
I'd about 5 O'Clock, r. NJ. We encamped
on the bank, and next morning We
marched out about two miles and en-
camped With our brigade, which con
.sists Of the following regiments, and one
battery OF artillery: The first regiment
on the right is the s:h Illinois, next the
18Th Illinois, next the 18th Iowa, and
next, on the extreme left, the 18th Iowa.
Ocr battery is called Dresser's battery,
consisting Of eight riAed brass field
pieces. We came two miles from tie
river, and it was almost like one camp
all the way, and some Of our men have
been three aud half miles into the
.cuntry aud say it is the same all the
way out, and they saw no end Of camp.
there. have been pretty we'll around
aud can hardly form an estimate Of The
troops that are here. think 10000
low estimate. One man told me that
there we're $50 boat loads Of troops land
ed here, and, from what l saw myself,
| have no doubt Of it.
We have a good number of the fight
ing boys here, Il mean Iowa boys.) ]
will enumerate, as near % can, what
regiments l know to be here-they are
as follows: the I'd, Sd, 9th, 7tb, 9Th,
ll,h, 18th, 18Th and l4th here now,
and was told that the 10th is expec-
ted every day. When all these Iowa
regiments get into battle there will be
SINE tall fighting done, to keep up the
reputation of the Iowa soldiers.
| see some OF my Davenport friends
every day. To-day saw Messrs. Storm
and Annable, aud several other men,
bers OF Storms brass band at Davenport;
they are looking we'll and hearty, but
have been trying to obtain their dis
charge, but without success as yet.
They are in the regimental band Of the
55th lIinois-which regiment started
out after we did, and now it is not more
than one half as large as the 18th, it
having seen harder service suppose.
The health Of the soldiers here is
good, if except slight disorder caused
by the change Of water, and which is
to be expected everywhere when travel
ing. The weather is warm and dry.
Peach trees are IN blossom and l notice
quantities of Wild flowers spriuging up
in the woods. AS you would suppose,
the warm weather causes any amount OF
that we'll known disease called spring
fever, the same operating SO bad upon
some Of Uncle Sans worthless that it
becomes necessary for some Of them to
try the cd game we'll known
at school, and called hockey, which
observed operated rather bad
on some Of the boys, tor when
they made their appearance at quarters
they were ordered TO shoulder their arms
and tall in tor drill. l noticed two
squads of such, one containing two men
aud the other OF one. The two men
were going it all over the grounds, un.
der command Of corporal, at double
quick, which occasioned any amount Of
fun for the lookers-on, ard large drops
Of sweat to drop from the heated brow
of the runaways. The other squad con-
sisted OF one man, who, with his KNAPP.
sack on his back, and gun on bis should
err, was performing all kinds, and any
amount of military evolutions at the
command Of sergeant, who lay in the
edge of the woods under the shade Of a
tree.
We have large drill ground, and the
officers are taking all advantages Of it
and the times, for drilling. We have
battalion drill every forenoon, and CON-
pany drill every afternoon. Our camp.
ing for this brigade is the best have
seen, it being an old wheat field, and
quite level, SO that we can see from end
to end of the brigade. The other troops
are nearly all encamped in the woods.
News arrived here yesterday Of the
taking Of Island No. 10, and also that
the rebel General, known as Beaurepard.
was taken, with $4,000 prisoners. |
think the news altogether too good to
he trno Int with ali nv boort hono :.