The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-06-03
rnou THE ARMY OF THE MISSls-
SIPPx.
NnraKEs's BExp, La.
Nav 10th, 1865.

May 10th. 1868.
M. Editor, 'Tis Sabbath morning.
Oar " goods and chatt!es" are lying upon
the river bank, and We are waiting boat
TO carry u. back to YouDg's Point. The
we'll men left about ten days ago, and are
now tramping upon the toes OF the rebels,
] suppose not far from Jackson, Miss's-
sippi. The " lame and lazy were lett
here in . convalesoent camp, with all The
tents and many of the traps too heavy to
carry. BY the way. the 3)th Iowa figures
largely in the way Of property-ihanks
10 the Colonel and Quartermaster, who
seem determined to provide everything
for their men-havipg boat load Of traps
goods and chattles, household and
kitchen furniture too tedious to mention"
Yesterday morning peremptory order
to move transpired. Our Colonel here
il the scting Msjor General thro' whom
the order is issued 1t is done In the
military and peculiar style Of Col Tor
renee. What move again, Colonel -
Strike our tents and move all our goods ?
n All ere to move, SIR" Your most obs-
dent, Colonel We will pack up and be
ready for the teams. Teams woe
to the lame aud Lazy" there is not
team in the division" What does this
mean Where is the Quar,ermastsr p
Good hesvens-impossibls to more oil
thi. stuff half mile withou, transportA-
ton. /" Not impossible, gentlemen, for
1t must be done: strike your tents +
All tben aud there ga, hurrying to and fro.
Aud ga,h,rsns taan aud trema1 ings OF distress,
And ehesks ali pale.
Yes. air 1; then came the tug Of war, T"
especially the tug. One hundred and
thirty men, constituting the ignoble re-
mains OF the illustrious 3oth, including
your humble servant, hear the com mand.
Some ruptured, some with piles, some
with colds and coughs to suit, some with
pain in the back, with pain in the side.
with pain 10 the breast, with pain in the
head, with pain in the feet. witL rheum-
atism, with scurvy, with disease of the
lungs, with disease OF the heart, with
swollen limbs, with weakness, debility
from fever, debility from mea les, debility
from mumps, debility from small pox
some ailing from general indisposition
aud everybody sick with diarrh91; SOM
looking gaun. and pale as a woman
ghost, and just able to keep on thei
'pegs," and some Of more robust appear
ance. seeming to cherish lively sense 0
tbs necessity Of rs,t-so graGiously pre-
scribed by the doctor.
Hurry up, gentlemen the division
to move forthwith" And such I" rus
ling among the leaves" you never saw
Twas time for courage. and the illu
trious s3th Iowa, though weakened
the recent loss of all The men who We
considered worth anything, stood forth
she is wont to do, equal to the occasion
master of the hour, Soon you mig
have seen the gaunt ana peaked nursliu
Of Esculspius, vending their slow and {
vious. unsteady way to the river, carryi
gun or knapsack, little bulge, o
hat.full Of traps, resting anon, or
while hiding 10 the hedge. then movi
again to their goal. Or pcrhaps gro
of half dozen staggering under, or p
ling away alta load scarcely enough
one OF them in his strength. Thus "
spikes or temporary hand-barrow.
strapped upon the back. or carried in
arms. the transportation goes forward
Here and there is fortunate wight vi
having picked up an old wheel.borrc
has put in his little al and is making
track 10 the boat.
Our Colonel, himself sick, but true
the instincts Of duty and the RESPONSE
tiles Of his Major Generalship, discov
cart 10 possession Of contraban,
aud 10 accordance with the usages Of /,
presses mule, cart and con traband j
The service, and new impulse is gi'
TO the movement The old cart. "a
the worse OF the wear, is loaded, and Y
a"darkle" to drive and .'convaIescs
to whip. and some three to Eve to b
on to the things, as the wheels il
from one corn-row 10 another, the tr,
porta'lon goes bravely forward. In
exPrsasive language of an ancient bare
could be said, Opus ferret. Back y
aud forward goes the cart and the dar
"ngg'ing and dancing over the ro
gfouna' transporting the needful in he
barrels and boxes, which from the
had pTovoklnay dc6el the cour,o
the soldier.
we al know something of that " ne
lar institution known as a +" darkie ,,
donkey" in his design and comic,
tioD--if he ever had aoy-ia SAL oeu
Il 2 TACT that stands cotessed, and n
dill Ncpkry or darkis s,.