Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-03-20
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
CAIRO, March 18th, 1856;

DEAR JOURNAL I arrived in this place
an early hour yesterday morning, havin
spent Wednesday in st. Louis.
| THE GRAY Boards,
Now the only regiment on service in st. LOT
is, are doing . great labor, guarding sewers
thousand secesh prisoners in McDowell's Co
Ilege and in the Myrtle street prison. The lat
ter was used IS "higger pen" in the day
when human bodies and souls were knocke
off at the auction block, and is peculiar ar
propriate in being used now as place of con
finement for bad men who are seeking t
destroy the government because they are no
permitted to extend the 'humanizing institu
tion."
found Capt. Wells company in goo'
health, excepting privates Schott and Nyen
haus, who were in the hospital, having doubt
less brought on their sickness by exposur,
and fatigue in the discharge of their duties
The health of the regiment is generally bette
than that ofregiments composed of younge
men. Their reputation for sobriety and a!
true soldiers of the Union makes them al
honor to the State of Iowa.
THE MARINE BRIGADE.
In company with Capt Wells I visitet
the "navy yard" in st. Louis, at which were
moored, in readiness for service, six large
steamers, which have been fitted up for trans
ports, having been encased on all sides will
double thicknesses of oak plank, sufficient tc
resist musketry. The boats are furnished
with machinery to lower their gangways ir
an instant, so that should party of guerril
las appear on shore the cavalry on board car
be sent out without delay in pursuit. Each
boat has full capacity to carry comfortably
800 men, 100 horses and all the equipments
and supplies necessary for such an army
Immediately above this fleet of oak-clads
lies the formidable iron clad Choctaw, now
receiving the finishing touches of the work.
men. l found our fellow townsmen, Henry
Reece and s. Underwood, employed on her
She is about $40 feet long, with but little Of
her huge proportions visible, except the
wheel houses and revolving turret. The
boat is completely covered with wrought iron
sufficiently strong to resist the heaviest shot
that may be hurled against it. do not be-
lieve any power within the range Of human
can be brought to bear successfully
spcfh hov - Sc okoI
600. The Marine Brigade of the Mississippi
(of which these vessels are only parD will
be heard of hereafter to the terror of the
rebels. 1t is understood it will be under COM
mand of Col. Ellet.
MATTERS AT CAIRO.
This is simply military and naval post.
Very little business of any other character is
transacted here. Water runs all round, un-
der and almost orer the city. 1t can boast OF
only 5000 resident population, and certain
ly envy none of them the privilege of living
in such place.
THE THIRTY-FIFTH IOWA
Were occupying barracks built upon the ex-
treme point Of land between the two rivers,
in location as dry and healthy as any
could see in that region. On my arrival
was kindly conducted by Major O'Connor to
his quarters, where soon after had the priv
ilege of taking many of the boys by the hand.
Col. Hill is looking tolerably well. His health
has not been good, however. Lieut.. Col
Rothrock is still absent on sick leave. Maj.
O'Connor and Chaplain Evans never appeared
to enjoy better health or be IN better spirits.
Adjutant Dayton and Quartermaster LoAand
are absent with an expedition composed Of
companies B and D, for the arrest Of desert
crs from the 12sth Illinois, all but sixty Of
whom have gone back to Williamson county,
where they were enlisted. 1t is rumored that
the deserters are prepared to resist, and that
a conflict has already taken place and fifteen
of our men been killed. place no confidence
in these reports. The greatest trouble our
boys will most likely have will be in finding
the towards.
Yesterday afternoon the camp was set in
commotion by an order for the 35th regiment
to move at once up the Tennessee. Instant
ly all hands commenced packing up, the Col
onel setting the example and reporting him
self in readiness in fifteen minutes. The boat
white Cloud) which was expected to bring
up six companies of the 25th Wisconsin from
Columbus, to take the place of the 35th al
Cairo, finally came about ten o'clock at night
and as soon as the Wisconsin troops were
disembarked, our boys commenced loading
their supplies. With song and joke they en-
livened the labors of the night till O'Clock
this morning, when all was in readiness and
gave them the parting hand. They ex-
pected to be absent from Cairo only five Of
six days. The nature of the expedition was
not made known. Two transports and thu
gunboat Tuscumbia, under command of Gen
Asboth, preceded them yesterday. Probably
the object is to establish some new post or
the Tennessee, Fl. Henry having been aban
doned on account of being overfowed. ,s
Yesterday visited the regimental and pos
hospitals and found them well kept, and al
the patients as comfortable as the nature o
their diseases would permit. The post hos
pital is under charge Of DR.. j. P. Taggart, Of
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. He is one of nature.
Observation-Disclosures, intelligent and de
voted to the interests of those under hi
charge. The hospital is well supplied will
everything necessary for the sick, and all tn
wards are kept clean and comfortable. Iva
sorry to find among the seriously i'll Samue
Holmes, hospital stewart, and Jacob Strohm
both of this city.
None of the 35th regiment have as yet re-
ceived their pay, except those on detache'