The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-09-12
Letter from . soldier.

.CAnP SIXTH Iowa INFANTRY, OAK
HRID0B, MISS, Aug. 24th l863.-EpIroR
HAwK-EYK:-Having just returned from
. sojourn at Paducah, KY, made in con-
River, on the 9Th of July, thought an ac-
count of q few things noticed on the trip
down the river might not prove uninterest-
Ing to your readers. And first, allow me
to say, that the hospitals at Paducah are
just what they ought to be. Those who
have friends there may rest assured that
everything possible il being done to make
cover, it will be because they are beyond
the reach of medical skill, and the equally
| important attention Of the kindest and best
of nurses. At Cairo we were directed to
| the Soldiers Home" for lodgings, as it was
necessary for us to tarry there over night.
But we found it necessary to shift our
! quarters to the st. Charles Hotel, in conse-
Quence of dirt, bed bugs, fieas, mosquitoes,
and various other yermin. We escaped
from all the above evils, except the mos
quitoes, by the change. i would advise
all travellers to walk ten miles into the
country, and bivouac in the woods, rather
than pass a night in Cairo. And all sol
dlers are warned against stopping at
Home there, on any occasion, as that
institution is monepolized by the "inseck"
kingdom. At Cairo we got an order for
transportation to Memphis, after awaiting
the convenience of the Government officials;
paying for our tickets rather than wait
another day. Wewent on board the steam
er ''Von Phul," and after some difficulty
with the gentlemanly ~ mad clerk, who
wanted to quarter us on the lower deck, in
company with sixty Government wagons
and three hundred and sixty head of mules
we took passage on the middle deck,
where We were quite comfortable. / men
ton this circumstance to show the spirit
manifested to soldiers by the steamboat
men since Gen. Grants order, fixing the
fare which soldiers travelling on fur
loughs should pay. These sharks, who
try's misfortunes for the past two years,
expected to make big thing out of the
travel arising from the furlough system
General Grants very wise and Just order,
while it allows them reasonable compen-
sation, defeats their scheme of extortion
consequently they are indignant and will
doan in their power to make those to whom
they owe the privilege of navigating the
lower river uncomfortable, while on their
boats. Fortunately our soldiers are able |
to take care of themselves. IlG. 3. Il
AT Memphis we found business lively
And. by the way. the soldiers lodge at |
Memphis is very different affair to that at
Cairo; furnishing very comfortable quar- |
tiers to all who choose to stop there on the |
way home, or to their regiments. A good |
many of our regiment are sick with fevers
brought on by the fatigue and exposure of
the late campaign. Those of our regiment /,
wounded at jackson are here in the Regi- |
ment Hospital. They are all doing well |
under the skillful treatment of Drs. Lam
bert and Haldermann. The sick and |
wounded are TO be sent home on furlough,
as soon as they can travel. The weather
here is not any more oppressive than on
the Ohio river. The days are extremely
hot, but the nights cool and pleasant.
a late rumOr placed four regiments of
rebel cavalry on this side of Black River,
day or two ago; but nothing has been
seen, except few squads of half dozen,
engaged in picking up deserters from the
paroled camp of Gen. embertons army.
Twenty men Of our regiment, under
Lieut.. Holmes, Co. A, are mounted, and
engaged in patroling the country in this
region. Company of negroes has been
organized and attached to this Brigade, for
outpost duty.
We are waiting patiently for the cool
weather, when we expet I to go to work and
finish up the war, i. g. if the powers that
be will permit n'
Truly YOURS LINTON |