Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-05-15
Letters from SOldiers-S0me Par.
ticullars Of q Cavalry Expedition
into Dixie. 6

ticulars Of q Cavalry Expedition
into Dixie. J
WEST LIBERTY, Iowa, May 9th, '6S:
Ed. JOURNAL MANY items Of interest are
to be found in the private letters of our sol
ders in the field. A few brief paragraphs in
a soldiers letter often gives us more vivid
idea of the wild terror, the dash, the rush,
and the dire goines and comings of the his
sing fame of war; on the field of battle, than
solid columns of carefully written and studied
newspaper descriptions. Even as regards the
state Of the southern country, elaborate epis-
pies from "our own correspondent many
times fail to give us the same clear idea of
how matters stand with us, and how with the
"rebs." that we get in few pen.strokes of
the soldier. Though every word written by
q soldier is dear to hearts in that soldiers
home, we do not claim that all that is written
by our bold lads is of sufficient public inter-
est to justify publication. But we do main
tain that much that is readable, much that is
really interesting, is only seen and known in
the narrow circle of the soldiers home
Every word from the seat of war is of interest
to some one. The single line recording the
death Of private McMulligan set up as "phat''
by the lightrhearted "jour." printer, linked
by grinning roller-boy, and struck off by
pressman, by whom it is no more remarked
than is the eloquent leader on the first
page-draws shrek from gray haired
mother, and lays in a swoon a blue-eyed
maiden. Though the thunderings and light
nings of war come not near our homes, it is
there that all the bereavements come.
Haying read many items in the letters of
relatives and friends, always thinking at the
time that we would extract them for the use
of the public, and always proving too indo-
lent to bring our actions to tally with our
good intentions, we have at length determined
| to arouse and turn over new leaf. The ex-
tracts given below are not SO interesting as
many we might have given in times past, but
as there is an account Of some Of the exploits
of the I'd Iowa cavalry of the taking by the
two others through column Of rebels, 1t
may be found interesting to the people of our
county, at least: .af
ON A SCOUT. ,sl4i.u..su
"April 18th, we, the I'd cavalry, started
out on scout, in company with the 9Th and
7th III. cavalry, having five pieces Of two
Founders. We all went together as far south
as Houston, which is south and east of Gre
NADIA. Here our regiment was sent OFT on the
Columbus road. When within about twenty
miles of Columbus, Con the Ohio and Mobile
railroad), we were attack by parts of three
rebel regiments, 900 strong. We had but
500 men, but soon made the rebels fly, with
| no loss whatever on our side. We wounded
twelve of the rebels, that we know Of
About an hour before this fight, twenty
seven of our men were sent out on a BY
road, leading into a swamp, to get lot of
horses and mules, known to be secreted there.
They got some sixty head, and mounting a
lot of darkies on them, started to rejoin the
regiment. Soon, however, they found out
that they were cut off by the rebels, and en-
deavored to reach us by another route. After
riding on this tack eight or ten miles, they
found themselves between heavy rebel col
umn and their advance guard. They now
| took off through the woods, on no road at all,
but in executing this maneuver, four men who
were in the rear, were taken prisoners. The
rest got back to the regiment about II o'clock
at night. The four men taken were from At
alissa Their names are: Chas. Cope, c..
Ewes, B. F. Barkalow, and Barclay j. Embree.
Two others of this same party, who had
started up with horses before the main body,
came to the end Of lane and found it full of
rebels who had just been driven back by us.
They were forming for another charge on us,
and our boys came close upon them before
they knew them to be enemies. They were
too close to think of retreating, so they charg.
ed the mass of rebels. yelling as they dashed
through them" Rally boys! Rally, the Yam
KEGS are coming in on our rear!' The ''rebs"
fired three or four shots at them when they
first started in, then seemed to conclude that
they really were their own men, and sung
out: make way for that orderly p One of
the boys succeeded in running the gauntlet,
the other was taken prisoner. From that place
we went to Okalona, on the railroad, and
burned the hospital, barracks; and lot Of
cotton, etc., etc. Keeping on back toward
camp, we then gathered up horses and mules
as we went along At Birmingham, little
town not far from Tupelo, We were again at
tackled and had quite lively little fight. The
rebels charged upon us three or four times,
but were each time repulsed, with severe loss.
We didn't even have man wounded. The
only man wounded on the whole trip was one
of Co. L, who was shot by three guerrias -
he died just as we got to camp yesterday,
April 9th. The 9Th and 7th iii. regiments
have not yet got in; heard to-day that they
had gone to Atlanta, Georgia,
On this scout Of ten days, we only carried
with US five days rations, and of course had
to live off of the country five days. We got
plenty of ham, but not much bread-some
days We hadn't any. We were $50 miles
south of here, and in country where they
had never before seen Yankee soldiers. will
give you the price Of three leading articles of
consumption in that part Of the county,
Flour, 500 per barrel; Whiskey, $50 per
gallon; Pork, go cents per pound. 10
All kinds of goods are very dear; thus, a
good hat is $50, pair of boots $50, paper of
pins one dollar, and all other things in the
same proportion. We brought in on this trip
over three hundred new horses and mules
-tt. IOWA NEWS. 81 .,rrs