Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-04-30
Army Correspondence.
CANT ON TArLAHArc,uE R,vrn

!
FRIEND PERsnISG:-Your letter of
March 10 is Just received and can assure
you 1t was perused with interest and pleas
ure. In the mid st of treason here in arms; !;
and there fostering in many hearts, it is
like glcam Of sunshine amid clouds and
storms, to receive letter that keeps step
to the music Of the Unicn' Your friend
ly feelings toward me. and your kind
wishes for my success are most sincerely
rcciprocated. Since l came into the SER
F, vice have endcavored to perform faithful
y every duty; and this is no more than
ought to do for my country in this her
hour OF trial. Il is the very least tha. l
cou,,I. 10 anil satisfy my own conscience.
During most OF the time since : have been
in the service. have been blessed with
good health. | attribute this in a great
degree to the lessons of Total Abstinence
which learned in my youth. and which /
would overstep anywhere else. rather than
in the army. My observation teaches me
unmistasably that whiskcy is the great
bane Of our army. 1t is so in the matter
OF health. it is so morally. it is so in res
pect to the discipline Of the soldiery, and
it accounts for many Of the disasters in the
field. l was on General Court Martial
in the winter. near Memphis. where. out oil
eleven cases tried ten grew out Of whiskey
drinking. can assure you that if had
/ been in the habit at home. of swearing and
drinking would do neither here, through
disgust If for no other reason. But to the
news.
We broke up camp at Memphis on the
lst Of March, and Went on board Trans
ports bound as we supposed for Provi-
dence. La. We landed twenty five miles
above that place, and two days after went
again on hoard the transports and moved
mp the river to Helena. Here we ro
manned until the 14th of March, when
smaller boats having been procured we a.
gain embarked. and this time moved across
the Mississippi river. and into the famous
Iazoo pass If l should tell you the cx-
act truth. about this trip and the ,choie
truth. fear you would not credit my state
ment. After the Yazoo Pass Expedition |
shall not be surprised to hear of the daily
arrival and departure of steamers from Ply
mouth. Certainly we came through the
worst ro1ds for steamboats, ever travelled
over. When we entered the pass it seemed
like running right into the woods. and so
indeed, it was. The stream, such as j,
was, was so narrow that the branches of
the trees frequently met overhead. Nm.
merous small cotton wood trees, and will
lows were run over with the most perfect
unconcern. About half mile from the
Mississippi we ran into Moon Lake, which
gave Us several miles of good ssiling.--
This lake is but an old bend Of the river
where having performed circuit Of some
miles and doubled nearly back upon itself
q new channel has been washed across the
isthmus. The old chaanel being then fill
ed up at each end, forms what is called /.
: lake. This is not an unfrequent occurrence
in ths lower Mississippi country. From
lower end of Moon Lake. through the pass
to the Cold water river. the distance /.
said to be twelve miles. and we were iusl
four and half days going through. or Al
average of about five hours to the mile, q,
Of course we did not attempt to run a
night. The channel is exceedingly crook
ed aud the current very swift: and it being
impossible to manage the boats by the
rudder, they drifted pretty much at will
A email boat. with line. was kept con.
, stantly passing from side to side to tow
our boat. the LADY Jackson" out OF ths
tree tops. The gingerbread work on
the hurricane and middle decks was soor
. smashed all to pieces in the limbs Of ths
trees The boat hands and many of ths
troops were kept constantly busy, pushing
the boat away from trees. against which il
would drift with crash that seemed to b.
smashing It oil to pieces. Great limbs
would rake the hurricane deck. threatening
to clear it of everything movable and i'm.
I movable I: was scarcely possibly to find
anywhere strsight water for more than The