The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-02-25
Army Correspondence.
HEADQUARTERS 38rn TowA,(
New Madrid, Mo-, Feb. IL, 1868.

New MADRID, Mo-, Feb. II, 1868.
DEAR TINES Permit me to say that
now occupy very comfortable position,
seated beside box about two feet square
with . checker board placed thereon At an
angle Of forty.ave degrees, which serves q
good purpose for writing desk. 49,.
We are yet occupying the village Of New
Madrid, place Of not TO exceed 6Gty in.,
habitan,s, and is now miserable mud hole,
owing to the repeated rains during the lat
month, which makes il very uncomfortable
far'us who are only few Of the inss-o-
ments that Old Abe has called out to fghs
for the freedom Of the almighty niger;
but thus it has been declared by the powers
that be, and I suppose we must submit to
it, although five men from Go. H." Capt.
Follctt's company from Fayette Co, took IA
French furlough on the 23d Of Jan. and
skedatldled for parts unknown, since which
time we have heard nothing Of them
Their names arc VIM. Gage, r. Mattocks,
j. A. Marsh, Albert Martindalc, and VIM.
Kinyan. One of them is a single man,
and the others have families. There is now,
considerable dissatisfaction anon gst the
boys in this regiment, on account OF
Uncle Sans failure to pay them. while in
many instances their families are suffering
at home for wan: Of pay DIE them, and I
am fearful that unless something is done
soon, that French furloughs will become a
common thing in this regiment. I think
the good sense Of the soldiers Of Iowa will
not allow them to stay here to fight for the
freedom Of the niger without pay and have
their families suffer.
Politics runs pretty high here at present
amongst the Union men and charcoals, and
occasionally the "clay banks (who propose
to he neutral) lend helping hand to one
side or the other, the Presidents procla.
nation being the text.
Wehave rugged up a carriage and mounted
one cannon, and we are expecting carriages
here every day to mount four or five more.
We are also daily expecting lumber here
with which to build barracks, and expect
before long, il We stay here, to BE- safely
and comfortably situated. Our Col. keeps
US "cooped" up here on space Of not over
five acres Of ground, and not unfrequently
refuses to give commissioned officers pass
to visit sick boys in the hospital belonging
to their companies, or to 60 outside of the
lines at all; bat such is soar, and Of course
we must simmer right down and let tyran-
ny reign supreme over US.
The health Of the regiment is very good
at present; afew cases Of lung fever in the
hospital, but none dangerous. Quite q
number Of the boys have the mumps which
mades them look as ''chufy" as a guinea
pig. Hiran King, private in Co. &C."
from Bremen county, died in the hospital
on the % int, Of lung fever.
Several Of the boys in the regiment who
have love for stealing which far exceeds
their patriotism, have been making them.
selves pretty busy since our arrival here,
and one instance went into church, stole
the stove therefrOm and then cut up the
seats to make sled to haul it away. The
stove was found in Co "K," but the Col.
ordered the Capt, who, by the way, always
docs things up according to the regulations,
to "ant:," aud he "anticd." ...
Oar mail matter arrives here very regular
and in good time. .-,
The river is falling very fast
The reported fsnt at Island No. 10 is a
humhug; there was no fight there, nor was
there an enemy seen or heard of. ~
Yours, &C., PickEr.