Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-01-02

CAHr or S1sr Iowa,
NEAR HELENA, ARR. !, Dec. 18th, 1862.

Ueen 100 unWeH 10 write LOT some time past
and as the day is very unpleasant, will de
vote part of it in performing his duties.-
Our trip from ST. Louis to this place was very
tedious on account Of low water. The him
of the busy crowds on wharves and of bust
ness generally in other days in the Mississippi
valley has died away. Except Memphis, NJ
other town or city below st. Louis has any
claims upon the attention of traveller. Mem
phis stands upon high, rolling ground, ant
the city itself presents a Yankee front. L
can boast OF having very beautiful park
in the center of which stands statue O.
"Old Hickory" or one side of which wa:
the inscription, 1.-THE Union must and shall
be preserved" and which the rebels have
defaced very much. Many large forest trees
are growing in the park, and all kinds Of the
most beautiful shrubbery, among which a
great number ef gray squirrels, tanner than
cats, sport from morning until night. On
the. goth of Nov. our Regiment arrived al
our present place Of encampment, about two
miles from Helena, in high spirits, and with
few exceptions in good health. For the pres
ent we have thrown aside our tents and in
small, comfortable log cabins, bu 1t on high,
rolling ground, adjoining large cotton plan
tation, we are eating, sleeping and dreaming
of friends we left behind us. Our greatest
cause for complaint is bad water, and it has
sent, and am afraid will send, many poor
soldiers Home" Many of the boys in our
Regiment are troubled with dial rhea, yet but
few of them are seriously ILL., In day or
two we will be furnished with plenty Of good
soft bread, instead of the hard army crack
ers, which will be great improvement in
our fare. But thoughts of subduing the reb-
els and returning home are more numerous
in the soldiers brain than thoughts Of his
fare. You have no idea how anxious our
men arc for forward movements, and more
activity on the part of our leading military
men. Many of them have been in the SER
vice sixteen and seventeen months, and have
never seen an armed rebel. The expense Of
supporting the army of the Northwest on
the march is far less than when in camp in
active. Then why are our soldiers permit
ted to contract disease, linger, die and rot
through inactivity, when they are not only
willing but anxious to move, and anxious to
strike in defense of the Union which we have
always cherished? Repeat the above ques-
ton to the poor soldier who has sacrificed
everything for his country, and who has
watched the working Of the wires, and he
will tell you that it is because our Governors,
and others still above them, have been too
anxious to accommodate broken down polit
ical leeches with good positions in the army,
whose motto is, "A long war and an easy
war;" and who show more love for cotton
than hatred toward rebellion. But we will
abide our time, hoping that the Lord, or
somebody else, will wipe about nine-tenths
of our Colonels and Brigadier Generals from
the face of the earth, and that the armies Of
the North will soon move, even if some dear,
pet rebel should get hurt. And in the mean
time our humble prayer shall be, Oh Lord,
curse the Rebel South, and curse every one
who will not curse it," On the 9th of Nov.
part of the army at Helena, (our Regt. in
cludedD under Brigadier General Hovey start
ed on an expedition into Mississippi. 1t was
intended that Gems. Grant and Sherman
should attack Price while we should approach
from the opposite side and destroy the Rail
Roads leading from Memphis and CoIinth,
and cut off his retreat. We marched over
fifty miles to the Tallahatchie, where we re-
NAMED four days, during which time our
cavalry advanced sixty miles farther and de-
stroyed bridges on the Rail Roads referred to
above. But as usual Price escaped after de-
stroying over q dozen locomotives, many
cars, his trains, and much other property
Along the entire line of our march the coun-
try is low and overfows annually. In many
places for miles on either side Of the road
nothing could be seen but vast cane brakes.
Outside the cane brakes stands large growth
of fine timber, principally Oak, Beech, Cy-
press and Sweet Gum, with here and there
beautiful Holly grove. We passed many
large cotton fields yet unpicked. had the
extreme pleasure Of seeing hundreds of head
Of cattle, many hogs and sheep and all the
rebel honey and poultry along the line of our
march, coniscAted for the benefit of Uncle
Sans hungry soldiers. When. or the Tala
hatchie our advanced cavalry had some Skin
mishng with guerrillas. Wecould distinctly
hear the pups" as the boys call the noun
tain howitzers, barking at the Copper Bot
TOMS" The long-roll was twice beaten, and
every man hurried into ranks and moved
forward as coolly as though the dru0 had
sounded "To Breakfast" Although the
alarms were false it was easy for the observer
to see what will be done if ever chance
shall be offered for fight. During our last
night out Co.'S. A and B, of the 3lst, per-
formed picket duty. During the night we
confscated three hogs, three beeves, three
negroes, five mules and fine wagon. Hun
dreds of slaves are now within our lines at