The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-10-07
WHOLE NO. 364.

You are very lucky il you escape the bull
ding without leaving your..small amount of
"greenbacks. In fact, you set the theatre
down as bore; No place for u western
man to say tho least. As you. leave the
place Of amusement innumerable hack dri.
vers beseige you, and by the aid of nces.
SAINT swearing and Struggling Of the shoul.
ders you arc rid Of one. nuisance. You
visit Taylor's and call for peck of steamed
oysters, and two drinks; contrabands attend
you, while fine looking fellow with gun
and equipments stands ready to nab you,
it you speak above a whisper. To some
the whole thing would make splendid
| drama. TO the, after nine days rowing
| abont the great city, grow tired and pine
Tor the open and free air. l love the soil
| OF Virginia, and so with pass and other
| necessary papers. all done up with the
| requisite amount OF red tape, | got aboard
the steamer and quietly sailed down the
Potomac to the little town Of Alexandria
| am disgusted with lie in Washington.
although Abraham dwells therein and rides
10 and from the White House with his es-
cort every morning at 5 o'clock.
| Alexandria-thereW Washington had his
church, and there he worshipped in the
good old style There during the time of
serving his country, he met his friends and
together they socially spent the evening.
The houses of his day yet stand, and the
church still is attended with the descen.
dants of its old congregation. The old and
decayed curb stones are IN the yardsand
around the old church you readily observe
the marks Of time The house where Els
worth died in his daring attempt to tear
down the secession flag. is still beseiged
with universal run of visitors. The room
in which his murderer fell and brcathed his
last is as sacred as ever. The spot where
the bullet struck, bears the inscription that
the eye OF the visitor may not be at fault
| rode through the old streets and kind
friend pointed out the places Of interest
notable spots, where the revolutionary he
roes oft trod, and where to day secession is
rampant. The city is barricaded lest the
rebel chicftain MOsEBY should awake its
citizens from their peaceful dreams and robe
himself in their silks and satns. Asa
mass the people arc in dread Of this daring
cheftain and tremble lest he burn the
handsome depot buildings, and put to flight
the few patrolmen thai at night walk to
and fro, pI otectors of Uncle SANS domain.
A few hours about Alexandria and see
all that is worth seeing. A ride aLout the
forts proves very interesting, yet not enough
so as to prolong my stay. A little while
with an old friend at Fort Worth,-I sam,
pie the wine, &c.-takc a hack for the
depot, jump aboard the train, and soon am
gliding swiftly onward, leaving Alexandria,
Washington and the forts in the distance,
bound for the Rappabannock. We pass
Fairfax Court House, famous for raids upon
the suffers, and soon halt at Cent,ev
Here in 1861 the subscriber, first was
taught the sorrows of defeat. How well do
| remember my stopping to draw my scan
ty allowance Of "hard tack" and then as
tast as my feet could pit. pat did strain
for sight of the dome of the Capitol
was re,Icating then, and remember the
faint cry of comrades, "run boy, here comes
the Black Horse cavalry !" But those days
OF bragg-a.docia are past and W. have learnt
| better. We soldier now. as becomes us.
and do not, as then, consider it "but child's
play to meet the rebs." A few hours ride
and reached the camp of the old End,
happy, oh, so happy A shake of hands
ali around, and then to duty as in days of
yore. Right glad, am I, to be once more
at honae- among those that for over two
years | have claimed as brothers in arms
battling for one common cause-our Coun.
try!
Our cavalry advance to Culpcpper, and
the next day we follow. Our line now
runs parallel with the Rapid-an. Buford
and Fitzpatrick with their legions of cavalry
are constantly iampering with the enemy,
but secesh is stubborn and proposes to hold
the opposite shore. The skirlnishing is prin
cipaily with the cavalry, so that you need
expect no battles in this quarter for time
yet. In fact you are as well posted as to
when ii !ht is imminent as we, and our
only knowledge is from the peculiar an
pearance of the Generals. Their looks be-
tray the secret. The booming Of cannon is
OF daily occurrence, denoting that we have
still the same indomiatablc foe before us.
| We have tried them-we know whereof We
speak.
We now in a pleasant camp. We
have drills, guard mounts and paroles. just
enough to keep us in good times. When
We have finished the daily routine Of duty,
we are free to enjoy ourselves, and should
you ever drop in upon our camp, you mi .ht
hnd here and there squad enjoyed in d.
vers games; game of cassino, dominoes
or muggins is very pleasant Yellow Gov
cred novels, the sickly trash of some early
fanatic, are scattered throughout the camps. |
Poems, newspapers, and general variety
OF literature is passed around from one to
to the othar until no longer worth pcrnsins.
The mails arrive daily, and then all are in- |
trrested, Tor each company has more or less |
Of the coveted home missiles. Who is there |
that does not jump for joy at thu arrival OF |
letter, especially when many miles inter
vene between the parties concerned. lam
joyous fellow on letters and if | don't han |
ker after the neat envclops then greatly
err. AS the shades OF evening hover over
the soldiers rally around their camp fires.
laugh, tell stories. pull one anothers hair,
swear, rip and tear, kick. roll ard tumble
all tor amusement. Oh, who wouldn't
be SOLDIER "typo?" am in love
with both
And now te.r TINES, and readers I con-
clude. Ii my visions of Washington and
my preference for camp.life is suited to
your taste, | am more than paid; if other
wise note me bore but of all things con.
slider the youngsters proclivities and re.
member that since his visit among you he
has waded through the mud and mire of
the "Old Dominion'-that he notes the
State, so far as his observation goes, as only
ut for pasture grounds Virginia no lon.
ger possesses the greatness she once had
in the annals Of history. The armies have
LAID her waste, and scarce a house is fit for
a hog pen, let alone the idea of slaves occu.
pying them. She is deserted, and left to
the cravings Of thousands Of careless and