The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-01-31
Army Correspondence.
CAMP SD Ills. Vols.
Moscow, Tenn. Jan. 18th, 1863.

OHa,1a Free Trader:
MIR. EDlroR-We sometimes get a cop.
Of the FREE TRADER in our camp; it i
always read with great eagerness by al
who can borrow 1t or in any way get hole
Of it. As often as we get it we see one o.
more letters from the La Sale Co. Regt
or the l04th, who seem to have been very
unfortunate in the beginning Of their ser
vices to the United States. But we veoy
seldom see anything from the SD Regt.
whether it is from the fact that we have
no correspondents in our Regt, or whether
we have no friends there. l am at loss to
know, but am Of the impression it is fol
want of correspondent
| On Friday. the 2Sth day Of December,
We left La Grange, Tenn, for Holly
Springs, Miss, distance of % miles,
under the command Of Lieut. Col. Seth C.
Earl. We accomplished the march in
two days, camping on the north side Of
the city on Saturday night. Sunday morn
ing we received orders from Brig Gen.
MckeoD, our division commander, to move
forward, intimating at the same time that
we probably would have little circus be-
fore night We had not gone very far
before our advance guards were heard
( skirmishiug very briskly with the enemy.
Soon the artillery began to bclch forth its
Numbering tones. Then, We fell sure we
were going TO have fight. The rattle Of
musketry and the roar of artillery, made
the men as restless as 4 Gagged lion; they
wanted to have a hand in and once more
try their skill fighting tine rebels. But
they were not needed; the rebels were
gone in the evening We learned II was
the cavalry, under the charge Of Colonel
Dickey, that were crowding the rear
guard o! the enemy, who were retreating
q, rapidly as circumstances would allow
Our men took some prisoners and killed
some of the enemy. ! believe the 4th
cavalry, under Lieut. Col Mccullough,
took prominent part in the fight and
had some of their brave men killed and
wounded. We then camped a, Waterford.
s miles south of Holly Springs The
next day Monday, Dec Isl, Maor Nicola.
nahan, who had been away on leave of
absence, joined the Regt We remained
AT W ateriord or lU days, during " hch
time we received the news that Bi igiadier
Gen Mckeon had been ordered 10 Wash
ington 10 take the position of Paymaster
General and that Brig Gen. j. g. Lanman
had again asst gned 10 the command of the
4ih division, which was thrice welcom
news 10 US Not but that Gen Mckeoa
was competen. officer, and in every way
a perfec: gentleman, but that we were in
tImately acquainted with Gen. Lanman
We had seen him tied, and knew there
was no discount on him. The men all
honor and respect him as they would
father. The General joined Us at Yoekna
Greek, miles south Of Oxford. Miss
While there. our communications with
God s country wascut of by the cavalry
raid into Tennessee and Missis, ippi, in
which some or lU of our men were taken
prisoners, and the name OF Illinois soldiers
disgraced for the first time since the COM
Inencement Of this war. At Holly SptInrs
some S2UODUOO worth of government
stores were surrendered by about 500 in
fantry. without firing single shot and
the same gallant officers (?) ordered the ID
Ill Cavalry to surrender; but they did
not choose 10 obey such orders, and the
brave Major Mud ordered his men TO
mount and cut their way through the
rebel horde, which they aid, with but
little loss. After getting out, they again
formed and charged upon the rebel line
IN the city, cut their way III and out again
Such men as these, with bur very little
assistance, could have saved the place
The same gang were whipped by 2UO men
II .,s h.. I, I,,I,
DAVIS Mills, miles below La Grange:
were scarf away from La Grange By
slight show Of resistance by the sick and
convalescent soldiers of that place were
whipped by the Irish Legion at Cold Wa
ter, miles north of Holly Springs But
the BRAVE O. Col Murphy, of Wisconsin.
and other milk warm officers, with 500
men, did not have stamina enough, with
strong brick houses to shelter them from
the bullets, plenty of cotton TO build forts
with, and timely notice of their coming,
and notice that reIntorcements were on
the way to aid them, 10 fire "a single gun.
w hen this news reached US We were
put upon three-quarter rations and or
dered back to the 1allanatchie river, de-
stroying the Railroad up to Oxford. burnt
Il grist mill at lockna Creek, and retreat
Ell in good order. We spent Christmas ut
the iallahatch,e river Mot OF Us had
plenty of roasted corn for Christmas din
ner And, while you were sitting in your
houses, looking out at the rain and mud,
wishing that there was six inches Of snow
so that you could spend Christmas as it
should be spent, we Were lounging upon
the grass out in the open air, and wonder
ing If they missed US at home" That
evening the supply train was started to
Memphis for ralions and We were inform.
ed that we would probably remain there
until it returned, which would be at least
8 days In the meantime we had nothing /
20 do but stand picket guard, 60 forasing, |
&c.
On the 5th we arrived at Holly Springs.
The next day took the liberty of looking |
around On the hills north OF the city, |
where the cavalry had their fight, lay their |
dead horses, two sides of Court House |
square had been burned, also the hotel
and other building at the Railroad which
our government stores. The
large foundry which had formerly been
used as rebel arsenal was also burnt !
Fences were pulled down, sidewalks torn
up, and the place looked really desolAte
| could not help noting the difference be-
tween the place now and what it was last
July. The place then looked rather in
viting, but now the neg oes are leaving it.
The PRECEDENT which the rebels set US Of
burning was very contagious. Almost eve
ry night one or more houses of the place
would accidentally take fire and burn
down. Last Friday night, it being gene
rally understood that we were going to
leave the next day, the men pitched in.
There was a continuous red glar> OF fire
all that night. 1t got so bad that there
was two regiments of infantry ordered out
to save the place Saturday night
oclk we left the place, wrapped in smoke
and ashes. sunday morning at daylight
the rebels took possession Of the place.