St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-03-12

In the rear Of the whole Battery is row Of
tents, the quarters Of all kinds, shapes, and
sizes. Behind Ill are the officers tents. Re-
tween the caissons and .quarters' our mesa
fires blaze sway chssrfully, i the rain and
green woodpermit. Long ropes, picket rope
strung from tree to tree On the right and lea
Of the battery, to which are attached our
horses, complete the picture.
''Some of the tents are raised up on logs a
log house, as it were. with the tent for roof.
In the back of the tent you will find the beds,
and such beds! We call them beds for VIC
know of no other name. Instead of the usual
remark III 60 to bed it is, I'll hunt my hole
These beds are made right on the wet ground
few cedar boughs are first put down and If
you can steal some fodder, You can lay it on
the boughs. Upon this covering you place a
rubber blanket; if you are the lucky posessor
Of one, and then spread down such blankets
as you may have. At night. cropping in the
dark or by the dim light Of the camp fire you
hunt your hole Taking off blouse and roll
ing up our overcoats, we place them under our
heads for pillows. Soldiers generally sleep in
their pants, with stockings on. Some take off
both. After It's 'dvesting of attire We lie
down and covering up head and all, we soon
forget dampness, mud, rain. weather and SOL
der life, and drop soundly into the arms of
Morpheus. 1t is so nice?
'ln the fore part Of the tents is everything,
strewn in endless variet; and confusion. Ra-
tions lie about loose. Cooking utensils, thick
with dirt and grease presenting an uninviting
appearance, are kicked about with that per-
feet recklessness Of soldier with o full stom
ach. Dirt, grease, filth,-mud, endless confu-
sion reigns supreme. With a constant surfeit
course.
"Looking up and down the line of tents you
will see some cooking, some eating, Laying
about, writing, tailoring, washing, reading and
talking. Others are in their tents sleeping and
doing away by the hour. To fully realize q
camp scene, you must be part and parcel of it.
sour Division is encamped in the same piece
Of woods. Many Of the tents are built upon
]ogs-othcrs are set upon slabs--the whole
presenting rude. picturesque scene. Many
of these slab houses have fire places. Ada
cent to the camp fires arc holes dug from two
to six feet in depth; they fill with waer and
supply the camp. Our division is but coun-
terpart Of the whole army which is encamped
around and about Murfrccsboro, guarding ev-
cry avenue leading to and from the town. We
are in winter quarters and mud hound. Ro-
The railroad and foot bridge over Stones Riv-
or are in course Of erection by the U. S. They
were destroyed by the rebels the night of their
retreat. The cars run from Nashville to Muir
freesboro daily, bringing the mail and news Of
the day. Wei get the Nashville papers the same
day they are issued. Get Louisville papers
one day after, Cincinnati and Chicago papers
are two days old when We get them. We Keep
pretty we'll posted in the news of the day
Copies ten cents apiece. I've just been read
ing the Cincinnati Commercial. paper that
suits me we'll and generally contains tair
sprinkling Of news from this army, the Goth
Corps. The rebels arc trying to he very &C.
tive on our from: and seek to trouble our for
age trains. We are obliged to send out whole
Brigade with our trains. In the immediate
vicinity forage is scarce. Rosccrans is forti.
flying on the Nashville side Of the town.
presume it is more to protect the railroad and
bridges than anything els. We often won
der whether the rebs will attack US here as
they did Rosy At Corinth. We warrant them
the same reception her: they received them
Rssecrans, or old Rosy as the boys call him
is possessed Of the happy idea Of not knowing
when he is whipped. There is little Of Old
lack about him. Murfreesboro shows he is
as stubborn Us a mule. The rebs beat US over
the back until they were tired, then We got up
and kicked them out of Murfreesboro."
Dick Lives some extracts from his note
book of personal experience during thu
battle of Murfreesboro. The worst of
Tuesdays engagement being over, he says:
"sharpshootins all the evening; were
obliged to lie fat to keep from being hit. !
made bed Of cedar boughs dead men lying
all about us. In getting boughs in the dark.
fell over dead rebel. tits surprising how
accustomed we are to death scenes and dead
men. When fell got up mad instead Of be
ing frightened"
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