The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-02-05
Army Correspondence.
From the a3d Regiment.
HEADQUARTERS 33D WIS vaeedbs''
MoscoR. Tenn, IAN. 2Oth, loVo.

On Saturday the 10th inst, we broke up o"i On"
at Holly Springs, and werei in a few 9ninutesreauy
to march. In this uncomfortable manner we
waited until half past eight in the evening" when
the last train moved off we began our marcu 90
rear guard of the army. That night we m~fcneu
to Cold Water Greek, a distance OF Blk ana a nan
miles, and camped in an open field, destitute Vi
wood and water. The ground was tros'y'Ahu 'nus
at midnight we lay down and slept as only ureo
oldiers can sleep, after a fatiguing maron over d
rough road ankle deep with mud, in " night roo
dark to distinguish ones own companions.
But a word IS to the raid Of Van Dorm into Ho'>
" Springs: Col. Murphy of the Sth Wisconsin
Rect. was in command of the post. Gen. Grant
the night before sent him a dispatch from oxford
informing him of the intended attack ana TO DC
prepared for il, to which he paid no attention ana
did not even attempt to defend the place. Some
of bis friends claim he had only $50 men, and cod
not defend il. But the parole of 1900 prisoners
r;vas the liz tn that statement, and his men de-
clare he sold them. To he sure he was drunk Out
| n drunken man could with the means ne tMurpnyJ
had had he been determined and allowed the means
to be used, defended and saved the place. but
the miserable paltroon, in league win MS South>
ern sympathizers, did not use the means az hano
and thus allowed 10, 900 men below nlm 10 Dc left
without supplies, when before an enemy they
had driven and we're driving surely before them.
There ia as much of the knave, corard and TRAITOR
blended in Col. Murphy as is possible to be in
ono man And when he returns to the State he
has 90 shamefully disgraoed, let him be markedly
the shame and wear the inglorlous crown OF mia
NV he has himself won at Holly Springs and luka.
The following is reported In official Circles, and
T rive it for what it is worth: A lady OF Holly
Springs belonging to the upper class, called upon
q neighbor with her negro servant, when the fol-
10 ying conversation took place: "Our cavalry
ara m come in here and take the place il the
morning" "But we can't the yankees are too
stronp for u.s." Yes we can, for Dol. Murphy
wont fight"
This was told by the negro servant when our
troops returned to the place. So Holly Springs
was taken, and from that cause, our men were
compelled to fall back nearly one hundred miles,
and abandon the object of the advance. Though
il is hard to see it 80, in a country where taere is
provision enough to support an army of double
that number.
When we lett Memphis, it was TO attack Prlce
in his stronghold at Tallahatchie, but when threat
ened on the flank and rear, he deemed discretion
the better part of valor and SO in great haste went
south on argent business.
From that time our officers in omman seemed
to have no definite object. We would march q
day, then camp a week or more. 1t was saio 20
wait for supplies, and repair the railroad SO as TO
open communication And to depend upon such
an unsubstantial affair as it is in an enemy s counN
trv where a hundred men can at almost any point
DESTROY its utility for weeks, and thus leave us
without supplies or communication, is beyond our
comprehension. There seemed to be no real point
in the game save to run off negroes ana ailo"
spectators to buy cotton. On our march as we
fell back, we stopped at each station long enough
To secure all the cotton in the surrounding coun>
try.
I'm the morning of the 10Th inst. we arrived at
this place. A small God>forSaken town called
Moscow, Tennessee. This place is situated 81
miles east of Memphis, and 3 west of LaGrange
Here we have been treated to a succession OF rain
and snow storms, cold freezing weather which
test fine qualities Of our 80 Au6rdy tents to the
fullest extent. The snow on Thursday morning
WAS about three aud one. half inches deep anc last
ed about four days.
Since hose severe storms we have received
about forty-seven "Weaye' and Wall Tents
though they are old ones and have been turned
over by other regiments, they are much better
than our former ones. Sixty or seventy more VIII
shelter this whole command in a very comfortaOie
manner. Many thanks to our officers Tor these
and their unceasing exertions for our welfare
They have proved Themselves worthy of tneil
command, and | believe are esteemed and loVec
by their men.
Among our other blessings is the arrival OF oul
ID Asst. Surgeon and Chaplain also several 0
our companions who were left sick in hospitals a
Memphis and Racine. Among whom is our Ole
= friend and acquaintance, Lieut. George II. Mich
OILS. We left him sick at Memphis, and bid hin
"good bye" with faint hopes of seeing him again
II NAV be interesting to many of his friends Il
know that he has fully recovered his health ant
is now in the best of spirits. We were much sur
prised on Saturday last to see him again in GU
midst looking 80 well and hearty.
Our regiment is in q very unhealthy condition
the storms of rain and snow, and exposure IN al
sorts of weather which we have been obilged u
endure without proper shelter or protection ma
had it's effect. Our company, IL, cannot HuS'e
fifty men able TO do duty, and the regiment no
over six hundred. To-day we buried one OF oul
soldiers, the first that has died III camp. The 9th
err deaths have been in hospitals at some distance
from US. Joseph Cape, of Co. B, d few minutes
before he died he was at a camp fire smoking nj
,)ipe. He went to his tent greatly distressed, ant
before one o f the surgeons could get TO him he W"
a corpse. A postmortem examination fa'led u
detect the cause of his death. He was burie'
" ,J $500 sc @ ,ol5:or m n uaOtIU sIOninL
mound near our camp. VIM. Stout of 20. L die
in LAGRANGE or the I4th inst. Of tn
first death in that company. The company /
doing well, though its men like those of othe
companies has suffered from exposure. Dap
} Cook has been quite unwell but is now much bet
! ter. With many wishes for better weather AM
, tents we close.
Nv 8. co. H. BID Z. v. V.