The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-15
From the Army Of the Frontier.
Its operations In the Indian Ter.
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FORT GIBSON, Ind. Ter. July 0.-I have
delayed writing to you for some days past,
AS it is, I can only offer you congratula-
tlon in view of the bright prospects before
US. Since Gen. Blunt left here for the
lower country, we have all felt satisfied
that stirring times would commence. True
to his tendencies, he has been "pitching
in" again, and although he has but few
hundred men, the whole entire rebel gang
of marauding thieves has scattered as
though some fearful calamity was about to
overwhelm it. At Cabin Creek they were
handsomely whipped, and again the hordes
that held Col. Phillips and his force inside
the rifle pits of Fort Gibson, with almost
certain prospects of capturing the entire
force, fled as soon as the little General
hove in sight with his little guard. His
life to everything. The timid shivering
policy of Col. Phillips gave way to gem
eral rally, and forward movement across
the Arkansas. A few hours, and the reb-
els were attacked in their fortified position
at Elk Greek, and completely routed and
scattered in every direction.
The rebel force consisted Of portion of
the old Hindman army, mostly Texans
and Arkansas troops, with two regiments
of Choctaw and Cherokee Indians. Gen
eral dispatches will give you full account
of the affair. All your readers wish TO
known is, that we have whipped them.
To say that the Department of the Mis-
souri, is badly managed, gives but faint
idea ofthe real condition of things. Every
screw appears to be loose from st. Louis
to Helena, and from there up the Arkan-
sas river to Fort Smith. We have small
squads of soldiers scattered over the whole
country, underline command Ofno one
knows who, but apparently ''going it on
their own hook" There is no concert of
action, and general feeling of disgust at
the neglected condition of the department.
The soldiers, however, are in good spirits
and have the utmost confidence in the
power of the Government to whip the reb-
els, even though they do 1t by piece-meal.
Uncle Sam, thus far, has fought the enemy
with both hands in his pockets. The
strong cords of political parties have al
most bound him to the post of policy; &C.
casionally, he would kick out of the traces
and deal the monster telling blow on
the head in the shape of an order, that
sent hope bounding through the heart of
every patriot. You may think that we,
away down here never think of the why
and wherefores of this or that line of policy,
or that we ever pretend to scrutinize the
past, present, or inevitable future acts of
the Government; but we do-in our back
us, here for calling things by common
names, when you remember that we are
very close to the stamping ground Of that
rough old patriot, Dav. Crockett; that we
are rough set of fellows, in rough coun
try, living on rough fare, fighting as rough
a set of traitorous devils as ever drew
breath upon a Western frontier. We eat
our "hard tack" and hunt bushwhackers
with a cheerfulness that would surprise
you.
Sometimes, things 60 swimmingly along.
The merry laugh rings through the camp,
and tear ofjoy glides down the sun burnt
cheek, at the happy thought of seeing the
dear ones at home, and of enjoying the
pleasures of the family circle, where the
more endured. But, alas when we have
the monster by the throat, holding him
down to his last death-struggle our strong
arms are paralyzed, through the agency of
some complicated chicanery, and the devil
lives again to fight another day. Well,
this is but a recurrence of the history Of all
past wars, especially where some gigantic
evil was to be rooted out. We must defeat
and be defeated, toll in adversely, and re-
| joice in prosperity, rise and fall like the
| waves of the ocean, shifting sail to the ca
price of every vicious blast, until the strong
| arm of right and power shall overwhelm
the hosts of treason, the enemies of our
common humanity. How natural it is for
common soldiers to discuss, by the dim and
smouldering ambers Of the camp fire, great
questions. They even go so far, sometimes,
as to criticise the acts of superior officers,
and have heard them express opinions,
even, about the policy pursued by the
President and his Cabinet. They all have
the utmost confidence in their wisdom and
patriotism, but their impotence leads them
to think that the blows of progression fall
too slowly. Even the slaveholding citi-
zens here express the firm conviction that
peace will never be restored until slavery
| finds its grave. gff
The force here is not sufficient to 90 far
south of the Arkansas, as the scattering
forces of the enemy are again concentra-
ting, and there is little use Of starting upon
! an expedition that we will fail in. Our