Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-03-06
our ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
STEAMER SUPERIOR, UPWARD Bound,
Feb. 26th. 1863.

Feb. 26th, 1863.
Eo. Journalistic knowing the inter-
est felt and which has SO often been substan.
TALLY manifested by the community in which
your paper circulatcs, in the welfare and his.
tory of the 18th Regiment, and having recent
ly, before severing my connection with it,
made some memoranda from the Hospital
records, which may possess sufficient to repay
their publication, at the request of some Of
the officers from your city, l enclose you a
copy The table, except in one item, embraces
the entire period Of sixteen months, since the
regiment was organized.
An examination of the records shows that
the largest number of cases of sickness (566)
occurred during the quarter ending June 80,
'62, which included the sickness arising
from the exposure incident to the battle of
Shiloh. OF these cases $50 were so far recov.
cred as to return to duty during the quarter
and l42 were sent 10 the general hospital
The largest mortality in care of the medical
officers of the regiment, occurred during the
quarter Immediately preceding this, ending
March 81, '62. During these three months
there were sixteen deaths, more than one-hali
the entire mortality of the sixteen months
This can be traced chiefly to the exposure
during the expedition to Bonneville, Of men
who were coming down with the measles,
and to the subsequent epidemic of small-po
at Fulton, by which we lost four men. Dur.
ing the months of May and June we had the
healthiest regiment in the division to which
| it belonged, but during the latter part of the
summer it suffered more than in my opinion
was necessary, from causes beyond nv con.
frO1 SiucA than fbo hoo1th hoo hoor all,
improving, and it was six months the oath Of
February, since man died in the camp of the
l It'll, and but eight had died in general hos.
pitfalls during that time, which is not a bad
record, with an average strength of 700 men
exposed to all the hardships of winter cam
paign. @e
The present sick list is from 20 to 25, most
ly intermittent fever and diarrhea, the result
of exposure to cold and dampness There are
but one or two cases that are at all critical,
and several efforts have been made to send
them North, but without success.
There is one case John Tillard, Co. H. oil
modified smallpox, not fully developed, but
apparently ola mild type.
The regiment is as well situated as the ma.
ture of the country will permit, but the sol
is such that during the heavy rains the
camps become perfect quag-mire, but soor
dry out when the rain ceases.
| John Clark, of Co. B, died at the post hos
pital, at Lake Providence, Feb. 23d, oftyphoit
pneumonia He had recently Joined the regi
ment as recruit, and learn that he leaves
wife and six children in Marshall County t.
mourn the sad loss.
The friends of Capt. Ben. Beach will b.
glad to learn that he is on his way home, hav
ing been ordered to Iowa on business con
nected with the regiment. He is justly emit
tied TO such an order as he is the only Cap
tain who has never been off duty or absent 6
day since the regiment left Iowa.
| The only news could learn from Vicks
burg was that another gunboat and two NOR
tars ran the blockade, Tuesday night, with
out material injury.
! There was skirmish between detach
ment of the I'd Illinois Cavalry, under Majo
Mudd, and some guerrillas, at Greenvillle, OF
Monday, in which the Major and some of hi
men were wounded, but could not learn tn
parti ulars.
| am happy to inform the friends of Adjutan
Cadle that he has entirely recovered frou
the wound received in the skirmish at Rich
mond ,sand that after a c,reful examination
Of the case, by Competent Board of Sur
geons, it has been decided that the ball en-
tered from the front land not from behind, a
some have Intimately SINCE this decision
he has gradually abandoned the stiff-necke(
style in which he INDUCED himself previously
Yours respectfully,
WIN. WATSON,
| Lotto Surroon II III Roo