The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1863-09-10
Letter from Lieut.. j. M. sutphen.
HEADoRs Co. 'D," GOTH RECT O,VI
Dunlap, Sequetche City, Tenn
August 21st, 1868.

lieving that the readers Of the Gazette
are always glad to hear from the Goth,
l have concluded to drop you few
lines. My letter will necessarily be
short, as we are liable to be order cd
to " light out at any moment.
We (Palmer's Division) left our
camp at Manchester on the morning
of the 10th, and many were tkerumors
and opinions as to our destination
some aupposing we would go to Nc
MinnyilIc, and thence across themoun-
tains into East Tennessee; others
thought we would never be able to
write our friends from the only "Se-
bastopol" now held by the enemy in
this State - Chattanooga. But con-
trary to surmises, we struck oat IN
an castcrly direction toward the noun
tains. Our first days march Of four
teen miles was very fatiguing on the
boys on account of the excessive heat
of the sun, although we marched very
slow and had frequent rests. wei
went into camp about o'clock. This
days march brought us into q beauti-
ful rich valley, which possesses some OF
the finest farms we have seen i'll this
portion of the State.
A portion of the ground over which
we came on the 18th was very rough,
and on the morning of the 18th, our
regiment received orders to go back
and assist the wagon train. The wag-
ons were loaded with ammunition and
supplies principally, and numbered
near four hundred. After an unnec-
cssary amount Of yelling, whipping
and cursing of the poor mules. the
train was all helped over, and we
started to overtake our brigade, which
by this time had got several miles the
start of us. We marched this day (the
l17th) 27 miles, which brought us to
the foot of quite lofty spur OF the
Cumberland mountains. We bivou-
aced on the side of the hill for the
night, having done a pretty good day $
work, k,-marched q miles, besides the
labor of assisting the wagons.
On the morning Of the 18th we
again started at sunrise to overtake
our brigade, and having the entire
train of wagons to pass our march was
necessarily slow; so much to our i'm
pcdiment were they, that we did not
Join our brigade until evening, when
we went into camp having marched
10 miles. Hero we drew rations and
rcplenshcd our haversacks, which by
the way, were getting rather light to
be Scrrtcedble.
On the morning of the 10th we
started for Dunlap, II miles distant.
This was much the emost pleasant day s
march we have had. The sun was as
hot perhaps as it was on either of the
preceding days, but the road was
beautifully shaded the entire route.
The last two hours of the march were
spent in descending the mountain
The road down is very winding in its
course, in somo places very steep and
| rocky, and is about three miles and q
: half in length. Were Ia poet | should
certainly attempt to picture to you the
beauty and grandeur of tho scenery
. which is open to ones view as he ap
' proachcs the summit of this mountain
, and before descending the hill, but as
j, make no prctensions whatever in tha
way, am compelled to leave it tC
your imagination. From this poin
; can be seen at one glance the whole
G Of the beautiful valley below and th'
: mountains beyond. The view is truly
magnificent one.
, We arrived here about 2 O'Clock Z
! NJ. Dunlap is the county seat OF Sc
II ouatchee county; is small town, ant
s contains one dry goods store, n dru!
IS store, q blacksmith shop, and a Cour
q House. The latter is small franz
building, resembling very much al
Ohio country meeting house. Th
y town is situated in what is called th
0. Soquatchco Valley, between Chestnu
is Hill on the one side, and Cumberlan'
20 Mountain on the other.
" Our advance which was Col. WILD
. ER's Brigade Of mounted infantry
l. found small force of rebel cavalr,
Q. here, but after small skirmish, i
@ which he captured Is and killed on
q of their number, they fled procipitatC
=, Ily. Col. Wilder will do to bet on, an
81 he has as brave set Of men as eve
A. faced an enemy. They look as ifnotl
I'd ing short of lightning and cannon ba
re would faze them. They lit ont earl
s yesterday morning for the front. |
- q conversation with General PalmC
w just before they started, Col. Wilde
said: General, I'm going down
co. Chattanooga to-day to demand
n. Bragg the surrender of the place, an
ifhe don't grant it I'll shoot at hi
" for luck, by Godr He has gone dow
r. 10 feel round, and suppose we wi
Id remain here until he is heard fror
We are but 2S miles from Chattanooe
NV in direction nearly north, and
miles from McMinville. The mou
W. tains and valleys abound with fruit
no every variety, and the boys make Il
ri cornfelds suffer. The health of Il
A regiment is very good. The bo
Or stand the marches much better thi
0i wos anticipated after being in camp