The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-09-05
Army Correspondence.
Cave SPRINGS. Ala Aup 81 1st

CAVE SPRINGS Ala, Aug. 81, 1863
To the Free Trader On Sunday the l6tl
inst, this division left Dechard Station OF
another forward movement The create
part of the l4th army corps, Gen. Thoma
commanding: had previously been put il
motion. Our route was by way of Cowan
thence through Crow Creek valley pas
across the mountains to Stephenson, nea
this place The first day we left Dechare
about | o clock A. n, and In q very heavy
thunder storm, which continued for abou
two hours, moved slowly on to Cowan,
email village and railroad station at tn
base OF the northermost ridge of thu
mountains. Here, at splendid spring
| we rested for about an hour, to take din
ner repleni-h our canteens prior Il
ascending the mountain. About 3 CLOCK
P. NJ, we started up the mountain over 9
road which for roughnes. beat everything
| ever travelled on. The 42d Ind. regiment
advance, and The 18th KY. and 8Sth Ind
of the battery were light, yet We had, tc
frequently turn in and help them up owe,
places where the six heavy horses to each
gun carriage or caisson, were insu,ncien,
for the task. 1t was ten o'clock at night
before we reached the top of the noun
tain, and, although the men, horses and
mules were nearly worn out, we bad still
five miles more 20 make, OveI equally bad
roads before there was water enough 10
supply the wants of the brigade The
night was exceedingly dark The team
sters could scarcely keep the road, and
much less avoid the rocks and holes that
everywhere threatened either to upset OF
crush to pieces their WAGONS After crop
ing along few miles in the thick dark
ness, with but a few candles to light our
way through the heavy forests that cover
these mountains, the welcome news came
back along the lines, with cheer, that a
heavy battery wagon in front had broken
down and we woi.id have to bivouac in the
woods for the balance Of the night 1t
was now clock in the morning As
most of tue men had a little water left in
their canteens, numerous fires gradually
began To illumine the foliage OH the over.
hanging boughs, and in a few minutes the
golden light of thousand fires cat!e
streaming no, along the mountain side.
The rich odor of coffee perfumed the air,
while the kissing, frying sound of broiling
" SOW belly, served lullaby for the
wearied soldiers, as one by one rolled him
self up in his rubber blanket and laid acwn
in his wet clothes on the wet ground and
consigned themselves to the sweet em>
brace OF the god of slumbers Ia al hour
more all was hushed in sleep, except the
frettins horses and mules which, doubtless,
We're suffering for water Notw ithstand.
ing the severity of this days march we
only made ten miles
Monday morning at o'clock we again
started forward. We had passed the sum
mt Of the Mountain the night before and
We're now descending the south side. Tie
road WIS fully a rough on this side as on
the other, but the teams got along much
easier as we had plenty of fiue spring
water for them, aud it was down hill At
the foot OF this mountain we entered the
valley OF Crow Creek, which at first is a
mere chasm between two high ridges, but
grad1alIy idens, a ana at Tan ii!lon, mefss isGs
station on the railroad, it is probably an
eighth OF mile wide As few Of the sup
ply teams, as well as the company teams
started up the mountains on Sunday, we
only went TO Tantilion Station -four miles
this dav, and here expected 70 ha.c the
wagon train reicin is Cut night came on
and no wagons arrived The haJersacks
OF the men, by this time, had also given
out, so that To reneS the march forward
without supplies was impossible. accord.
incly, on Tuesday morning, about day III ght,
we were: marched back again into the
mountains after provisions. We met ,ct.r
trains some two and half miles back
After laying in good su, ply of ra,ions
We returned to Tant.llion and then re-
sumed the march southward One Of
those absurd accidents so common in arr
mics occurred this morning when we went
back to our wagons. On leaving Dechard
permission was given the tLen OF this regi-
meEt % put their knapsacks on the
wagons and carry their tents. But after
the teams had passed all the bad ruad
over the mountain, aud we had reached
the valley of Crow Creek. where the roads
were smooth and level, and where hard
marching really begaA, an order came TO
have each man shoulder his knapsaok, or
they would lie thrown out o. the wagons
Through this wonderful display Of wisdom
on the part OF the sagaciOus Individual who
conceived this idea, the wagons were near
IL disencumbered of all their loads and
many poor faithful soldier, broken dow :,
and rendered useless to the government
by being overloaded during the intensely
hot and heyvy marches Of the next two
days. But in the eyes CT men who cons
mand marching armies-who have never
learned soldering on foot, but day out anG
day in ride in their easy saddles, what are
the lives Of fifteen or twenty men worth
when compared with the wear and tear o
the wagons and mules, and the trouble o
few knapsacks might be to q set Of indo
lent uuderstrappers.
There Is a strange system of economy
practised by those who manage the trans
, portation of this army. There is now un
. interrupted railroad communication be
| tween Stephenson, Ala, and Dechard.-
| Trains run hourly. One ortwo cars woult
have carried every pound Of baggage be
longing to this entire brigaoe from Dech
ard to Anderson, in less than two hours
/ The men could have tax en- tYo days cook
ed ratious in their haversacks and the res
of their supplies might have been sent b,
rail through the mountains say 10 Tanti
| lion Station. The teams could then hav
made the trip easily, with the emp:
wagons over this bad road across tile noun
dition when they got to Tantillion Station
as when they left Cowan Instead, how
ever, of taking this course all the team
were heavily loaded with provisions an,
military baggage, and most of the mel
with their knapsacks and tents The re
suit Of which was the loss Of about tvs
days in performing a march which nigh
have easily heen made in one day. Th
breaking o! some 8 or 10 wagons, whicl
cost the goyernment at least 500 each
The killing os crippling of dozen mule.
worth 800 each, aud destroying the use
fulness of not less than 20 good men 70
months to come-some perhaps for life
The expense to the government of trans
porting the whole brigade by rail woul'
not have equalled the losses sustained ii
the march, as it was conducted, over tn
mountains. From Tantillion to this plac
the roads are quite good AID the team
could have transported all the supplies, in
Guiding the mems knapsacks, wlthHu
difficulty or injury, and thus saved hu n
dreds of dollars to the government, AM