The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1863-02-20
From Vicksburg.
V,cKsBURG, Miss, Feb. -, l8G;

.,ae reminds us of our homes in East
r. '.,ossee, and fromits columns we gather
MANY items of home news. The Banner
1c no same date arrived also, which con-
very interesting speech made by
a. Hurst, of your county. | do rot agree
.hbip in all his positions, but he makes
800 rood arguments. : hope all East |
n o,,nessce is becoming united in favor OF
49,. cause. All the infantry regiments
f.or East Tennessee are at this point, |
.oady TO defend any attack that may be
made on the Queen City of the South by
7 ;,coln's hosts, which are now encamped
inst across the river, in sight, with the'I
bosom of the Mississippi nearly covered
with transports and war vessels for miles
.,oye. but all careful not to come within
,re of our batteries. We are looking
e.. an attack every day. Gen. Vaughn's
L,.;rade is encamped two miles above the
citT His forces occupy the outside fortl-
6ostions on the river. The command has
LoJ = great deal of sickness, but not as
MANY deaths as usual among so many
cacos Several cases of small poX-Vario-
h;d-have occurred, but all have recover
ed Gen. Reynolds, who commands the
.Aher East Tennessee brigade, is stationed
s5s,se Eve miles below the city. The health
IJfhis command isvcry good-occasional'
Nv a case of small poX, of a mild form
Then we have here from East Tennessee
Capt. Lynch's artillery company, among
the best in the service. Also the company
that Capt. Montsearrat recruited in East
Tennessee-ar artillery. Also. another East
Tennessee company here-l dor t knows
who commands it. Then we have Capt.
Dick Van Dykes company of McMinn
Invincibles here, which ranks A No. l,
and is commanded by as gallant young
man as our army affords. His officers and
men are all of the right kind. Yourcoun-
ty has six companies he-e-gallant Polk,
skiold Monroe fifteen. Bradley and
Meigs have their share also. The coun-
ties where your paper and the Cleveland
Banner have circulated, embracing your
Congressional district, have furnished as
many soldiers to volunteers for this war
as nearly all the balance Of East Tennes-
see, leaving out old iSuiltr0n.
The Yankees are still working away on
the famous canal. | think they will have
many ticks to strike before they get it in
boating order
/ see you nave me names Oh several
candidates announced for Attorney Gen
! eral in the Knoxville district, and among
them that Of Capt. Josiah l. Wright, of
/ Col. Cookies regiment, who would receive
+ The united vote OF all the volunteers if
they were at home 10 vote-not because
he is one of us in the army, but because
he is eminently worthy Of and well quail
fed for the position. / hope it may meet
with YOUR apDrOhatiOn TO endorse him to
your many readers.
The Gunboat, or Ram, that ran the
blockade here some eight or ten days ago
and has generally been lying below the
city in sight. has been absent below for
the last few days-also the small ferry
boat captured by the enemy. | hope they
may run up with a Gen. Magruder some
where. She ought to have been captured
W. il not in passing, after she got below
across the river, we learn that there is
great dissatisfaction in the Federal camp,
especially among the Illinois, Indiana
Ohio and Wisconsin troops. The Drag
10th Ohio regiment that the gallant Sd
Tennessee, under Col. Vaughn. charged
and routed at Tazewel. East Tennessee.
is here, minus several killed and taken
prisoners ON the Eazoo river during our
late battle there, where this same 10Th
Ohio was met and defeated again by the
Sd Tennessee regiment from Middle Ten
nesee. One of the prisoners wanted to
! know how many Sd Tennessee regiments
there were, as he knew one at Cumber
land Gap commanded by Col. Houckp
under Gen. Spears.
We are now receiving reinforcements
athis place. Vicksburg is we'll fortified
and when the enemy lands and tiles tc
take it by storm, many of them will lay
their land warrants near the place There
are ravines enough near the city to bury
: the whole army of Abraham Lincoln
/, without digging any new holes. But
hope they Will look at all things ri fly
and pull up stakes and return up the
Mississippi river and hunt another Ar
kansas Post. and let US alone here to cal
our corn bread and poor beef.
This is hard place to live. | saw a @
! M. buy box of common star candles Il
lbsp the other day-only paid $40. Pork
a IS worth from so to IS cents per h., larc
Sl,N, chickens Sl,00, eggs 81 90 per doz.
potatoes 50. 90 per bushe1, and other arti
Giles IN proportion. A couple of East Ten
nessee officers called in at restaurant
, day or two ago to get snack for dinner
5 and partook Of few plates and cup o
pure Rlo. When they were done the pc
: lite Q. NJ. asked the blll-the bar-keepe
replied ''only eight dollars" Common
board here for a sick soldier in privat,
tamily is $500 per day. How long woulc
: r t'as'es zsidier to board out his pay o
eleven dollars per month? This countr,
is full o. sharper5 and speculators.-Eas
Tennessee is nowhere. Sugar has gon,
up here to 40 cents since the river ha
been blockaded. God grant how soor
this war may close. If rascality is no
checked soon there will have to be Iarg,
additions built to all Tour State prisons a
soon as peace is made. And ali say tina
they look for peace this coming spring O.
summer. The question is now often ask
ed, isst so that an armistice has beer
made Yours, EAST TENNESSEE
The Exemption. Bill Disposed of Ii
the House