Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-02-13
Correspondence Of the Gazette.
FROM THE TH1RTY-FYRsT IOWA.
y MrLLKIS's BExp, % miles above vicksburg,
- ~ January 9lst 1858 {

&o0ye
IL a @ # Janussy 2lst, 1858. (
Mr.. Error :-"Thc id Yankees
{ are ever ready for news, and especially art
they ready and anxious to obtain facts in re
gard to our present successes and reverses
They want to see not only the light side, bu,
the dark side Of everything connected with
the present war. Sometimes they obtain
facts, and many times they don't. am not
paid for writing to please or crafty the ava.
rice of any Colonel, General or politician,
and at the present time viii offer nothing txt
facts. In the first place, l will state great
cause Of complaint among soldiers, and hope
Others will spread it until We obtain relief
One year ago the cry was, Too many SOL
ders away from their posts" That cry was
heard, and the opposite extreme must be
tried. In the Western department the rule
is Except in extreme cascs) no furoushs or
discharges shall be granted. To obtain a
discharge now, soldier must prove that he
Is dying, or that he will die within limited
time. In the army Of the Mississippi many
brave men die daily, who would haverccov-
cred had they hccn sent to Memphis or st.
Louis, where they could have been properly
cared for in hospitals, and thousands more
will die from the same cause. Fora consid-
cradle time we have been obliged to endure
much fatigue and exposure. Half of our
regiment is now sick and other regiments
are in the same condition. One fourth of
those who are sick will never recover unless
they shall be properly cared for in hospitals
Yet from day to day, and from week to week
they must be dragged after the army, pack
cd in the cabins of transports without prop
CT ventilation, food, medicine or care. Such
treatment is calculated to make men more
selfish; it is dcbasing, and is one OF the caus-
es which prevent proper subordination in
the army. In ordinary times death and the
dead cause solemn thoughts, but it is seldom
so in the army. Far from home the soldier
dies. His blanket answers for shroud and
coffin, and as few comrades bury his re-
mains in what some would call temporary
grave, it is too often that such remarks are
made as, Another soldier has turned his
toes up" Oh shall the sick of the army
of the Mississippi ever be properly cared for.
Again it is discouraging to know that
many Of our officers are traitors. Many men
who are known to be rebels have received |
passes which enable them to buy goods in
ST. Louis, Memphis, and Helena, which they
cannot purchase in rebel towns or cities. In
the above named places, -four, clothing.
shoes, etc, are sold to rebels every day |
There is another great cause Of trouble to
the soldier, Many of the ncccssaries Of life |
arc much dearer now than they were six
months ago. The funds whic@, were left to
support the families Of thousands of soldiers |
arc now exhausted. Many are now suffer.
ing, and no one can tell how long it may be
before pay day will come. The war path is
"a hard road to travel, and those Who tray-
81 on it are generally poor men, or men Of or
binary means. Those who arc in better cir
cumstances, and who are now enjoying the
comforts Of home. gain as much, and FIRE. I,
quently more from the soldiers victories
than he gains. himself. Then, for the sake
of justice and humanity, let such men relieve
the soldiers mind by supplying his family
with the ncccssaries of life. n a 81.
In regard 10 Mr.. Lncoln's emancipation
proclamation, | have nothing to say at the
present time. BY that proclamation all the
slaves in certain States are declared free
Yet nothing but the armed forces Of the
North will ever enable them to enjoy free
dom. The interests Of the nation demand
that slavery should no longer exist. Let
them be free. But if freedom is SO desirable
let them earn it. Up to this time slaves
have raised the food which has supported
the rebel Confederacy, and slaves have built
the forts and Entertainments before which
tens oil thousands Of our northern brethren
have fallen. The cry Of the North shonld be
gather them i'm Put arms IN their hands
and make them labor as faithfully to sup
press the rebellion as they have iabored to
sustain it, ..-
l will now give you condensed history
Of our operations since you last heard from
US. From the Yazoo river we moved direct
ly to point on the Arkansas river, about
three miles below Arkansas Post, or as the
rebels call it Fort Hindman. Next morning
we marched about five miles through, mud
and water to get in the rear Of the fort where
We came to an.obstruction in the shape of an
extensive bayor. We then waded back to
the transports, and had lunch of warm
coffee and +" shingles" Then waded by an
other route to the encny's encampmcnt, in
rear of their works, where We arrived just
before daylight of Jan. llth. We found
comfortable barracks and fine tents, sufficient
to accommodate six or seven thousand men.
In many Of them VIC found excellent meat,
corn-mcal, molasses, etc We breakfastcd
on rebel stores and then moved as near the
rebel works as we could with safety, where
VIC lay until o'clock r. in order to give
our artillerists time to come up and plant
A.. -. 4 Al & a. L..