The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-01-31
Army Correspondence.


ana on 0uty Is the ATosoSI Ooaru. 1ney |
are, generally, we'll The wounded in the
hospitals are improving as fast as could be
Adjt Stevens has had back.
set within the past few days. He was taken
1 think he is gradually recoverin. now.
and no doubt will be over it in few days
more. His wounds are nearly we'll enough |
to enable him 10 get out OH crutchss.
Gallatin is an old and well-built town. /
In its palmiest days it contained . pOlu |
lation Of about 5000. 1t is compactiy |
built, and most of the buildings are brick
In the centre of the town is public
square, and in the centre of the squai g
stands the Court House of Sumner county
a very fair building, such as would do
credit to any county in any State. 1t is
built of brick, with cutstvne basement,
with cOlonaded entrances on two sides
There are three very respectable chuI ches
either Of them better than any in Ut,a.
wa Two large seminaries; one a private
institution, exclusively for females, and
the other belongs to the free school sys-
tenn. la and around the town are many
really splendid residences some hav, q
tneir grounds tasteiully ornamented with
choice shae trees and shrubbery. the adj
jacent country is in high state of cuiti
walton, and bears the marks Of more than
ordinary thrift No doubt, before this un
fortunate rebellion broke out, there resid
ed here q wealthy and happy people. But,
alas, how changed is every thing now
The fine residences within the limits OF
the town, in which the proprietors but ii
few months since rioted i'll wealth and
atiiuence, are all converted into hospitals
and are filled with the sick and wounded
of the Union army. The Ornamental
fences around the yards have been used
for kindlng. The sha.i-,reeS, evergeens,
and shrubbery, have been broken down
and torn 20 pieces. All signs Of thrift and
comfort have disappeared, and ruin ard
/ icsoa,ion are visible everywhere. The
country is equally despoiled But few
; families remain, and they would leave If
! they could get away. 1t is awful To see
/ what havoc armeis make in a country.
/ The contract with the Louisville a.
Nashville Railroad for Carrying the mails
/ expired the l.t Of January. and the com.
pnny and the Poit Office Department. haY,.
failed TO come TO terms of renewal The
/ consequence was we were unable to get
| any mail matter through from the Nnrtl,
since Christmas, Morgan having cut off all
communication about that time The Go.
vernment had ordered that after the LIST
inst all the mails from Louisville should
be shipped TO Nashville by way of the
Cumberland river, and as that stream Was
still too low to admit boats above the
shoals at GAINESVILLE. and the weather
continued fair and warm, and the pro,pec,
| for rain was bad, the chance OF oar r-ceiv.
/ ing any mail at this place was decidedly
dubious. Accordingly, | was despatched
by Gen. Paine to Nashville, with full in
| structlons to make arrangements with the
necessary authorities, To supply this post
it possible, with a regular mail between
| here and that city. ! started on nv mi,
sion on Thursday evening. anu by Saturday
morning ! accomplished e,ei more than
WAS expected An order from General
! Ro,eciaHs WAS obtained, requiring the
Il. Co. not only To supply this pest, but 10
carry the mails daily, and supply all it,
TlEetitttt commands, afl'! detailing route
agents for the road, and directing the Co
To charge the L. ) q. NJ Department FOR
the service, at freight rates ;,ccorfiiny To
! weight, until other arrangements could be-
made with the Z. - Department Ans.
sen.er was also sent to the breach in the
/ X Il. below, with Instructions 10 the
transportation master there, TO detail the
necce,sary teams to transport the mails
both ways, over the break Having at
tanned the object OF my mission, returned
10 my post again on Saturday and happy
10 anuounceto our. friend, in the North
that we are once more blessed with daily
mail. and that they can communicate with
their friends here without submitting TO
the delays and risks which environ our
postal arrangements ever since Morgan {.
Chris, mas visit into Kentucky.
Nashville is now the great centre Of this
nation Every hotel is crowed to over
flowing with visitors from all part. of the
country. All abe churches and public
buildings have been converted into hos
pitfalls aud are filled to their utmost capa-
city with the wounded from the late
bloody hattle-fieids of MurfreesbOro.
Parents are here anxiOusly en9uirin.
after the !a,e of their sons sens hunting
fathers; sisters nursing brothers; wives
wringing their hands in agony over the
cold and mansled bodies of their expiring
husbands; while here and there are anx-
ious maidens, with auivering lip and pal
lid check, tremblingly enquiries after some
fond one whose fate is still unknown
An kin! reader, but visit these spacious
ha,ls-niark he horrid wounds-h-sr the
sirieks and groaus-and witness the mise
! nv Of the $4,000 wounded and sick who
| inhabit them. methinks you would invoke
high heaven, if you never prayed before.
TO hasten on the day when wars shall be
no more.
had time to go through but one of
these hospitals. 1t was in large ami
splendidly furnished church, on Church
street. There were 900 wounded rien in
the building, and all Confederate soldiers
Over ~ Surgeons We're busily engaged IN
amputating Inns and dressing wounds 1t
was awful No man living can depict the
horrors of such a scene IL was enough
for me Ny curiosity WAS glutted. and
had no desire to visit any more My God
Could the wicked wretches, who br ught
on this most unnatural war-those iuhu-
man monsters-be made to visit the hos
pitfalls of Nashville, it seems t. me this
dreadful butchery would speedily be
brought to an eud. *
The st. Cloud Hotel. in Nashville, Is the
grand rendezvous of the shoulder strapped
gentry of the army. Here all who wish
information from she front. congresa;e.
1t Is the very iocus to which all the chan
nels OF army intelligence tend: and it is,
consequently, constantly crowded to ex-
cess. | was, however, fortunate enough
to secure a room and nance at the table.
l here met Gen. j. D. Morgan, our old
companion in arms in Mexico He made
many inquiries after the editor of the
Free Trader. Gen NJ is in command OF a
division here, and was held by Gen Rose
| Grams in reserve. Thus, like at the battle