Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-10-22
ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
From the Goth Regiment---!nteresting Letter
from Chaplain Walters,
STEAMER IBERvILLE, AT MoRGAN's BEND
HEADQUARTERS 10Th Wis. Vols,
Sept. 29th, 1868.


Sept. 29th, 1868.
EDITORS STATE JOURNAL A word fromm
at this time, may be Of some interest to the
readers of YOUR widely circulated journal.
After long and somewhat interesting
journey from Madison, via Chicago and Cairo,
by railroad thence by steamboat, we arrived
ct this place, making about fourteen hundred
miles The whole journey was made pleasant
by the interest my gentlemanly travelling
companion, DR.. Chapman, took in pointing
out the various military operations along the
Mississippi river, so recently held by the
rebels against the immense commerce of the
Northwest. The openisg of the Mississippi
was grand triumph, striking a blow at re-
beIlion which is making all rebellion reel :;
and this gigantic superstructure. built by
traitors hands, must soon fall.
| reached the command on the 23d inst.
found Col. Bertram's headquarters on the
same boat with Gen. Heron, commander of
the division. The Goth Wisconsin, 18th Iowa,
9lst and Oath Illinois regiments, compose
Gen. 0rm's brigade, commanded now by Col
Day, of the 91st Illinois. The 18th and Esd
Wisconsin regiments are at New Orleans, one
hundred and eighty miles below here. The
other Wisconsin regiments are above US
The 9th, 18th, and 18th, were at Helena, Ar
kansas as we came down; the I'd cavalry and
| 10th infantry were at Eicksburg; the 18th
and 35rd are at Natchez \ short time since,
| boat was fred into at this point, (Morgan's
Bend.( Hence, this division was dispatched
Immediately to look after the rascals. 4
part of the force has been found and soundly
/ -, Il.
| river, back of US, sixteen miles. IN the Skin
mish we lost one man of our regiment, Corp
Sargent, of Co. H.
find Col. Bertram the idol of the regi-
ment-both officers and men would follow
him to any place-and he would dare go in
the face Of the enemy where any live man
| would He is a good disciplinarian, gentle
! man kind to all, and takes care of all under
| his command. 1t. Col. Starr stands deser-
vedly high in the regiment, and could lead
| his men in battle till the last man would fall.
| Mai. PettibOne has been absent on sick leave
and Just returned-if the warm manner in
which he was received by the regiment on
his return be the index then he is well Xix d.
| No regiment from Wisconsin or elsewhere is
better Differed and drilled than the goth,
and the medical staff is all that could be de-
| sired with DR.. Chapman at its head none who
know him will doubt. DR.. Peake is kind So
ciable and gentlemanly but is now sick
| am glad to say that since the arrival of DR..
| Chapman he is getting better-I have not
seen DR.. Mosier, he being at New Orleans
with our sick.
| The regiment looks like skeleton com
pared to what it was when it left the city OF
| Madison, only little more than a year ago.
| We have "a sick here-none dangerous-250
were left sick at the camp at Carlton, New
| Orleans, when the regiment came here; many
of them are ready for duty but are not with
the regiment. We have here 273 men, a
sick, IS commissioned officers, sick.
Our regiment is the scouting regiment OF
the division. I cannot tell why. On last
Saturday l took my initiatory step in "soger-
ing" The steamer Signm (gunboat), Captain
Downing, rounded up to our boat, and at I
o'clock A. NJ, the goth Wis, Col. Bertram
and Starr, both went with the expedition got
aboard [ was permitted to 60.
About fifteen miles up the river we landed,
called three negroes aboard, and to me an in
teresting affair took place, the captain of the
gunboat Downing, getting information from
the darkies. [ was the favored guest of the
captain, and hence permitted in his cabin to
hear the talk. He soon found that a ferry
was kept here, this he knew, and to break it
up is the object of this expedition One dar-
key said big rebel gineroE' crossed but a
night or two before That one DR.. Leather
| man had kept the ferry-crossed at night
had just sold out to old Clack and another
whose name | have forgotten. Our boys I'M
der Col Bertram went up the bank, traced
the trail where the boat had been hauled-a
mile back the boat was found, and of course
destroyed, A half a mile further, and a
| squad under Lieut.. ClawsOn surrounded the
| &c I
found fire arms in the house, rifles, shot guns,
pistols, large Mexican sword, &C. The Col.
observed an iron safe the lady of the house
is away with the key-you can't fool Col B.
-" boys bring that OK cart here and put this
| safe on" Soon they came to the river with
| all their spoils-folowed by a man, two women
| and eight Or zen children, from sixteen wears
down to four.
was invited by the captain Of the boat to
go on shore and talk to the women and chill
dren. Their fears were intense. They
supposed the prisoner would be killed ooh,
this cruel war," said the wife of the prisoner.
His neighbor, who accompanied him, began
intercedng for him. "What is your name ."
| asked the Captain. Clack," said he.
"You can go on board, 1 have your
name,' also, said our captain. Oh, what
| burst of feeling we had then from the
| wife and children Of Clack-they came to
| comfort Leatherman, but now they also need
ed consolation. 90 will they kill my dear
father" cried the children. | assured them
! that their friends would be treated kindly by
! an outraged government eve, said one Of
the ladies, " are neither in your lines nor our
own-if we take the oath of allegiance to
the United States, the Confederate army will
destroy our property, if we do not YOU de-
stroy it. In the name of God what shall
we do? We are innocent-had nothing to
do in bringing on the war. We have to paw
one dollarper pound for -four and the same for
salt, and have to cross the river for these ar
ticles, and now we cannot get them at ALL"
| told them to come down to headquarters
and they could pass over any time to get pro-
Visions &c. find this an unpleasant part of
the chaplain's duty, but was glad to console
Them and to give them lessons for meditation
by telling them how many innocent men from
the north have been shot by rebel bullets
how many have died by disease contracted
while in the army, how many wives and chill
dren have bid adieu to husbands and fathers
never to see them again. War is terrible
thing.
Our gunboat is off, with two prisoners,
two horses and sundry fire arms. These were
all safely brought to headquarters. The safe
is opened and 81 435 are found in Confederate
money. Thus winds up my first expedition
with the Goth on gunboat.
The next day is the Sabbath-scarcely Sab
bath By the politeness of the officers of the
gunboat-(Mr Brooks, nephew of Mr.. B., of
Madison, is an officer of high rank on the
boat, l was invited to preach to the officers
and men at 10 o'clock a. N. We had pleas