Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1863-06-30
The 5lSt Pa, down the Big River.
TttTrrtiohdcuu" uI IHe stNr OHIUH'''e'T
MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 10, 1868.

iCcrr-spondeuco of the Star 4 Chrouielel
MEMPHIS, Tenn, June 10, 1868.
We arrived here this morning, about G
o'clock, and are still on board the steam
boat Hope on which we came down.
We got on board at Cairo in the afternoon
of Monday, aud started the same evening.
The river Is very low, aud the nights
foggy, SO that both nights that we have
been on the way, we were tied up the
greater part Of them. The channel follows
u tortuous course, from one side to the
other, and long sand bars show themselves.
The bauks are througed with the glorious
vegetation of the season. We passed
Island No. 10 early on Tuesday morning,
before We were up, Notwithstanding We are
very early risers-our hunks are put up
iu the saloon, and the steward rou,s US out
at 1 O'clock. We, however, stopped at a
place where there were few shanties, be-
hind which they said was New Madrid.
We notice q few entreDchmen:s, but grass
and weeds have grown over them so thick
as to be scarcely dis!inguishable. So Fort
Pillow, fifty miles from Memphis. 1t is
on high clay bank, $50 or 200 feet high,
the banks shaved down nearly perpcndic-
uiar, SO as to make an escalade nearly I'M
possible, at point we'll commanding the
river, the channel Of which comes directly
under, and there appear to have been Oh
structlons put in beyond the channel to
the other bunk. The 52d Indiana and
SD Iowa are stationed there.
Our journey was a pleasant monotony.
We had elegant living and fine quarters.
Last evening, toward dark, We stopped TO
wood-up, at bend 50. There were boxes
of merchandise to unload. The bank was
high and steep, and as it had been raining,
was very slippery. -Four men would catch
hold of box, and dozen Of our men
would get behind and push them up. The
scIambling, and slipping. and tumbliDg
made one Of the most ludicrous sights |
ever saw. They took on soms twenty
cords of wood, which occupied until long
after dark. A pine light was made, in
one of those iron stands | have seen at
home used to gig with. Its weird light,
flashing and Pickering in the gusIy air,
the men grouped along the bank, the boat
men with their inevitable couical felt hats
passing up aud down in rapid succession,
urged on by the sharp voice Of the mate,
Come up there, with you," the light
flashing out far over the river, then resi-
ring, until tho nights dark curtain was
drawn close around Us, TO be lifted and
drawn again by the Lsxt fiAsh-it is scene
| wish | could describe.
We were the first regiment OF our corps
that arrived. Others csme in toward noon.
The most pleasant incident | had almost
forgotten. Maj. M'Cook, the psymas,er,
came on board with US at Cairo, aud paid
US off yesterday, giving US fne opportu-
nifty to send our money home by express
from Memphis. Maj. MCook is one Of
the family of that name, that every
body has heard Of, (from Southern Illinois
thiuk,) which has several sons in the
army. One is colonel Of a regiment now
at Vicktburg; one was chaplain, who,
after bis appointment as chaplain, ascer'
tanning that the regiment needed a com.
pauy, returned home, raised q company,
and came back as their captain, and was
at Belmont, Fort Henry, and other places.
There is o little feeling of disparage-
ment among the Western troops against
our Eastern. As an illustration A lady
on board, wife of soldier yet by her re.
mark showing that she was not worthy Of
it) said they had better let the Western
men take Vicksburg, bring the army Of
the Potomac out here to garrison it, and
let Grants army 60 east to fight Lee. We
have had our eyes opened considerably
about these grand Western fights. The
most that can be said Of them is that they
we're daring off hand encounters, but exhi-
bit none of the discipline and maneuvre
of soldiery. There is very little discipline
among such troops as l have seen. They
can rush upon an ensrenchment, but they
cont stand up and be pounded like the
drilled soldery of the East. They would
ppsn their eyes, too, if they would see our
Eastern army. They have had neither
The generals nor the disciplined soldiers to
i ghs that we had in the East. Besides
hat, the great difficulty Of all campaigns,
heir foe had not the internal and they
he external lines-a difficulty mentioned
BY all great warriors as insupersble. How
,ver, we may soon get Dearer the grand
Irmy at Vicksburg.
Steamer "Com mercial" Mississippi
River-June Is, 1868.
It's queer how people turn up in Trav.
lipg-uuexpec;ed acquaintances at most
places. At Memphis, Joseph