The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-03-05
ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
CAMP HELENA, Feb. 7th, 1863.
DEAR Nouns

DEAR NORRIS:
After watching vigil over
few dying embers, and thinking Of
nothing clutch my pen and try 10 write !;
but this sheet will testify to the frantic man
ner in which sling my quill, IN endeavor-
ing TO sketch the few thoughts that gath
er, what'ca write that viii be in terestings
leave the table and gaze long and aux
iously "o'er the surrounding landscape"
which is nought but one broad sheet of
pearly snow, which will repose as it fell I'M
til the coming sun, when it will dissolve as
silently IS it fell, and a. the little brilliants
fade, form into quite little ''puddle," and
in this wise the city of Helena is one
vast tabernacle of mud. Indeed every spot
in the miserable place is mud. Alas ! 'tis
mud Mt the high water mark 4
A few days since, a party of some four
hundred, from the different commands at
this place, went down the river short dis
tance.-to Delta, I belieye-and cut away
the levee which had been thrown up to ar
rest the damaging flow Of water over that
country. In cutting this away, the river
being high. the water rushes seething and
foamiag, rapidly out, deluging that whole
portion for miles, and supplying the lakes
with abundance Of water, they; finding an
outlet into the Coldwater river. This stream
empties into the Yazoo river. Thus you
see an immense quantity Of water IS thrown
into the Yazoo river, through whi,h feet
can pass with perfect security. ..sg ,su-
As understand the matter, a feet is to
descend the Mississippi river, cross into, the
pass, and thence into the Yazoo. When
] they reach Deer creek, they will meet the
! feet ascending the same river, when the
two will cooperate concentrating fire on
the batteries erected on the creek. After
silencing these, the troops will march to the
rear of Vicksburg, while the feet below the
town play their part. Thus, it becomes a
serious thing for the safety Of that great ter
ror of the Mississippi. Her doom is GER
tain and that at no distant date, vicksburg
must and will fall. The laurels she has
worn with such impunity will fade and tum.
BILE from her chivalric brow.
Our Colonel (Kit) is In excellent health.
He Is now acting Brigadier General of the
LIST Brigade, Fisk's Division, and gives
general satisfaction. There is lots of fight
in Kit.
Lieut.. Colonel Drake is now in command
Of the seth. A good kind officer. e
Maj. Woodward has nearly recovered Of
his recent severe illness. He is able to &c
abroad but looks pale and weak. He will
soon be able to..discharge his duties again,
Of which, l assure you, the soldiers are
heartily rejoiced,
Adj. Hamilton is the same hearty laughing
SOUS" His eyes are very near well, which
you, as well as his many friends, will be
glad to hear. He is good officer and is
fast endearing himselfto his men.
Quartermaster Merrill, whom a great
many of our citizers know, is "trump,'
and does the right thing with the boys
which you know 10 of some consequence
when you consider where We are; what q
country surrounds US, All almost endles:
) belt of rugged hills, and for variety, bottsm
less cyress swamps. Mr.. Merrill is now
; acting brigade Quartermaster. ,a
But here, . friend steps in, and has q
copy of the Courier. Stop, Til read.
All, . letter from the 36th regiment
signed "A Soldier" which is nothing hut q
!. huge gust Of brainless brsggadocio. Ill
flows out prodigiously and says, when W.
. landed at Columbus, KY, sit created quit,
stir among the boys; some appeared ca
ger for the fray, some silently yielding ODE
|. dience, and few were taken with sudden
Illness" and I'll venture, if the truth wa
s known, that he was the FIRST to wish thu
: his name was not Oh the roll book. No sir
. instead of few cases of sudden attack o
illness, the sick that were in the cabin Q
the boat, not few, by the way, actuall
crawled from their blankets, and totterin
: grasped their muskets, and "fell in -
: witnessed this myself, and was greatly sur
]. prised to see how quick the cabin was vaca
ted by the soldiers. .rs
e Another instance of this gents suavity
1 'occssio nally beef, coffee, &C." Now MI
Editor, l cannot but express my regrets
h that a soldier in this regiment should max
e such wanton and ridiculous attack upoI
. our quartermaster. Coffee, we have had i
e abundance, As well as all the other article
a he has mentioned. with the exception Q
j. beef, but, in lieu thereof, we draw most ex
' cellent mess pork, which would even grac
the table Of an Epicurean. II "a Soldier
3 had even endeavored to qualify this state
merit, he would have fallen far short. 1t i
I most disgraceful attack upon our Quarter
4 master, whom every one, unless, perhaps,
be the author Of that villainous essay
6 has the greatest confidence in. I say ever
one who knows s. W. Merrill, know him t
be an honest, upright man, and one VIII
would not stoop so low as to take Che Wet
> uals from hungry soldier And | hav
!. no hcsitancy in saying that he is doing hi
:. utmost for the benefit of the regiment.
But will drop "A Soldier" and leav
him to his own selfish reflection with tn
opinion, however, that he is nothing but ,
'green-back" patriot a.d ~
= This is the FIRST copy of the Courier tina
have seen since leaving Memphis. tel