The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1863-05-07
Army Correspondence.
Letter from the 46Ih Regiment.
HEADoRs, ed B. 1sr D,
LAOEANos. Tenn.
Aptil 2BtlI. 1853. J

housed in my old quarters the DOrIh
west corner of the college after an sb-
ssncs Of 16 days on a raid south, the Sc
quOl OF which, will show that tie dcclar.
alton oncs made by bur townsman Jesse
Hart. Esq. is true as 10 Dixie. The
sentiment uttered hy Hart was "That
with $4,000 men he could march from
Lake Erie 10 the centre Of Ohio and not
be disturbed" We did mors-we went
into the heart Of the suemy's country.
courtinga fight, and are now safely houS.
ed in our own tents and cabins. Al,ho'
l am weary from the over tax-d nature,
required by the heavy marching and poor
fare, for eight days Of the time we were
out. feel now that am relieved Of all
property taken on the march, aud the
care and responsibility Of it thrown upon
others shoulders, degree Of relief that
brings lassitude which / fear may te Wis
ible in this communication and yet l
cannot withhold from your anxioas rea
ders the pleasure they may derive, from
reading the record Of live move in the
heart Of the enemy, when feel assured
they will pardon NC for taking up Their
time and your p per in its recltAl.
Early on the 18th We boarded the cars
none ktowiug where We were going save
Gen'l Smith, he directing all the move-
mants in person. Abou: 8 o'clock we
moved east to Grand Junction, where the
9th Icwa wHe in waiting and We were
soon 10 their pls"es. aud as "delays ar,
dangerous" we quickly moved South OF
the Mississippi Central Railroad to Da
Wis NJ ills, where the 4Oth Illinois V l
and ona section Of Chem's Illinois Bate
ty were fortified as an outpost at the gat,
10 Lagrange and the crossing Of VOL
Creek. We soon had them all on boar'
; and of to H"ly Springs as fast as stean
= and the dangers Of The road would per
, nit. -
Our force consisted OF 1900 men an
J three sections of artillery, armed an
0 equipped as the law directs. with lhre
days rations in our baversarks. We en-
tered the unexplored regions OF Sectssi'
= About 8 o'clock we came 10 bridg
hat was washed down and had to be re
q built which was done by 3 o'clock mex
morning. At dawn of day the thre
=. trains were under way, bu, only run
:, mils when the front train run into a san
= bank and was thrown cf the track. an
as the bridge over Coldwa'er just ahsa
4 was down and would take at least eigf
q hours to rebuild il. the order Was to d.
y bark, when l issuel all the hard tacl
10 coffee and sugar the men could carr
when the column set out ior. Dixie wit
- three cheers for Gen'l Smith. At noe
y. we dned al The famous town OF Murph'
o While we passed through it The appear
70 70 ance il presented was that oi the pail
death. with but here and there mou
ner. We saw but half doz,n per o.
is in tie town although II ere had ju
nj been a squad Of rs cavalry there vi
: left as we entered. ..-r. ....-
o In tie afternoon I had my 6rst da
ID after guerrilas who were hanging abo
US. was sent out for horses and mul
" b. 10 make mounted infantry. aud had 60
h, h but short distance. ill l saw thres
four men fly lor dear life. Then W
4 our time and all joined in the chase. a
ny cornervd the chaps III about mills IT
We took two bnlternuts and three hor>
an and bruught them to camp at Lumkin
Mills, seven mil s south o Holly Spriu
IN This night was una Of the nights, surh
,d are at ofeu read Of. The thunder ~
liz I'd, lightning flashed, ard The pslting rs
- beat heavily upon both great and sma
"a and the Lext morning found Us "
,ss through, ard th- hard rack transform
40 into pastry. leaving the msh withc
bread, The effect Of this nights r.
~. on the men WAS sadden;ng in tile ex're
~ wet 10 the skin, marching over slppe
N. roads, their feet was sUou aled, a
va soon, like a ship al sea, we'thsrlng
,,s storm. they r.~f,d the sails and light
nj, up by throwing away their bl'nkels,
III. ping to rsplenish on the wav f'om SO
secesh planter. On reaching Tallaharc
~. River al Wyatt Ferry they We 50 play
Ia out that slragglers were Two hours co
an ing in, alIhough We had marched but
- miles. N5tt b -a-. g. 3 =
% With but little 10 eat on the 18th.
oad started down the river to Belmont .
:, Penola Hallibg at noon at the 81 lem
,no plantation OF hieut. Nelson Of COME
- rate army, 81 had but little eompass
for him. The boys supplied their lar
az far as they could. - =
TO. The next day the 46th lead the q
,r's umn looking for a fight by 8 o'clo
au but nothing was seen but deser
re- camps and unmoesicd they were perm
inc ted 10 make 27 miles feeling that
ina General was bringing us down 10