Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-03-20
FROM THE 2OTH REGIMENT.
CAMP NEAR HAzLEwooD,
No., March S.

SAhf NEAh hAALLWooD, I
NO., March 5.
When we started from Huntsville last
January 1t was said that our destin alton
was Little Rock, and that we pro-
posed to reach it by the shortes. practi-
cable road. Gen. Herron's division
had been at Carrolton, and he pronouno-
ed that route impsssable. /, was the
shortest by some hundred miles, but il
would not do. SO we came back to
the Springfield road, Intending to fol-
low II only so far north as was necessa-
~ to reach point from whence we
oouid strike across the country to the
Batesvile road, over which Gen. Curtis
received his supplies while at Batssyile
last summer.
Gen. Sohotield hoped to be able to do
this north OF keitsvile. then at CassviIe;
but suppose that after talking over al
the routes he came 10 the conclusion
that none would answer, and that the
best thing to do was to wait till some
one OF them should become dry enough
TO be passable.
SO we went into camp within about
half mile OF the old camp, Three
Widows, and .taid there fortnight,
spending our time IN getting a complete
outfit for the troops, shoeing the horses
and mules, rssettlng the wagon tires,
sending the sick TO Springfield and
otherwise completely organizing the
army Of the frontier tor the long march
which was and is befors it, and for an
active spring campaign in any place
where II may please the powers that be
TO send us.
On the I4.h OF February We moved
our camp a few miles north on the
Springfield road, and named our new
home "Camp Bliss suppose because
Of the pleasantness of the lacatioR. At
this camp we stayed out the rest OF the
month, improving the time by daily com
pany and battalion drill, and in making
great preparations fer another review
aud inspection, which, however, failed
to come oil. But 1t had one COOL ef-
feet. G it got our arms and accoutre-
ments in first rate order, vastly improv-
ed the soldierly appearance OF the men,
and developed the tact that the goth is
now IN condition to execute almost any
military evolution with the 6 fastest OF
them"
AT this camp we got the first squint
at L. ). paymastei, but it didn't do us
much good. | believe that he paid of
ali the troops but us. and we are expect
ng to meet him again shortly, when il
4 h 10 ka
u January. If he had paid US then it
would have been only 10 the frat OF
November, and we proposed waiting
few daya and getting more. Our allot-
ment rolls are all right, and l believe
that the allotted amounts will be trans
mitted to the alottees direct from
Washington.
Col. Leake went from Camp Bliss to
Springfield to sit on one OF those inter
minable things, military commission.
AS nearly as can learn; somebody
caught six or seven bu.hwhackers some.
where near Huntsville, when We were
there aud shot them, snd as oonse-
quence this "commission' has been sit
ting for the last three weeks, and vii!
continue TO ait no one knows how much
longer, to decide whether he ao.ed
rightly in the matter. He LETT the regi-
menJ IN command of Major Thompson.
Will you Just give nv compliments to
Gov. kirkwood, and thank hlln for me
for giving the goth such officers as COL
Dye, 1t, Col. Leake and Major Thomp.
son.
On the last day of February We were
mustered, and the "Ieglons got the route
to"-no. not to Rome. Our knspsack
teams were restored to Is, and early on
the morning OF the let OF March we
started on our march. That night We
csmped at MoCnllough's store; tho next
at Ozark. The first days march was a
shor. one, the second long and severe
one. There seems to be no place from
which to start on a northerly march TO
Ozark, and make the march an easy one.
The footprints of the rebels are still un-
effacei at Ozark; the telegraph is down,
the blockhouss is burned, the log tort
destroyed, aud the flag staff cut down.
Msrmsduke struck ont for good thing
when he went to Springfield, but he
could not make the rifle.
The artillery and cavalry went on in
advance, from Ossrk to Lakewood, on
the morning Of the third, Gen. Totteu
going with them, leaving the infantry to