Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-10-16
OUR ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
Affairs I'm Aansns-DepOpula
Of Western Missouri.


KANsAs CRY, Mo-, Oct. Sd, 1868.
DEAR JOURNAL THE 10th, as was expect.
ed when my last letter was written, has
changed quarters once more. We are now
in Gen. Ewiug's district of the Department Of
Sehofeld. The regiment is broken and scat
tered to every corner Of the district. One
company is far on its way to New Mexico, as
escort for Government trains. Topeka, Law
renee, Osawattamie, Olathe, Leavenworth and
Westport, are garrsoned by companies of the
10th. Colorel Weer with all the disposable
cavalry forces, is in the brush keeping sharp
look out upon the movements Of his antago-
mist.
The people along the border are kept in a
state of constant alarm. The rumor that
Quantrel had threatened the utter desolaion
of johnson, Miami and Linn counties, caused
the widest excitement throughout the State
Here at headquarters we hear very little of
bushwhackers, but out back from the line
every rumor is caught up and magnified a
thousand fold. Our boys at the different
pests come down every ten days for rations,
and they say that everybody are scared to
death all the time, and are mad at the soldiers
because they too do not get scared.
While this is the condition # affairs out
here it is quite reasonable that Schofeld and
Ewing get BLESSINGS" not few From all
quarters comes up howl at the military
commanders and Gov. Gamble, of Missouri,
for their milk and water policy. The people
of Kansas are determined that somebody
shall bear the responsibility of the Lawrence
massacre, and they lay it upon the shoulders
of Scho6eld and Ewing, with such pertinaci-
ty that doubtless those distinguished gentle
men would gladly acknowledge the corn" to
stop the outcry. Gen. Lanes speeches, s,y-
ings and doings in the matter are met by
indignant charges that he is working solely
with reference to the interests Of No. l. They
say he sees the next Senatorial term slipping
from his grasp, and seizes upon the popular
indignation against Ewing as drowning man
catches at straw, as his last hope.
So they have it back and forth while bush
whackers 60 unharmed. Yesterday evening
we had little ripple Of excitement here
tAV r. A' ~ wac AOPoAtSu tuat
were crossing the river at point just above
Quindaro, and were about maxi lg dash ON
the neighboring town of Wyandot,e.
The companies were called out and kept
under arms for couple of hours. A recon-
noissance was made and it was soon ascer-
tained that it was false alarm; whereupon
the officers returned to their billiards and the
men to quarters. All is quiet in the District
of the Brush"
Ewing's Order No. l has had the effect of
depopulating Jackson, Cass and Bates coun-
ties. For many days after we came here, the
roads were continually lined with fugitive
families with their stock, seeking safety in
other quarters. Many went into Kansas,
large numbers crossed the river into Clay
county, while many went east and south into
other districts. The Quartermaster is busy
collecting abandoned property of every
description. I saw at one time fourteen six
mule wagons filed with household furniture
and farming implements, which were placed
in store for sale. And so the world wags
hereaway. Yours, as ever,
E.H.G.