Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-05-18
Fromfbe TO5th,
Correspondence cleveland LEADER.l
- IL 10


NEAR MuRTRrEsBosol Tenn, May Il, 1868.
The weather here is oppressively warm
and so affects the men Of our regiment
that scarcely anything but an order from
the Colonel, or the cry of the cook to L" fall
in for coffee" is sufficient to cause them
to manifest more than a lazy inertness.
The only movement worthy of record since
my last was made on the 9th inst, by order
of Colonel Tolles. The Colonel had all our
carriages filled with the lazy Ones, while
those who were unwilling to acknowledge
an attack Of laziness were required to go
on foot two miles to the river for a general
bath. We found ourselves much cleaner
as well as better natured, coming from the
river than we were in going to it. The
Colonel is SO we'll satisfied with his exper-
iment in bydrOpatby that he intends to
continue experimenting during the sum-
mer. 1 lave no doubt that it would be
better for the regiment if we had more of
hydropathy and less of allOpathy-the lat
ter being a Fol0leT imposition practiced
upon us.
Speaking Of impositiOns reminds me Of
one praoticed upon a Captain in the l05th
on the night Of Friday, April oath. It
would be personal to mention names, so l
/ will call the Captain Sour, and the princi-
pal ones engaged in the plot, Major Earth
| enware and Captain Trotter, with a squad
of men under the Major. Captain Trotter
proposed to his friend, Captain Sour, that
they visit the picket line to see if the men
were on the alert. Finding Lieutenant
Ramrod, who was in command of the
picket Captain Irotter told him that he
was officer of the picket and wished to
visit the sentinels on their posts, in
company with Captain Sour. Lieutenant
Ramrod accompanied them along his line
until they came to the last picket. Find
ing all right the two Captains started for
camp and had made one-fourth Of the dis
lance when Major Earthenware, with his
squad, rushed upon them and made them
prisoners. The Captains were blindfolded
and marched around in a circle until the
Major thought the prisoners must believe
themselves som distance from our camp,
and out of danger of re-eapture. One Of
the men then played the part Of a rebel
Colonel, and proceeded TO question their
prisoners as to our force, our inten-
lions, sc.
Captain Trotter was not very commu'
NEGATIVE, but the sham rebels found Cap,
tain Sour more pliable and got all the in
formation from him that any Captain
would be expected to know. The Captain
told correctly the location of Genera
Reynolds and Colonel Halls headqusr
ters-how guarded, SC. The pretended
q rebels then made the two Captains sign
solemn obligation by which they were oh
ligated to surrender themselves to Genera
3 Morgan on, or before, a specified time a
= prisoners of war. Immediately aftec
g signing this paper Captain Sour saw al
opportunity to escape from his captors
and the way he made his heels fly and tn
: brush crack, would have done honor t
any Tennessean rebel. Aside from q fe1
h bruises, scratches, and the loss Of his ha
= in the brush, he came into camp in goo
order. Captain Trotter came in toward
C morning and confirmed Captain Sour
2 story Of their capture and escape; but
= was noticed by his auditors that there wa
a humorous twinkle about his eyes tha
j told that he knew more Of the affair tina,
Captain Sour. Just as we filed out {
IS camp at the beginning of our days marcl
q Quartermaster Wright rode up to Capital
Sour, and presented him his lost hat ami
. the cheers of the regiment, for nearl
d every man had got an inkling of how an
], by whom the capture was made.
fear, however, that Captain Trotter an
A the Major have caught a tartar, and the
fun is likely to prove a serious matter
Captain Sour is under arrest for divulgin
+ our secrets to what he supposed TO be oil
, enemies. 1t is difficult to guess where Il
matter will end.
q One other incident l will mention, as
n so well illustrates how so many false r
10 ports of the doings Of our troops get in
the papers:
Among the few who were badly frigh
ened in the beginning of the battle ne,
Milton, was one elliott, Of Co. G, who tire
away his gun, cartridge box and have.
, sack, and with feet playing-more than
IF double-quick, he struck a Decline for OIL
= camp here, which was near thirteen mill
!, distant. Arriving in camp all covered u
with mud, and the preparation running j
streams, he stammered out the astonishin
If news that Col. Halls brigade had bee
a surrounded by the rebels, under Morgal
and after being badly cut to pieces, Il
y remnant were compelled to surrender
Il Among the killed he counted TOlles al
is other officers. He had been captured an
# disarmed, he said, and then told TO " go
hell" In obedience to this order he ha
'e made tracks towards camp. In less tha
twenty minutes after his story was toll
s. several were writing the sad news
10 friends at home. OMER.
B. General HOOker's R~etrOEade MovemeH
1t C. c. Coffin, Esq, ("CarletOn ," arm