Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1863-03-19
Communications.
ARMY LETTER.

Lake IEONlltuCc lSt, TSD. 30, 1000 !
DEAR HILBRErH Here | am, still
farther from Iowa and home, still
farther from my Regiment, the gal
liant Sd Iowa. ...s ..
General McPherson's command ar
rived here this morning, after Il safe
and speedy trip from Memphis. Lake
Providence is three hundred aud TWEEN
ty-fve miles distant from Memphis,
and nearly sixty from the city Of
Vicksburg. 1t is by far the most
pleasing town l have yet seen in all
my travels through the bogus Con-
fcderacy. 1t is situated upon the
Mississippi, and extends back to the
lake, which bears the name Of the
town.
The country is fine and rolling, now
beautifully green with the early
spring verdure, and also possesses
great military advantages. which it
seems are to be most thoroughly used.
1t is here they are commencing the
new "cut off" or canal, through
which it is proposed to float trans
ports and gunboats from the river into
Macon Bayou, thence into Tensas riv-
er, thence into the Black river, thence
into the Red river, and then again
into the Mississippi. This cutoff will
bring us midway between Vicksburg
and Port Hudson. This plan is very
feasible one, and as there is but little
digging to do, will be rapidly COM
pleted. There are now nearly one
thousand negroes hard at work, and
more will be brought on and taught
to handle the spade.
The canal uniting the river and
lake is nearly completed, and the
General commanding will put forth
his utmost power to complete the
whole, at an early date. Contrabands
are coming inside Of our lines, in
great numbers, eager to work for Tn.
Gle Sam. They are in great demand,
and there is very aetire market.
At the present time, considerable
anxiety is manifest, for two trans
ports, passed by the gunboats in the
night, which should have been here
long ago. understand q gunboat
will go up to learn what the trouble
is. .-'.'.'... .'.'.'.'
The great stories of sickness among
the troops. are mostly stories. Not
much sickness exists, and the little
there, is, is chiefly confined among the
new regiments. .....-.-.
The smallpox is raging, to limit
ed extent, among the filthy contra
bands and more filthy class of be-
ings never could be gotten together
on this earth. 1t has been impossi-
BILE for their masters to procure what
poor clothing is usually allowed them
and now they are SO ragged-well, |
cannot tell ou,-only imagine some
of the poor creatures going outin the
wind and being ,oAipped to death By
rags. Yet this is one of the wealth..
est--or was one Of the wealthiest-
towns in this State. Plantations, that
in themselves are small towns, with
all their improvements, amid vas,
wildernesses, spread ont to the gaze
fading away Ia the distance like q
broad prairie but now they are de
serted. the fences gone. the building,
used as negro quarters, or barrack,
for soldiers. ,.,
| No inhabitants stay in this once
pleasant village. Being the stronges
kind Of Secesh. they would not sta,
where they would see the flag the.
had insulted and forswOrn, wave owe
/ their roofs.
=" They saw the smoke way up the river,
i Where the Lir,kum gunboats lay,
They took their things and left very sudde
And specs they run away"
Il As went out in the country Sthi
afternoon, saw fruit-trees in ful