Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-03-09
From Southwest Missouri.
NORTH BRookrIELp. March 7. IS

NORTH BR0okFIELD, March Z, 1868.
Mr.. Editor The following letter from
Vermont boy, who is connected with the Iowa
cavalry, and who has been III the army ''from
the start" will, l think, interest your readers ::
FORSYTH, Mo-, Feb. 2, 1868.
Dear S.:-Your letter of JAN reached
Inc few days since; and l have squatted
myself on the ground, to try and write a bit
Of letter in reply, though l feel as little as
possible like writing this morning. | rode
hard all night last night, and tile night before,
and L haven't had wink of sleep for forty
eight hours. And feel much more like roll
ing up and taking ''snooze" than | do like
writing. But we have been ordered to pre-
pare for ''long and tedious march," and L
must try and get some letters written to-day,
for it may be long time before | get another
opportunity for writing You wish me to
write as particularly" as | can, but if you
only knew what bother it is for me to write,
you would never expect more than '.just
line or two" My opportunities for writing,
when in camp, are none of the best; and when
SO constantly on the move letter-writing be-
comes a difficult matter indeed. | take my
portfolio from my saddle bags, and scrbbe IA
few lines to some one, almost every time we
stop to feed or rest; bat it is not often | get
time to write letter.
This morning we brought $4,000 worth of
secesh property into camp, in the form of
dead rebel. Some time ago, the state of Mis-
souri, offered $4,000 reward for the body Of
notorious layhawker named B0lan; and yes
terday afternoon, one OF our boys, dressed in
disguise, with arms concealed, ran across him
and two OF his associates, at an old house i'll
the dense pine forest of the Boston Noun
tains. Yack CHATS our boys nane) pretend
ed to be as good jayhawker as anybody, and
waiting till the other two went to the barn, he
tapped Mr.. BOlan on the head with fire po-
ker, and mounting his horse that stood handy
at the door, put Out and reached our scout
ing party in safety and this morning we
brought the body safely into camp.
You wish me to write particulars; but I've
no particular particulars, that | think of just
now, to write. Hardly day passes without
some thrilling adventure" or chair breadth
escape" that in peaceful times would serve
for Il seven days wonder; but we get so ac-
customed to scenes of blood, so used to shoot
ing and being shot at, that we soon cease to
mind it. AT the taking of Van Buren, and
Fort Smith, missed having my head taken
on with shell, only by making sudden bow
You may be sure didn't stop to observe the
Chesterheldan' style very particularly; my
only care was to make it loW enough.
IL seems hardly possible, and yet it is g
truth' tnat one don't mind being among the
nylhS silot and shell at all, after few have
| gone whlzzing past Did you ever hear fly
ing sh2t S'AgI It's not the most pleasant mu
sic IN the world, A shell goes with prolonged
hiss much like steam forced rapidly through
small opening; while solid shot makes ,
sort OF galloplng noise, like "See.you," re
! peated rapidly IN whisper-only of course
/ its louder
At the taking of Van Buren,, 1 had a splen