The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-01-14
Army Corr4apondoncC.
CAxP ON TUE TALLAnArcnrE,
Miss Dec Al 1870

l SA~S w Auh Alba lE,F
Miss, Dec. 81, 1882.
DEAR TINES Since I last wrote to
you. We have been circulating around, and
have brought up at the above named place
for the purpose Of guarding the bridge OF
bridges across the above named river, which
is not a very pleasant job. We have long
dreaded some such work, and now We are
caught. How long We will have to remain
time alone can tell. and our only hope is
that the war may be brought to a speed y
termination. for it looks to me as though
we are located for life or during the war. 80
think there il no blame to attach I,
any one Of our officers or men, for ali hay.
the same distate for such business. We
arc stationed along about three miles Of
railroad, company at place, and so situ
ated that battalion drill will have to b.
dispensed with altogether, or nearly So
This makes it unpleasant.
Guard duty will be the order Of the day
and here in this warm climate, fear the
men will get lazy and sickiv, for nothing
agrees so we'll with soldier as marching,
even tiresome as it may be.
We are now occupying the ground tina,
Prices army occupied about two weeks
since and where he built Notifications and
boasted that here he intended to give tue
damd Yankees hell, so say the darkics.-
Judging from the work that has been done
one would suppose that he intended makir z
a bold and decisive stand. For several
miles along and around the river banks, lie
had deftnccs Of all shapes and sizes, and
from reports, they were pretty we'll sup
piled with men, but think heavy artillery
was scarce with him, and not very much OF
any kind. With all this parade and show,
the sound Of our drums, heard at distance
Of five or six miles, seemed to have sent
conviction to his mind, and he ingloriously
led-lcaving his work Of destruction be-
hind him, viz: the burning Of the railroad
bridge We have repaired aud our regiment
are now here to guard, and which, at the
time write, tain Of cars arc rolling over,
reminding US that we are still in the land
OF civilization.
The advance Of our army is moving as
fast as provision trains can get supplies to
them. They arc now about 10 miles from
here On the road toward Grenada, and the
cars can now carry provisions about 25
miles further on this, will facilitate matters
some, and ia . few days the cars will run
to the advance Of the army.
But We have our reyerscs. To.Gay the
train from the northeast brings the intsili-
Sence that the rcbeis haze shade raid OH
our guards somewhere on the railroad near
jackson, Tenn, and cut off our communi.
cation between this and Columbus. 10
what extent, we are not apprised; but the
cars took back one or more regiments cf
infantry to reinforce.
am inclined to think that this will be
their game. They will not make . stand
again short Of VicksLurs, but will try to
Gu: off communication with our advancing
army. To this end they will partially dis
band, attack Us at weak points, cut of
communication and supplies, and so retard
our progress to give them more time to
rcpsre defences in and around Wick sburc,
but that our army will be victorious az
Eicksburg have not the least doubt.
The weather here is delightful, just warm
enough to be pleasant through the day
time and frost at night to keep the air
pure; occasionally days rain by way
of variety, but VIC begin to look for the
rainy season which commences about the
first Of January, then the citizens say that
they have rain every day.
We tind quite number of Union men
here since the rebel army left. mostly .cb-
els before.
Our mails get along very slowly. We
so, the first to-day since We left Cairo, and
that was one letter to each company and
no papers. Where our mail has gone, We
cannot tell
Co. "E' still remains the fullest company
in the regiment, although there arc num-
Der sick. Those with US are all on the
mend, and we cannot hear from those VIC
left at Cairo and Memphis. We expect to
see some of them shortly.
Yours, truly, Tuos. G. Dn1Ps.
+. S.-Lettcrs to the eth Iowa Volun-
tcCrS should be directed via Cairo Ill