Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-06-08
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE JOURNAL.

NEAR KINGSTON, Ga, May 2Ist 1864.
| EDITOR JOURNAL Perhaps a letter
from this part of Dixie, might be of some
interest to the readers ofthe Journal There
, are fifteen of us from Guelich anu Beccaria
ownship, in company X lllth Pa. Vols.
he llth was raised, in the 18th District
| tl Co 'Onel George A. Gotham, hailing
! frs N Warren. This regiment is attached to
tn, 2nd Division, (Gen. Geary' s. Goth Ar
my Corps, commanded by Gen. Hooker.
This Division marched from bridgeport.
Alab. ma, on the 3rd May, and was engaged
in the battle near Rasaca last Sunday We
were / the terrific charge made by the 2nd
Divisio a, III which we drove the enemy from
a hill o. which they were strongly posted,
and aero IS an open plain into another line
of breastworks. This regiment captured a
fort, mot nting four guns, which was SO
close to the enemy defences that we could
only hold the fort and remain there, until a
detail from other regiments was sent to our
assistance during the night, when we cut
through the fort and took the pieces out
When the morning dawned we saw the reb-
ell works were abandoned The birds had
flown Pursuit Was commenced at once.
Their rear anC fanks have been harressed
very much. At this place they abandoned
and burnt thir5y wagons. Since | have been
writing | hearc the Locomotive whistle at
Kingston. In their haste, they had not
time to destroy the railroad. 1t is not ne
cessary to say anything more about the
movements of the army, you Will have 1t
before this reaches you-only that the army
is very enthusiastic in this forward move
ment and are anxious to drive the rebels to
that last ditch. 1t IS evident when
they could not whip Us in the defiles Of the
mountains. about Dalton and Rasaca, they
cannot whip us anywhere In my opinion
the war is nearly over. How do those reb-
els in Clearfield feel now, since their Dear
Southern brethren, are getting SO badly
used up. 4
have often heard pio-slavery men boast
of the southern States and their Institutions,
but | am unable TO see 1t. The major
itv of the people seem to be living in ign0-
rance It is plain TO be seen that slavery Is
IA curse. and it is timeit is wiped out. There
seems to be no enterprise among the peo-
pie. their attention has evidently been the
negro. The houses are nearly all only one
story, built of hewn logs with either boards
or clapboards nailed overthe space ON the IN
side without being either chInked or daub- |
ed Very few of the houses have windows. |
They commonly have two doors which are |
open In daylight and afford sufficient light. |
The roofs are clapboard [ have seen only |
about halt dozen good houses IN this State. |
This country is well watered, but the cltl- |
zens do not seem to use much of it. Their |
clothing looks as if it had not been washed |
for weeks. They live apparently in the /
roughest kind of backwoods style.
Fruit viii be plenty. Rye is in bloom and |
corn about six inches high. On the morn
ing of the 18th, | found seventeen boxes OF
Tobacco containing lOOlbs each, secreted in
the woods close by our camp, near the |
Conasauga river. 1t vas soon distributed |
through the Divisions, and answered very |
good purpose for nearly all the men were
Getting it free. The boxes We're marked |. !
ii. Atlas, Dalton, Georgia. This army has
great confidence in Gen. Sherman, and is IN |
favor of the reelection of President Lincoln /
Yours, GIBSON.
What is the difference between good