The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-07-21
Correspondence of the KenOshn Tcle-
graph.

STdph'
From The S9tt 200 day. Wis. Regt.
EDITOR of aph-Dear sir-My time
and opportunities for writing are limited
Yet many of your readers will read-evenI
an Indifferent letter from a correspondent
belonging to Co. ''C''-
have now had over fifty days experience
in the service of ''Uncle Sam" and perhaps
it may not be out of place to tell you how l
like it.
Well will tell you frankly that it is not
like home surrounded by all the comforts
/ of civil cation, but in all sincerity J. must
say that like it better than ever l expect
ed to-and far better than at Camp Wash
| burn.
Here must say that much very much
depends upon our officers, whether
soldiers life is pleasant or unpleasant. In this
respect Co. 'C' has been very fortunate in
deed and say it i'll no fiattery, but in all
candor and truthfulness. In Captain Ora
ham | have not been in tho least disappoint-
ed for standing in the place he did, and with
his years and experience l had fully cal
culated that he would know how to treat
with courtesy ard respect those under him
otherwise | should not have enlisted.
Now to our situation-We are about two
miles southeast from Memphis steamboat
landing, in pleasant healthy location, with
good water by drawing it from deep well
with great clumsy southern windlass; but
such is the order of the day at nearly all
Dizzy wells. l believe that have seen but two
pumps since l came here, and have been
for miles in each direction. The lady dar-
| kies 't0te" all their water on their head un
less they have more than one package, when
if necessary they can tote one on the head
and one in each hand The weather is yer
dry and hot, Ijudge we have much more
sunshine here than in Wisconsin; each day the
bright sun that so muc h love pours dow II
his scorching rays with an intensity that is
almost uncomfortable yet we live-having
lost but two out of the Regt. believe, Cos.
G. and X.
All around us the ground is dotted with
soldiers tents. l cannot begin to tell how
many Regtsare about Memphis, but guess that
20 would not be too many, of batteries and
infantry regiments. A little way to the
north is the 18th Wis. battery, beyond the Al
Regt and in the opposite direction the 33
and some 20 or 80 rods to wards the city is q
Tennessee Regt. of darkies a
l should think that more than 20 Regis
and batteries had left the city since we came
of the number of cavalry l have no idea.
We now rather calculate that we will re-
main the balance of our time, but of course
cannot tell.
There is an encampment of contrabands
(mostly women and children of course) about
one and one half miles south west on the
bank of the river numbering about 33 hun
J dred and on the island beyond another, which
the Memphis paper states the number to be
5000
This Southern cline may have its charms,
yet after all l fancy that but few of the Ken
G osha Co inhabitants would be contented t.
leave their clear bright beautiful lakes anc
O rivers for the muddy, filthy waters of TIN
! Mississippi and its tributaries here in Dixie
. We are about $50 miles from Kenosha ant
that is quite change in climate. Memphis
, with a population before the war of thirty
thousand lately held an election for city off
9 GERS and polIed less than eleven hundre
votes.
The amount of business done, however, i
enormously large The day we landed
counted 81 steamers laying at the landing
and that should judge from further obser-
walton not to be unusually large.
> Our Co. is the End largest in the Regt
. co. A usually draws rations for 2 Or NOR
than we do but, some are 90 behind W
draw rations for all out Of the hospital. w
n do not usually have more than three in ther
e and guess that Co has not averaged that
It Although our rations have been reduced
n they are still too large, for any common
q man to eat; do not eat more than half m
l. bread and one of salt or smoked meat
Provisions are on an average, nearly o.
. quite double to Kenosha prices. Butter so,
i coffee Coo milk 15c per at. Potatoes were
6 81. per bushel but cheaper now, apples al
It together too dear to think of eating yet.
/ have seen plenty of blackberries but no gooC
lie sweet ones, like those in Wis and Mich.
N Finally to sum up, I prefer Kenosha t
IS Memphis, as beautiful city as it is claimet
l. to be. Respectfully
is R. T. NJ