Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-03-05

The regiments are 18th, oath, Saith and 46th
Indiana, and their term of service soon ex-
pires. We have become call as one man, y
and it is like losing brothers. But, bless me
what aninordihatoly long letter, i win subside
lest peradventure weary you by much talk.
Your brother in the faith (of Abraham,)
ScRIBUs.
An Interesting Letter from the nth Regiment.
Correspondence of the State Journal.
fTTTIrT NDIANoLA, Texas, Feb. l, 1864.
My last letter was sent from Matagorda
Island two months ago. The regiment was
collected at Decrocros Point few days after,
where weremained until January 4th, when
we were ordered to this place on the steamer
Matamoras, to reinforce the lst Brigade OF
our Division. The Eleventh was the first to
visit Indianola on the 18th of December.
| Three companies were landed on the long
pier, and marched through the town to the
court house where our colors were displayed.
| The mayor of the CIT, 0@s@a ont to Saa ns
/ wearing one of our cavalry overcoats, which
| failed to make him look like Union man.
| All of the boys in town were out to hear
| Roberts music. We returned to Deerocros
| Point the same evening. The rebels burned
| a part of the pier before Gen. Warren occu
| pied the town with his brigade.
| The steamboat landing is at Newtown or
Powderhorn, where nearly all of the business
| is done. Our regiment was stationed at Old
town, three miles north of the landing, and
| quartered in the houses.
| The supply of rations was exhausted soon
after our arrival at this place, and we should
| have suffered If Colonel Whittlesey had not
4 - I,,o I,,.b nI, "a a -
scant supply of the citizens, which answered
for bread and coffee. Company l was de-
tailed to grind the corn in hand mills, as the
small wind-mills used for grinding corn did
not work well during the "genuine Norther"
which prevailed the first week in January
| / learn from the "Texas almanac, that /" Nor
| thersn may be expected from September to
| April, one a week, average duration three
| DAYS. 1t is very unpleasant to think of them
| so / will leave you to imagine what we en-
dured the first week in January, which was
| the coolest weather for many years, a fact
| which we learned from the "oldest inhabi-
| tant" The weather has been very pleasant
| for two weeks past, and it seems like May in
| Wisconsin. The grass is starting on the
| prairie, and corn will be planted this month.
The regiment was cllsting as veterans
when we saw by the newspapers that no boun-
1 Ties WOulu NC Ddlu dlbtI
| Elliott, of the SD Illinois, returned from
New Orleans with orders for his regiment to
be mustered and relieved from duty to go
home. Colonel Whttlesey has gone to New
Orleans with them to obtain transportation
for our regiment. i do not thinkwe shall be
able to leave before next month as the Sth
and 18th Indiana are going soon.
We have not any cavalry, which makes the
rebels feel quite safe in coming near our
lines, as they are mounted men. They found,
after making several demonstrations and get
ting us out in line of battle, that we had but
one regiment in this town, which induced
them to come down one afternoon to capture
u.s. They dismounted two companies at the
bayou above the town, expecting to draw us
out there, while they marched large force
across the prairie, to come in between us and
the other town. Col Harris came up with
two Iowa regiments in time 20 stop them, and
they left soon after the TIA Michigan battery
commenced throwing shell at them. They re-
ported that they had driven the Yankees out
of Indanola, and burned the town. The bal
ance of our brigade is here, under command
of Col. Harris. The 10th Ohio battery, which
was with us in Arkansas, is now attached to
our brigade. s9 ~ o0&s
Capt. Freeman has joined the regiment
since we have been here. He is looking
much better than he did upon his arrival.
Capt. Chrystie has resigned He will wait
and go home with the regiment.
The boys are healthy and there have not
been any deaths in the regiment since we
left New Orleans in November.
The large oyster bed opposite our town
has furnished supply of fine oysters. The
bows bring in ten or twelve bushels at a time.
There are large droves of fat cattle on the
x.hsoh c,rrpIy ne with haaf Mo
have not been more comfortably situated than
we are now, but it takes a long time to hear
| from home. The Journal of the 7th of JAN
uary was received yesterday.
| Orders have been issued to draw shelter
| tents and prepare for an active campaign, but
| | do not think any forward movement will be
| made for several months.
We are terrifying Newtown, and we are
expected to fall back to that town if attacked
by large force.
- The Court House has been taken for a hos
pital and will be fitted up. The agents of
the Sanitary Commission are here with sup
plies. | saw some pack saddles in their
rooms which looked like moving into the in
terror. gE -
The cisterns do not hold water enough for
| our men. They expect to get apparatus to
I condense water enough for their use in the
| hospital The deserted houses and fences
will make wood enough for one entire spring.
The rebels have fortified on the east end of
| the peninsula, and have a force estimated
| from twelve to fifteen thousand, which they
| can concentrate in few days. There is a
| great deal of dissatisfaction with Magruder,
and many of the people would gladly return
under the Presidents proclamation. san
John Mailer, of Co. ID, was married to a
| German girl last Friday evening. Some of
| the veterans in the LIST Brigade have mar
fried, and will take their ladies home with
| them.
heard a sergeant asking the Provost Mar
| shall for permission to have party, as he had
made all the arrangements and had invited
| eight ladies and sixteen gentlemen. Consent
was obtained upon the condition that no more
| gentlemen sheuld be invited. OTIs.
THEoDoRE PARKER on RUFUS CHoATE.-I
see that Mr. Choate has passed away; man
| of great talents, which he greatly abused,
often to the worst purposes He had good
| qualities, and young men bred in his Office
both respected and loved the man. am
glad was not in Boston when he died, for
| / should have felt bound in duty to preach his
funeral Sermon more painful for me to write
than it would be for his friends to hear.
should like TO preach sermon on John Au-
gustus, one of the most extraordinary men /
ever knew; he created new department of
humanity and loved the unlovely. A muir
derer or a highway robber does not corrupt