Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-01-22
ouRARMy c0RRt sPoNDeNcE, |
From the I1th Iowa.
VIcKsBURG, Miss, g
Tnoa1av Dac Doth 1890.


18th have been of such an ordinary character,
that l thought your paper coull be filled with
more interesting matter than detail of the
incidents CT everyday camp life. bra4 80
We still "ho!d forth y in the camp which
we took after being drowned out Of the one
which we occupied below here, of which my
last letter gave an account. The situation is
very good one, and we have an excellent
camp, and are better fixed to live comfortably
than we have ever been before.
The health Of the regiment is first rate,
there being but little sickness of any kind in
it, and the boys are in the best of spirits.
Our duty is considerably lighter than when
last wrote we now only come on duty about
every third or fourth day. l,. ea.
The weather is as fine as any one could
desire. We have not seen drop of snow
yet, and have not had anything that would be
considered other than pleasant fall weather
in Iowa, and to. day is like the finest Indian
summer.
-
situated so pleasantly aud comfortably, we
should be contented and happy, and perhaps
we are as nearly so as a soldier can be, but
| the same unvarying, never ending routine of
duty, week after week, and month after month,
| is becoming wearisome, and we are almost
beginning to wish for the field again for, al.
though we then see some pretty rough time,
scenes and duties are continually changing,
| and in that respect it is far less wearsome
than the monotOnons existence of camp-life.
! And as much as lament that such a rea-
son exists, l will mention another one, that
may be urged in favor of the field, and that
is the increased and increasing dissipation
among both officers and privates. While in
the field liquor can be obtained only to very
limited extent, but here, in spite of all the
/ orders and regulations against it, it can be
obtained ut all times by any one who wants
it, and drunken men and officers are to be
seen at all times, and in almost all places.
But when officers are allowed, even when on
duty, to get beastly drunk, and to come out
on dress.parades so drunk that they can
hardly stand acne, and nothing said or done
about it, it is not to be wondered at that pri.
Yates will take the same privilege. =.
| After our forced fight from our former
| camp, and the occupation of the present one,
there was nothing of sufficient general inter
est to be worthy of note, until the Gath of
December. About P. NJ. of that day, the
llth and 18th received orders to prepare to
march at - o'clock that night, with two
| days rations in our haversacks. The order
was soon after changed to be ready to march
Immediately, but We did not start till II
O'clock. .i' ID. .H...i.'..
| All that we could ascertain about the move
was rurnor that we were going to Redbone's
| Church, which is about l l miles southeast of
here, but what we were going for no one
| could tell. The 18th Wisconsin infantry, I'd
Wisconsin cavalry and section of the 10Th
Ohio battery. are stationed at that place.
Some of the boys had made large prepare.
| tons for regular Notification on Christmas,
and among other things had provided good
supply of whisky. They could not think of
leaving that behind and they concluded that
the easiest way to carry it would be to drink
it, so at it they went, and by the time we
were ready to start they had taken on board
all they could carry, and some of them more,
for before we got far on our way their loads
became so heavy that they sunk under them,
and were unable to rise ag in. The others
went pitching and tumbling around, and
thought twas hard way of carrying a
small load. 'r 1 81 :
1t was one of natures most splendid eve
nings. The fall moon shone from cloud
less sky, making it almost as light as day,
and rendering our march almost as easy as in
open day, and it was just cool enough to be
pleasant marching. 4a'-.. =
About three miles from camp we entered
&c kt,.k.x u a
tons, the Magnolia tree With their dense
mass of dark, rich green foliage, they loomed
up sombre and gloomy in the distance, but
on nearer approach they sparkled and gilt |
tered as they were ag;tated by passing
breeze, and the rays of the moon were re-
hected from the highly polished surface Of
thousand leaves. ... q ..4'.H. t'sa 10 -8 !
And anon some tree thickly hung with long |
trailing punches of Tillan'is, or Spanish
moss, as it is generally called, which swung
to and fro in the breeze, recalled to mind the !
wild stories we have read in our childhood |
of the wit hes holding Their midnight revels. |
We did not halt even long enough to get |
fresh breath until we arrived at Redbone |
Church, which we did little before o'clock |
in the morning We threw ourselves down
to rest while the officers repaired to head |
quarters to announce our arrival; and they |
found good fire SO comfortable after their |
ride that they forgot to return until the BOYS |
were perfectly chilled after being warmed up
on the march, and so out Of patience waiting /
for them that when they made their appear
ance they were greeted with a series of wells
and grams that would have done honor to |
pandemonium. t.-r. -f.R oar /
We were right beside the 10th Wisconsin,
who were quietly sleeping, and not dreaming
that we were in ten miles of them, and when
we raised the yell they came rushing out of
their tents, just as they came from their beds
some of them with nothing but Their neither
garments on. They afterwards assured US
that they thought the rebels were upon them.
We moved on few rods and selected a
camp, and were soon piled around on the
ground, sound asleep. Dial. -sa-.- Il
The next day was Christmas, and we had
nothing to do but enjoy ourselves in the best
manner we could, which assure you was
very poorly, AS we sat on the ground and
ate our dinner of hard crackers and broiied
pork, We thought of the many glorious
Christmas dinners Of which we have partaken
with dear friends at home, and consoled our.
selves with the thought that perhaps in
another year we may again be permitted to
enjoy an old fashioned Christmas dinner
along with those same dear friends
But however much the privates failed to
enjoy themselves there appeared to be no such
failure on the part ofsome of our line officers
Early in the day observed number of
them collected around the hind end of one of
the wagons, and as they appeared to be en-
joying themselves finely, was somewhat
interested to know what was the Gauge of at
traction around that wagon, and on approach
ing nearer l, discovered that whatever it was
was contained in several canteens that were
hanging around the end of the wagon, some
one Of which was every few minutes passed
around from the mouth of one to, another