Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-08-29

CAxr o. Am Rs6s. Iowa Voc. ~.

- 4; kour p1rler Is read by my Who
- E;.,sds and wla(ions in The 1th Iegi-
Isn.l 3owa yolu6teesB, hete 9nc,4del,
h-rt(( ~ The svedium o. your cS91mns, ~
= f,rm them somewhat in regard to its
~herc.bouts. its future condition, and as
,e.r a. can I've ascertained, its future pros
,ects The 44th left Davenport on the Sd
e June. and were conveyed BY rail to Cairo,
Illinois. We remained in that city Tor Jour
laws. during which time we became 50 thor.
pughly disguised with the yellow mud and I
the unsavery stenches that SO plcntlfully |
aF,6uhd In this delcctable locality, that We
we're oyerioyed when the order was received
for our removal. :.
Our trip isom Ibis point to Memphis was
! pleasant orr, cven il We did eat, sleep ana
ris,e on the hurricane deck Of steamboat.
Wearrised at our destination in good con-
dition. barring dirty hands and faces, caus
ed by cinders falling from the chimneys Of
the boat
orr STAY in Memphis lasted about four
weeks. While here we did picket duty and
rcceiycd daily instruction in company drill.
At the end OF this time we were ordered 70
Lagrange, Tenn, town about fiity miles
from Memphis, on the line OF the Memphis
4 Charleston Railroad. The boys were
highly catcd when they were ordered 70
strike tents preparatory to remove Ihey
had become somewhat tired Of the monoto-
nous routine Of camp life and its attendant
duties. They wanted something more &C
tive, something tina. bore closer resem-
l,lance to real actual warfare. That which
they so much desired they iancicd would be
procured by this change. Fortunately or
unfortunately, as the case may be, Their
wishes have, up to the present date, remain
ed ungretitied.
Eighty of the one hundred days for which
we enlisted have already expired, and with
the exception of some imaginary individuals
fired at by the pickels, we have never had
the satisfaction Of discharging our new En-
field rifles at single enemy. In TACT We
have never seen genuine "feb' since our
advent into the land of Dixie.
1t is altogether probable thai the bold
and bloody" 44th Will be in Davenport in
side Of 20 days, laboring under the mortiiy-
ing reflection that for the space Of one hun
.dred days they have worn Uncle Sans
clothes and eaten Uncle Sans "hard tack, =
and during the entire period have sent mary
scccshn to Kingdom come The nearest
approach to anything in the shape Of a bat
tic that has yet occurred, happened on one
dark and rainy night, when messenger ar
rived in camp, painting and GREATNESS from
RAPID running, and stated that the picket>
had been driven in by an overwhelming
force.
The valiant and valorous' Company X
was Immediately ordered out under arms,
with loaded guns and fixed bayonets they
trottcded out to the scene Of danger on q
double quick When they reached tho
post from whence the alarm originated
thay found n ught but a lew larm,sss
cows, cropping the heritage in the vicinity
Trampling about in the darkness, the noise
they made was magniiicd by the frightened
| pickets, into the heavy tread of legions o
rebels. Having learned the true state O
affairs, Captain wilson gave the order!
'about face" fright shoulder shift arms,
ITO your quarter ''Trot" and away wen
Company X. chop-fallen indeed. Up t,
his evening Company X, had borne an cx
cellent reputation for morality, but respect
able witnesses whose veracity is unques
toned, testify that on this occasion SOM
member Of said company gave vent to a te,
light oaths. Whether the swearing wa
due " the kncernees az tl.e:i lisa rpoint
mcnt at not getting to fight, or to t,e,,r an
ger ut being routed out of their colnfortabl
quarters at the dead hour Of night Whc
Of these causes produced said cursing ''thi
dcponcnt saith not !"
Our regiment is pleasantly located il
handsome and substantial buildings-th
former residences Of some of the most arts
tocratic Southerners of Eastern Tennessee
Their wealthy owners have gone iar away
Compelled TO abandon their luxuriou
homes, their roofs now shelter their mos
deadly enemics-the soldiers of the North
RctributiOns has ovcrtaken them The
have been taught that The way Of the trans
grcssor is hard.
| AS regiment we have thus far eniove,
tolcrably good health; comparatively few
deaths ha. = occurred among our plumber
and We have but small proportion in tn
hospitals The boys are all in good spirit
and evidently well pleased with thor shor
experience in the army of the Unite,
States.
Our officers both Company and Regimen
tai are all that we could desire With tn
strictness Of military discipline, they com
binc that kindness which bcspcaks an ear
nest regard for the best interests of thos,
placed under their command Lieut.. Col
| Egbcrt, ex-Captain Of Company ], has beer
for some time Getting as Provost Marshal o,
La Grange. In this, as well as in his regi
me~"l capacity, he has given universal sat
isaction. In reference to Captain Brook 5
we do not express the opinion of Compan,
! |, alone. but Of the regiment in general
when we state that he is by far the bes
drill master in the 44th. Lieut.. James A
Raymon has been for the pas. three week.
acting Adjutant of the regiment. He pre-
scnts fine appearance on 'dress parade,
and Hills his position admirably.
If there is one thing in which the 44tl
excells more than another, it is foraging
system of ''jayhawking" was at one tim,
instituted, SO perfect in its character, thai
the country surrounding La Grange for a
distance of ten or twelve miles was entirely
stripped Of pigs, chickens, ducks, peaches
apples, and in fact every thing that coulc
minister to the appetite Of soldier, or fur.
nish sustcnance to the rebellion So cxper,
did they become in the business and SO cx-
tenslve were their depradations upon the
property of the 'sympathizers'' that the
Colonel peremptorily ordered the practice
| discontinued. The order was of course
obeyed, but they had already performed
some exploits in this line that would do
honor to any regiment Of Veterans in the
service.
We will start for Davenport within two
days from the present date. We will come
home not crowned with the laurels of victory
won in hard fought battles, but bearing
with us the consciousness that we have
humbly contributed our mite to the glorious