Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-05-05
Correspondence Of the Charles City 1nteilgencer
LETTER FROM ALABAMA.

Correspondence Of the Charles City 1utelsencer.
LETTER FROM ALABAMA.
."'0#@. HrApouARrERs, DEPARTMENT
Ea0aas AND ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.
.wIiazt Huntsville, Ala, Apr. %, 1864.
DEAR HnDRErH AT about 3 o'clock
P. NJ, April 9Th, we said "good bye"
to Ficksburg, where We had passed
nine mouths very pleasantly indeed
We embarked on. board the fine, new
steamboat :"Pauline Carroll J" this
being the second trip she had made.
That evening we passed Youngis
Point and saw the old canal, now chok-
ed up and rendered almost invisible
by weeds and grass. This canal was
begun by Gen. Williams. in 1862,
and abandoned by Gen. Grant. in 1868
On the first night ont, one of the Gen
erals escort fell overheard and was
drowned. On Sunday, the 10th, we
passed a small boat, used in the cot
ton trade, that had struck snag and
sunk. A skiff started to land the
Captain at point where our boat
would stop for wood. AS they came
close to US the current was too strong
for the oarsman and the skiff went un-
der the boat. Two men lost their
lives.
We passed Memphis in the night,
not landing, and at noon, on the llth,
wo passed Fort Pillow, garrisoned
principally by negro troops. The
night previons, Forests men had sur
prised picket post and murdered the
guard. g.. a... f... ...
A short distance from the Fort we
stopped to take on wood. The owner
Of the woodward was a young man
who had left his home in the interior
Of the country, to avoid the wholesale
rebel conscription. He had erected
small log cabin, and moved his wife
hither, who said she was perfectly
contented SO long as she was with
her husband, and he was not in dan
ger of the conscription act of jeff. Da-
Wis. We reached Cairo npon the 10Th,
and Of all the filthy, God-forsaken
towns | have ever been in, Cairo is
the worst. think were TO be COM
PEELED to pass one year either in Cal
ro or Libby Prison, would choose
the latter. There are no pavements,
sidewalks, or roads. How the peo-
pie manage to live there l don't see.
The fever and aguo rolls around there
like cannon balls on an armory floor,
and the citizens bathe in whiskey.
Let the Missionary Board see to it that
civilized and enlightened persons are
at once sent to Cairo, Illinois, where
they will find more ample field to la
Dor in than Siam or Birmah affords.
On the 18th we went on board the
train bound for Chicago, and went up
into Illinois as far as Odin, a station
six miles from Centralia. | felt very
happy once more to see prairie, as
it had been over tmo years since | had
passed over one before. At Odin we
changed over to the st. Louis and Lou
isville road, aud reached Louisville the
next morning. had always suppos.
ed Louisville was on the Ohio river,
but it is FIVE miles from the river
bank. A horse railroad conveys pas.
sengers and baggage to and fro be-
tween the river and city. We put up
at tho "Galt House." where Gen. Mel
son was shot by Brig. Gen. jeff. q.
Davis. -...s -..s. .. ...-..... IL
We passed one day at Louisville,
and left on the night Of the l4th for
Nashville. At midnight we stopped
at Cave City. five miles from Mammoth
Cave. Accompanied by friend l paid
hasty visit, on the 18th, to the
world.renowned Mammoth Cave. Ire
gret that had not time to explore the
cnverns as l wished. A hotel stands
at the entrance of the cave, where you
change your clothes and procure a
guide. | only went as far as the
Bottomless Pit" and into this black
abyss hurled stone, and waited in
vain for and answering echo, announ-
cling the arrival Of the stone at the
bottom One day was passed at
Nashville, and on the 17th We left for
Huntsville, distant l40 miles from the
Capitol of Tennessee. Shortly after
we left the depot we were run into by
the down train. Several persons were
injured, none fatally. Your cores
pondent had his arm broken, and a
slight bruise on the ribs, all O. X.
now-as well as can be expected. This
delayed us. On the 10th we arrived
at Huntsville, and established Head
quarters in the old Bank.
will write you again soon, when
| find out something concerning this
city. WINFIELD.