Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-07-15
Correspondence Of the Gazette.
NxR FRIENDS AT HOME.

black coat with brass buttons, black pants
with narrow yellow stripe. Whiskers gray
ing. Glass on eve. Abrupt manner Of speech.
Say fifty years Of age. Rough. and tumble
sort of man. Assigning some men to CON-
pany, and wishing to leave himself at liberty,
he said Imay jerk some men out of you."
&. e. to put them into another company If
convenience should require.) To lot Of
men whom he had assigned to place, he
said: "Does that suit? II it don't, you
ought to be whipped" Baker is kind OF
Jackson in that il he wishes to do thing
and has no legal right he goes ahead and
does it. Still man who understands what
is what can get along with him.
Met Adjutant Harvey with his commission
in his pocket. He broke in upon his prac-
tce as lawyer Of Dubuque to give hun
dred days lift for the Union. Saw Marsh,
too, OF Marsh Brothers, printers, Dubuque.
What with tho printers, and lawyers, and
collcgians, that regiment may be expected to
do good fighting if it gets chance. Many
of the men would choose active service above
garrison duty, think. Saw men under sur
geon's examination. They were volunteers.
Surgeon stood within the building and call.
ed eight or ten names at time. They an
swered and entered the room as called. Then
the surgeon questioned them, one by one.
care you sound as far as you know" Yes.
Let me soc you work your fingers" Done.
! To another: " How is it with your Then
he would require each one to walk about ten
feet and back. Then to advance one pace.
Then to strike straight out both arms, and
bring them back with blow on the breast,
then strike hands together above the head.
If man was at fault in any respect he was
requested to take seat back for further ex-
animation.
Went to Rock Island to see the rebel pris-
oncrs. Crossed upon tho famous bridge
which has withstood not only its natural
foes but also the determined opposition of
great power that sought to bring it under the
condemnation of the law as hindrance to
navigation. No question, it is somewhat
difficult to get safely through the draw in
very rough weather. Yet in very rough
weather, navigation anywhere on the river is
difficult thing with the lght.built boats
that we have. The bridge is in two dvis
ions. The one crossed is 1875 it. The
other is the same, am told. At the west
end Of the bridge, two or three soldiers ob
structed the way. Ono asked for our pass.
We had no pass. Finally it occurred to Mr..
S. that he was acquainted with the hospital
surgeon and would like to see him. That
was accepted as sufficient to justify the
guard in allowing US to 60 on. Went on
until we came to the lines, when dutchman
interposcd himself and his bayonet. We
explained and explained until ne probably
understood nothing, when he directed us to
headquarters. Here we procured a paper,
reading:
MEApor ARrRRs, Rock ISLAND pARRlcus,l
Rock Island, ILL.,, June I, 1861
Guards and Patrols:
VIII pass - to Camp and Hospital and return
the same route until -P.M.
a. J. JOHNSON,
Col V. r. Corps Comdg. Post.
Not transferable under any circumstances.
Seeing lot of prisoners at work, making
a road, VIC went to observe them. Being
little tired, sat dosn on log. Presently
Az officer came up and said Sorry to say
that no one is allowed to sit down near the
lines" I stood up. lie then vetoed that,
and moved off. Went to hospital. Had
no right there. Was admitted through the
ignorance Of the guard at the gate. had
been through one ward and was standing
near stove in the centre Of another when
the surgeon came up to me in hurry and
gave me sharp, steady look. quietly re-
turned his gaze and he passed on. l had
known him in other years and remembered
him though said nothing as he had forgot
ten me and evidently regarded my presence
as fragrant and intolerable breach of some
thing or other. lie soon came across Mr.. 8.
and the whole affair was explained; that is,
he said We had no right there and he did not
sec how we got there. And we said that we
were admitted and that was all We could an
swor. Thc'profound confusion of the thing
helped US through, for neither the surgeon
or ourselves could explain it However, the
surgeon was very polite and set himself to
work to give us every information. In the
hospital there is room for 700 beds. There
are now 800 sick. There are six wards,
about eighty feet long each. About "a feet
wide. They arc raised four or FIVE feet from
the ground. This is the prison hospital, not
the post hospital. The intention was to pass
us to the post hospital, to which VIC did not
60 at all. The small pox department or hos.
pital has six wards. There have been 500
patients in it. Not many there now. The
wards Of the prison hospital are airy, clean,
comfortable. There are twelve large win
dows on each side. The cots are about two
feet from the floor. They are made of iron,
with easy spring Stats Of wood. The sick
were in white shirts and were as well off as
any Of US at home, excepting the absence Of
family or acquaintance. Tea and coffee are
allowed to the sick. The table of the pris-
oncrs that waited on the sick was spread and
we went in with them at the supper hour.
| noticed pork, fresh bread, apple sauce. The
prisoners appeared as we'll in allrespects as
any men. Several regularly educated ply.
sicians were among them. The cooking is
done by big range. There is large bath
room, linen room (for clean lnen), ironing
room, drying rooms, &c. The prisoners are
in wretched plight when first received. A
bath and a suit of Yankee clothing makes
new Of Them. There is plenty of good
drinking water, wells having been dug The
hospital enclosure is well lighted all night.
Under the circumstances, there is nothing
very hard in Ahe prison life. Many Of them
are better fed and better clad than they could
be at home. The toughest things in my judg.
mcnt are the monotony of inaction and the