Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-03-02
An Interesting Letter from the lth Regiment


Correspondence of the state Journal.
INDIAyoIA, Texas Feb. l, 1864
My last letter vas sent from Matagorda
| Island two months ago. The reg ment was
collected at Deerocros Point few days after,
where we remained 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 city came out TO
| wearing one of our cavalry overcoats which
failed to make him look like Union man.
| Al of the boys in town were out to hear
| Roberts music. We returned 10 Decrocros
Point the same evening The rebels burned
a part of the pier before Gen. Warren occu
| pied the town with his brigade
1'he steamboat landing is at Newtown or
| Povdt, horn, where nearly all of the business
| is done. Our regiment was stationed at Old
town, three miles north of the landing, and
| CHARTERED in the houses.
The supply of rations exhausted soon
| after our arrival at this place, and we should
| have suffered if Colonel Whittlesey had not
obtained hundred bushels of corn from the
scant supply of the citizens, which answered
for bread and coffee Company | 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-
| theirs" may be expected from September to
April, one week, average duration three
| DAYS. It is very unpleasant to think of them
| so | will leave you to imagine what we en-
L L.
| the coolest weather for many years, a fact
which we learned from the q 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 enlisting as veterans
| when saw by the newsp pers that no boun-
ties would be paid after January 9TH. Major
| Elliott, of the SD Illinois, returned from
| New Orleans with orders for his regiment to
be mustered and relieved from duty to 90
home. Colonel Whittlesey has gone to New
| Orleans with them to obtain transportation
for our regiment. do not think 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 had but
| one regiment in this town, which induced
| them to come down one afternoon to capture
| US They disneunted 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 to stop them, and
/ they left soon after the 18th Michigan battery
| commenced throwing she'll at them. They re
ported that they had driven the Yankees out
| Of Indianola, 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.
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 ait
and 90 home with the regiment.
The boys are healthy and there have nol
| 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
| BOYS bring in ten or twelve bushels at time.
| There are large droves of fat cattle on the
| prairies which supply US with beef We
| have not been more comfortably situated than
we are now, but it takes a long time to hear
| from home. The Journal of the 18th of Jan
uary was received yesterday.
!
! tents and prepare for an active campaign but
| / do not think any forward movement will be
made for several months.
We are fortifying 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 VIII be fitted up. The agents of
| the Sanitary Commission are here with sup
| plies | saw some pack saddles in their
| irttp bn
| terror.
| 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 force estimated
| from twelve to fifteen thousand, which they
| can concentrate in a few DAYS There is
| great deal of dissatisfaction with Magruder
| and many of the people would gladly return
under the Presidents proclamation.
| John Mailer, of Co. d, was married to a
! German girl last Friday evening. Some of
/ the veterans in the 1st Brigade have mar
ried, and will take their ladies home with
| them.
| | heard sergeant asking the Provost Mar
| shall for permission to have a 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
| qe7sHeDlsR sheuld lie invited. OTIs.
|
| THEoDoRE PARKER ON RUFUS CHoArE.-I
| see that Mr.. Choate has passed away; a 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
! I should have felt bound in duty to preach his
! funeral sermon, more painful Tor me TO write
| than it would be for his friends to hear. /
| should like to preach a sermon on John Au-
| gustus, one of the most extraordinary men |
| ever knew; he created new department of
| humanity and loved the unlovely. \ muir
| derer or highway robber does not corrupt
| society; but man like Choate, with talent
| genius, learning, social position, the most ex-
| traordinary power Of bewitching men by his
| speech, he debauches the people TO a terrible
| extent. | wonder if any one VIII write out
and preach the dreadful lesson of such iifes
| and warn the public against being seduce1 by
| such men, and young scholars against becom-
| ing such When Robert Rantoul died, the
! Suffolk bar took no notice of MS death