Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-01-22

Letter from Capt. Speer.

FROM THE THIRTY.FIRST IOWA.
Letter from Capt. speer.
/ WoopvnLE, ALABAMA,
i January 9th, 1864 I
MEssRs EDITORS: AS q large portion Of
your readers are farmers, perhaps few re-
marks on the soil, domestic animals, etc., OF
Northern Alabama and Southern Tennessee
would not be out Of place. Every County
and State has advantages and Disadvantages ;
but the advantages or good qualities Of that
part of the country over which we marched
from Eastport, on the Tennessee River, to
Chattanooga, are but few and the disadvan-
tages many. The scenery is beautiful There
is an abundance of Blackjack, Chestnut, Ce-
dar and Scrub-Pine timber The country is
composed of hills, or mountains, and hollows.
The former are high and the latter deep
Where earta is visible at all, the soil is poor
clay, strongly impregRsted with iron, and
many times | have been vexed to see so many
dead mules and dead rebels lost on such bar
rem soil, when manure is so valuable in other
places. Springs Of pure, sparkling water
can DO found on every hillsida Where it
was possible to cultivate a few acres, field
was fenced and a cabin built But during the
last two years, these little farms have remained
uncultivated. The fences have been destroy
ed and the cabin only remains; minus win.
dows, doors, thinking and mortar. The
above describes the rule, and there are but
few exceptions. Now for the animals: The
first class which I will describe are bipeds
and can DO found in any of the dens or cab
ms through this part of the country. They
are very mischevious and tho Union armies
have been compelled 10 hunt and kill large
numbers Of the grown males during the last
two years. am Of the opinion that we will
be able to exterminste them within nine
months. The females are not so troublesome. |
They show their teeth but never bite. Their
color is dun, or clay bank. They wear un.
combed hair Of ell lengths, of various colors
and tied or fastened at the back Of the head !
with cotton string. Their bodies are COW
cred with old coarse cotton cloth, dyed with
grease, etc. Their feet and legs are generally
uncovered, except by dirt; as shoes and
stockings would retard their speed. They
become mothers while very young and are
noted for steady habits. We have been told
by tho Richmond Vatg, that they are de,
scended from superior race or stock All
| will say is, " bully for the stock"
Where, There, Mare, etc, they pronounce
Whar, Thar, Mar. But think few yankee
school-mams and little judicious crossing
would greatly improve the stock in few
years. would again recommend the i'm
proved Berkshire hog to the farmers of Iowa
Thousands of them were killed by the men
Of the 10Th Army Corps during our last
march, and wi.hou. an exception were pro-
nounced very good. They are hardy, easily
kept and take on flesh much more readily |
than the class Of animals described above
Domestic fowls were healthy and numerous
on all Southern plantations while the STARS
and Stripes were respected, but they have
all gone to pot; F" except few old cocks,
reserved by secesh ladies for Growing, &C.
When Bragg retreated to Georgia, he drove
a large proportion Of the fat mules and hors-
es which were owned in Tennessee with him,
and the general impression is that they have
been deyouerd by the 4" lions" who were led
by "iackass at Look out Mountain and
Mission Ridge.
l am sorry to say that all the Government
horses end mules between Nashville and
Chattanooga are very poor. The ordinary
allowance Of food for each mule per day, is
1 6 Of wagon tongue and quarts of corn.
Forage must be shipped to us Immediately in
large quantities, or oil our muos will "sleep
with their fathers" before the frst day Of
March, A. D. 1864.
We met some Of our Potomac cousins on
Lookout Mountain, and are highly pleased
with them. They are all very pretty and
wear No. paper collars. They think we do
not spend sufficient time at our toilets, and
do not like our trough and tumble" style of
lighting.
We viii admit that our faults are many, but
we hope that our pretty cousins
"will not view US with critics eye,
but pass our impsrfectons by
We were not intended for the grand mill
tary menagarie on the Potomac, and too much
of our time has been required for marching,
fighting, and laying waste the eneny's coun-
try, to admit of our acquiring a regular mill
tary education. Our homes are on the prair-
les of the West and many Of US were born
and have been brought up with the wild deer
and red man far from Washington. Never
thslsss, we can often distinguish right from
wrong, and truth from falshood, and know
that the deeds of certain regiments and brig
AIDES which fought on Lookout Mountain and
Mission Ridge, were painted by professional
correspondents in glowing colors, while 9TH
er troops who fought as valiently were over
looked. We also know that it was between
eleven and twelve o'clock at night, during
the " battle above the Clouds when the en-
envy made his most desperate efforts to drive
US from the mountain,-three times, with
picked troops, he assaulted our line and was
as often driven back-and the only regiments
then engaged on our side were the 18th ILL.,,
4th and 3lst Iowa, End Ohio, and 42nd In
diana Volunteers. 1t was then that old off,
GERS who belonged to our reserve and who
count their battles by dozens, were heard to
say: They had never heard such Cd
id musketry firing" Aud it was during
the time which elapsed between those assaults
that our friend H. T, Cooper. when ordered