Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-07-08
From the Forty.FOurth Infantry.
CAMP IN REAR OF MEMPHIS, 44TH Iowa
VOLUNTEER INFANTRY, June "a, 1854. !

From the F0rty.FOurth Infantry.
CAMP IN REAR OF MEMPHIS, 44rH IowAl
| VOLUNTEER INFANTRY, June "a, 1854.
| However pleasant it is to cOmmuni-
cate with home and friends under Ordi-
nary circumstances, the intense heat
of the past week has discouraged and
delayed our sending you such items of
news as would interest the friends of the
44th. The polar bear of the menagerie
never showed more affection or ca
ressed chunk of ice with greater appa-
rent pleasure than would the writer
had he the privilege of embracing about
twenty pounds. 1t is remarkable fact,
however, that the nights are cooler than
at the North at this season of the year,
and one can sleep with pleasure without
the hum of mosquito.
The 4lst Wisconsin and the 44th and
45th Iowa regiments are brigaded, and
are known as the third brigade. Col.
A. III. Bereman, of the 45th Iowa, acts
as Brigadier General; Surgeon Jas. Ir-
win, of the 44th Iowa, is brigade Sur
geon; A. w. Sheldon, of the 45th, is A.
A. G.; Lieut.. J. r. Dawson, of the 45th
Iowa, A. A. @. NJ; Second Lieut.. Il. Z.
Moulton, of the 4lst Wisconsin, Aid-de-
Camp.
| We congratulate ourselves on our To-
cation. We are encamped about three
miles in the rear of Memphis, in cool
wood, and have access to the best of
water. Our daily duty consists princi-
pally of picket and escort guard. We
| duly appreciate the privilege of rusti-
eating in the shade of a "live-oak" or
"gum-tree;;" that our camp in the will
derness is in beautiful and healthy
country. 1t is great shame that East
| Tennessee is not now in the possession
of civilians who are more capable of ap-
! preciating and more deserving of this
beautiful land.
! One would suppose the army the place
to obtain news. Experience proves to
| the contrary. At the North the advan-
tages of telegraphic communication fur
nishes there the results of battles and
Expeditions as soon as it is permitted
them to be made public, which permits
sion is given the sooner the greater the
distance from the enemy. We have no
| telegraphic communication north, and
the papers here either will not or are not
permitted to publish war news. To tell
the truth, we depend on northern papers
| tOr news.
! Upon our arrival at Memphis we met
with a whole fleet of transports, por-
| ton of the Red river expedition, and the
only item of news gathered from them
that we had not heard before leaving
| Iowa, was their engagement with some
rebels this side of Vicksburg, on their
| way up, which resulted so unfortunately
in the death of Major John and so many
| of our acquaintances.
| Before leaving home we had witnessed
the return of many veterans. We had
felt that pride only felt when looking
upon those who have done heroic deeds
| We have seen the tearof sympathy stand
in the eye, the gush of heartfelt sympa-
| thy crimson the cheek; but then the
old re-enlisted veterans looked well,
| dressed well, and seemed to enjoy health.
Since we came here we have met heroes
and veterans in their native element.
AS soon as our regiment ascertained
| that the 35th and other Iowa regiments
| had arrived and that they were lying
near us at the wharf, general stampede
| took place at break of day in quest of
| friends. Greetings, congratulations has
| ty questions and rapid answers eclipsed
| the warm-hearted good wishes expressed
| in a Methodist camp meeting of twenty
years ago. But to see those old veterans.
We thought we had sympathy for the
| soldier; we had even shed tears while
grasping an old heroes hand; but to see
| them fresh from the battle, before they
had obtained rest, tattered, dirty, hun
cry, and worn out, with spirits depressed
| from the loss OF respected officers and
| beloved companions, and to find them
Iii DIV To ho
mics of their country at moments
| warning, produced a feeling for them
"a love that is more than love that
requires something more than tears or
verbal expressions to evince.
The 35th has already left on another
expedition. The End Iowa cavalry also
left yesterday, under the command of
Major Horton, and the 3rd Iowa left to-
day.
The guerrillas have not annoyed our
pickets much of late, though a distant
shot is occasionally heard. A train on
the Memphis and Charleston railroad
was fired into yesterday afternoon by
guerrillas near Forest Hill. One citizen
and two soldiers We're killed and eight
wounded. The names of the killed and
wounded are not given. A train was
also fired into on Monday, killing a
brakesman and a negro.
There is a picket line here which en-
closes the city. This line, for various
reasons, is sometimes closed, when no
one is allowed to pass it under any pre-
tense whatever. Farmers, teamsters,
country merchants, and in fact every
class of citizens residing outside the city,
are sometimes caught within the lines.
1t is quite amusing to "raw recruits" to
watch the effect upon ntheircountenances
on the announcement that "the lines
are closed" Ladies of every age will
complain Of having left "young in
FAINT at home," and many have come
for physician in haste, thus attempting
to work upon the sympathy of the Off
GERS to make special favor of sending
guard with them home, but to the credit
of the officers, they "can't see it.
How fortunate that we are not quar-
tered in some lousy garrison or fort.
We have nearly forgotten that we en-
listed "for garrison duty,s' and most
sincerely hope no one will be foolish
enough to remind the Government Of
that fact.
When news accumulates we will write
again. G. d. M.
s9- Serious apprehensions are felt
that much sickness will prevail among
the troops in Sherman's army during
this season. Anunprecedentedqu
of rain has fallen in Georgia the past
few weeks, making the movements of
the army slower than they otherwise