Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-03-12
An Interesting Letter from East Ten
nnSSeR

An interesting Letter from EAST Ien-
neSSee.
COavALEsCENT CAMP S0TH IND Vols :
Knoxville, Tenn, Feb. 90, 1864. &
f itors Journal rs
When our forces entered East Ten
nessee, it was my purpose TO keep your
readers advised of the military opera
tons in this department, so far, at least,
as to enable them to keep posted in ref
erence to the doings and wherebouts of
the 80th Indiana but since the date of
my last, which | believe was the 4th4of
October, 1868, my duties in the field have
been SO constant as hardly to afford the
necessary time to communicate with my
own family. Since 4hat time we have
been kept constantly at the front, often
for days, and sometimes for week at
time, in line-ofbatae, H the face of the
enemy, without tents and on quarter ra-
tions. And from the 18th day of Novem-
ber to the 4th of December, our brigade
being at Kingston, and the enemy be-
tween us and Knoxville, we were totally
cut off from all communication with the
world and even now | could not have
found leisure to write, only that in con-
sequence of temporary i'll health, / am,
for the first time in thirteen months, left
behind my regiment F.; being unable to
start out on fifteen days forced march.
The present is a time of unusual~ac-
tivity in this department, and | shall be
disappointed if the valiant forces under
command of Maj. Gen. SchoGeld do not
soon strike a blow, somewhere in the
bastard Confederacy, which may be felt
| at the seat and centre of the rebel gov
ernment, and send terror and confusion
to the hearts Of traitors On Wednesday,
the 24th instant, the 9th Army Corps,
Woods and Sheridan's Divisions of
the 4th Corps, and the I'd Division of
23d Corps, marched from Nashville to
Strawberry Plains, where the East Ten
nessee & Virginia Railroad crosses the
Holston River; leaving camp and garri-
son equippage, knapsacks, and all arti-
cles Of clothing that could be dispensed
with behind to be taken care of in camp
by those unable to march. Early on the
morning of the Goth inst our troops at
the Plains received orders to prepare
Immediately for fifteen days march,
with three days rations in haversacks,
which must last six days, the remaining
nine days: ::rations to be hauled in proyis-
ion wagons. On the 9th inst they
crossed the river in boats shipped by
railway from Knoxville for that purpose;
on the 9th and 28th they were joined
by heavy reinforcements of troops Yes
terday one brigade of infantry and %
wagons laden with 4hard tack, passed
here on the road leading to
the Plains | was informed as late as
yesterday morning at 10 o'clock, that
the column was not yet in motion; but
the troops were under orders to be ready
! for forward movement at any nfosnent.
The bridge at the plains has not yet
I heen rebuilt, and for the time being that
may be considered the head of railroad
transportation
All surplus horses and mules in the
department were sent over the mountains
early il. February, to be subslsted in
Kentucky till the opening of the Spring
campaign For that purpose, all officers
under the rank Of Brigadier General
were dismounted and their horses sent
back so in this expedition all regiment
al, field and staff officers are obliged to
take it "afoct back.
The object of the expedition of course
is not known, except in high official cir
cles; but every one takes the liberty Of
making his own conjectures. As | am
not paid for guessing, | believe |
will not assume the responsibility of
manufacturing eoDjectures for the read
ers of the Journal, but will leave it for
them to draw their own conclusions from
facts and circumstances About l35 miles
above Strawberry Plains, just across the
Virginia State line, and not far from the
f. 7. & v Railroad, are the only sali-
works now remaining within the lines OF
the rebel government, and to take pos
session of those salt-works and either hold
them or destroy them, would certainly
be master stroke of military strategy,
as it would at once wholly divest them o
an indispensable element of substance
The general health Of the troops is ex
cellent. There have recently been sever
al changes in this brigade. On the ] 4tl
day of January, the 10th Kentucky
started home on thirty days furlougb
they having re-enlisted as veterans, Oh
the I'd of February the llSth Ohio wa
transferred to the ID Brigade, aud tn
18th Kentucky, of the I'd Brigade, sup
3 plies the vacancy of the llSth Ohio i
the lst Brigade Col. W. +. Hobson, c
/ the 18th Kentucky, commands the Brig
: ade. The S0th Indiana is now unde
- command of Lieut. Col. Alf D. Over
who has received unanimous recon
mendation for the Colonelcy, vice Co
L. L. Culbertson, resigned. Cap
, Chas. Brownlee, of Company A, recei'
ed a like recommendation for Lieu
> Colonel
MARCH 1sT, lS64.-I have just learl
s ed that the rear column, esd Corps
left the Plains yesterday at ! o clock
;. NJ. 1t has been raining for the last
:. hours without intermission, and is ST
st increasing. Branches and creeks a
= full and the lowlands are flooded. 1t
really a dreadful time TO be on Il
march, for it is bad enough in cam
MARCH %, 1S64.-The weather b
cleared off bright and pleasant The su
=, which had so long been obscured, h
again appeared in all his former glo
and loveliness, to dispel gloom and Ion
, illness from the heart of the eonvalesce
in camp, and administer comfort al
gladness to the weary soldier on t
march. The first installment of recru
Z. for this regiment, twenty-six in numb,
arrived at camp this morning. They q
lar all we'll and seem to be in fine spirits.
"e Notwithstanding the hardships and P
~ vations of the soldiers in this departme
T. it is gratifying to witness the almost ST
coolness with which they endure pri'
T. tions, and the cheerful manner in viii
they discharge Their arduous duties
On the field The openly acknowledged j
tice of our cause, the ayowed coKfder
in the ability and ps.triotism of our n