Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-10
TULLAHoMA, TENN, Nov. 27, 1864.

TULLAHoHA, TENN, Nov. q, 1864.
EDITORS LEADER: Nearly a month has
elapsed since the date of my last letter.
1 have, Micawber-llke, been patiently
waiting for ssomething to turn up that
would be of interest to your readers, but
every thing and every body hereabouts
seemed persistently determined to do moth
ing that would serve to spice an epistle, |
and have only undertaken to write now
impelled by the fear thai. friends would for
get even the existence Of our regiment.
Things with US have been at a dead lock.
We are here, and from present indications
are likely to remain, unless Hood, who is
on q winters campaign through the State,
should determine to pay us visit, ofwhich
there is q fair prospect. The boys are bu-
silly engaged building winter quarters, and
making every preparation for prctracted
soiourn. The sound of the hammer and
the saw is heard from "early morn to dewy
eve" and houses spring into existence as
if by magic. "Houses" I say, for truly
they are worthy the designation, many of
them being as well and tsstefully built as
the abodes of thous ands of well-to-do far
mers in Ohio. It is true they are somewhat
rough externally, and innocent of both paint
and paper, but what they lack of Orna-
ment is more than compensated In warmth
and protection from the elements. The
change from ''dog tents" to these more
commodious quarters is very agreeable to
the bows, and those who have theirs already
completed put on much the same 'alrs"
over their less fortunate comrades
that the owner of q stone-front on
Euclid street assumes toward his unpre-
landing neigh hnr of tina sllay
1t has been raining incesssntly for the
past three weeks, and the earth is about the
Consistency of well-mixed mortar-bed-
Mud, mud, mud, and nothing but mud for
miles around it is next to impossible, and
absolutely dangerous, to move about. Ru-
raors are about camp that several mules
have recently been lost to fame and the
service, buried deep beneath the treach-
| erous mixture of our parade, but the
! Quartermaster assures me there is no foNf-
| dation for the story, ss the mules under MS
charge are too light to sink--kept SO by the
| boys fondness for parched corn.
| The village Of Tullahoma, once famous
summer resort for wealthy Tennesseeans,
| is now little else than military camp or
post. Nearly all the residences that once
! adorned the streets we're torn down or
otherwise destroyed by the chivalrous
| Bragg and the cusses under his command.
In fact, before making his retreat, it would
seem he turned his attention almost ex-
| clusively to the wholesale destruction of
private property, and many and dire are
the curses daily heaped upon his head by
the suffering victims of his ruthleFs rule
| The few Tennesseeans now living here are
very poor, and only manage to exc out q
miserable existence by the traffic of fruits,
etc., with the soldiers, who, in turn, barter
such articles of food as they continue TO
save from their ratiens. Truly they are a
suffering people, and as such commend
themselves to the sympathy Of all with
whom they come in contact. There are q
great number of negro families here, (the
.propertyp of rebel masters in this and the
adjoining counties) the male members Of
which are principally employed by the
Government in the repair of railroads, etc
while the women aid materially in theil
support by washing and mendiug for the
soldiers. Nearly every commissioned of
ficer in the 177th has one or more wcOley.
headed appendages of the male persuasion
attached to his person or quarters, in the
capacity of body servant, to whom ht
promises to pay salary of So to $40 pei
month, but as these little devils (appropri-
ate title) ara of a very migratory character
they generally Nsecs9e' after a few days
service, leaving their employees in grea
doubt as to whether the many little home
trinkets usually left lying about lose, have
taken to themselves wings and flown away
or like Hamlet's ghost, vanished into thiI
air. The Quartermaster had one of thest
necessary evils, and, Christian that he Is
las all Quartermasters are, endeavored t
make a Christian of him. At considerable
expense,he (the Quartermsster) had the boy
dressed in the highest style Of the art tail
or-ial, and many an hour did he devote Il
the benefits to be derived by both parties
from personal cleanliness. Among othe
items the Quartermaster mentioned tooth
brushes, and advised his portege to get one
"Upon this hint spake," as 0thello says
and upon this hint tour John" acted, fo
at an early hour next morning he wa
discovered in the rear of the tent, scrubbint
at his teeth like q good fellow-with tn
Quartermasters toothbrush in his hand
The Quartermasterd didn't swear, it is said
but I have the word of an intimate frient
of his, that he called over more Biblica
names in the space of five minutes mex
succeeding the discovery, than he hs'
used reverently within the three preced
} ing yesrs. John has gone, but whittier Tn
man knoWeth."
Hood is supposed to be circulating some
where in the State, and it is deemed no
: improbable that he may pay US a visit, t
1 which end We are throwing up works 70
his especial reception. There is little fo
him to gain Except in moral point {
view by taking this pcPt, IS it is not, an
: never has been depot for more than te
: DAYS supplies, and if ne were to come i
/ tomorrow his booty Of provisions woul
l scarce amount to n botWeen-meal lunch
Portions of his cavalry have been discoV
: cred but a few miles distant, but tn
whereabouts Of his main army is nc
: known here. Nevertheless, every pre-
l paration has been made for an attack, b
; the commander Of the forces at this point
:, and should he come we will "giye him th
best turn IN the boZ.'i
Colonel Wilcox, Lieutenant Colene
. Zimmerman, Major Kreiger, Adjutsn
, | hetcnuIn, 0erSeanJ-MhlOr jerry CIahlL
and QuaItermaster Raymond, all veteran
: in the service, mostly from the "ol
Seventh" and well known in CLEVELAND
: arc all well, and much more popular wit
the regiment than field officers usual
are, and for the simple reason that, hsvin
risen to their present positions from tn
ranks, by meritorious conduct on many
{ field, they acknowledge " a man is man
4 I although he be private an examPl
l worthy the consideration and emulation
many upstairs who have climbed to pos
tions, equally exalted, through the inaI
= ence of Hfriends at court"