Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1864-03-29
From Alabama.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala, March IL, '6i.


The mind of soldier who uudergoes
loDg and iucessant marches, as your hum
bic servant aud comrades have done since
taking the field, becomes rusty; yet con-
slider it soldiers duty, while lying in
camp, to employ his time in the best con-
ceivable way, and giving information to
those a, home is one method Of accom-
ing it.
( After spending days Upon the battle
fiald before the investment Of Vicksburg,
aud sharing i'll the siege of that place, We
found ourselves crossing the Cumberland
mountains, and j,iniug the meritorious
army of the Cam berland, where the 10Th
Army Corps took a conspicuous part on
the extreme left of Missionary Ridge,
having crossed the Tennessee river in
poutoons, by night, captured the enemy's
pickets, and by the break Of day Gen.
Bragg found Us we'll en.renched on his
right flank. Here, By the side of the
brave boys of the old Keystone, Buckeye
aud other States, We stood shoulder to
shoulder, inspired with the same common
object, and drove Mr. Reb from his pro-
posed winter quarters.
1t is evident, from the position that the
enemy occupied, that the commander had
all coniieuce in his safety, and had never
dreamed Of an attack. ln fact it seemed
almost impossible to disloige an army
from such a naturally strong position,
made still stronger by art, if they had de-
termined TO hold it but it seems to me as
if it had been immaterial to Bragg's army
whether they held the place or not. Any
how, We have the satisfaction Of knowing
that the enemy was routed, with but
slight loss to the stOrmir = party, your cor
respondent being one of the party that
lay but sixty feet from the cannou's tbun-
derng mouth for over two hours, but were
at last compelled to fal! back, being at-
tackled by au overwhelming force of Har-
dee's men, who were massed but three
rods from US, behind hurried breastwork
upon the brow of a hill, numbering six to
our one, which We learned from prisoner
subsequently captured. The loss in our
regiment was 81 killed, wounded and miss
ing, including our brave leader, Col. Hol-
ten Putnam, wi ho fell in front of the column
with the flag Of our country in his left
hand, and bis sabre swinging in his right.
a musAot ball passed through his head.
The flag was brought of the field with one
star left to float from its spliDtered staff.
Yet we feel proud of that one star, though
to look at 1t shudder may pass through
ones veins.
Toward the latter part Of December our
corps began the work Of opening the Mem
pbis Il Charleston Railroad from Steven
son, Ala, westward to Decatur, while
Gen. Dodge is engaged in opening the
Nashville < Decatur Railroad and We
expect by the latter part of this month to
have the road in good running order. The
road from Stevenson to Huntsville has
been used for the last month.
Huntsville is quite neat town, and but
few places in the hills of the "suDny South"
are more fourishiug. 1t is the county
seat Of Madison county the court house
is very neat brick edliice. Gen. j. A.
Logan's head quarters are at this town.
The surrounding country has furnished an
immense quantity Of forage for our army.
The valleys form one vast corn-held. This
section is supplied with an abundance of
water of the best kind; the soil in the
valleys is rich and clear of stone; the
are covered with the best quail.
i,y Of timber-white oak, yellow pine,
cedar, chestnut, &c. also, plenty of good
building stone. The country was first set
tied by a poor class of people, and they
are Kept poor by the arlstrocracy. The
valleys are mostly too narrow for the rich
planters; they do not afford the pecessary
facilities for the extensive cultivation of
cotton. Owing to these circumstances,th the
buildings are mostly poor. But among
this class stronger Union spirit is found
than in any other. Hardly day passes but
what some deserters come into our lines
Who were residents of Southern Tennessee
md Northern Alabama. Some came in
whose families live in Huntsville. They
express uniformity OF opinion, and are
anxious to have the war closed in the
Quickest possible manner. They seem to
lave enough Of war.
We had very mild winter. Spring is !
to show his welcome, blooming a
Dgers. Earth's green sheet is becoming
nore visible every day. The buds of the
ruit trees are beginning to expand.
ELIAS koSTENBADER,
serg't, Co. G, 93d III. Vols, 18th Army Corps.
TRAIToRs.-Silas Wright, who was one 7
f the best aud purest Democrats ofhis time,
nee said "lf among US there be any il