Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-09-01
Our Army Correspondence.
HEAD QR's THIRTY-FlRsT Wis. Vols.


full and on the 10Th of September fol-
lowing we left Dodgeville with one hun
dred and seven men. Out Of that num-
Der sixteen men have been transferred
to other companies, FIVE have been dis
charged, eight have died; seven have
deserted, two have been promoted to the
non commissioned staff, and fourteen re-
cruits have joined, making the prese mt
aggregate eighty-three men. Sixty five
were reported for duty this morning,
the balance are the sick and those on
detached and detailed service. How
will our roster tally with this a year
from to-day? Before that time arrives
we hope this wicked rebellion will be
brought to a close, and peace and unity
once more reign over our beloved
country.
We still occupy the same post ion as
when [ last wrote, but we have strong
er and better breastworks for our pro-
lection Fighting has been going on to
the right and left Of us, but beyond a
little skirmishing while advancing our
picket lines our Division has lain quite.
The Batteries connected with US have
daily practice at formidable rebel fort
half mile in our immediate front, but
lately the Johnnie" keep unaccount-
ably quiet and no amount of provocation
can induce them to return our compli-
ments, our shells elicit no reply. Ishall
not attempt to give you any description
of the progress Of operations here, from
the fact that you enjoy the same faci-
lities for obtaining information in re-
gard to our movements that we do, viz:
by reading the daily papers therefore
[ shall confne myself to matters per-,
tanning to our regiment in general and
Company c in particular. The general
health Of the Company is good, having
only five men sick in the hospital
Since leaving Nashville, the regiment
has lost seven men killed and thirty men
wounded. I am thankful to say that
our Company has met with no casualties
since my last. Corporal James Downs
of Company Fl, formerly Of Company
O., was wounded severely in the shout
der, on the 3lst Of July, while out on.
the picket line, where most of the cas-
ualties have occurred
. A number of siege guns have been
mounted lately along the line, and they
pour an almost incessant stream Of shells
into the doomed "Gate City" frequent
ly setting fire to buildings, and making
a residence there anything but COM
Portable. Artillery duels sound fear
fully, terribly and grand, while one is
out on the skirmish line ; it causes
feeling Of intense, even pleasurable, ex-
element to listen to the unearthly
shrek of the shells over ones head as
they cross each others path on their
mission Of destruction and death while
the cheer and shout Of the pickets is
mingled with the rattle of 1ausketry
and whistling Of bullets, altogether
forming a scene which would crafty the
desire Of the most ardent lover of
thrilling excitement" Inside the for
tifcations, however, when an artillery
duel is progressing, we thug the breast
works closer than ever we did when we
were infants, for at that time, music of
this character sounds the sweetest when
the shells are flying with their tails to-
wards us. -
We frequently are compelled to make
sudden and profound obeisence to
"stray kittens -a facetious term the
boys have given to spent bullets on ac-a
count of their making a noise similar to
the plaintive new Of kitten. This
forced politeness is both annoying and
ammusing, but as the kittens come
with but little force, they are compare
lively harmless. The weather here is
very pleasant and but very little hotter
than in Wisconsin. Notwithstanding
the assertions ofsensation newspaper re-
porters, we do not occupy Atlanta yet,
but we have firm confidence that we
shall, and that before long. Its place
strongly fortified and cannot. be taken
in day. But General Sherman knows
no such word as fail and Hood and
his army must finally succumb. Let
Dodgeville strike another blow at the
rebellion by filing her quota on this
last call. The more men we have and
the sooner we have them, SO much the
sooner will the war be over.
From letters received from home
we regret to learn that false and defam
atory reports concerning the safety and
reputation of some members of the Go.
are circulating about .Dodgeville, caus
ing unnecessary anxiety and suspense
in the minds of our friends We beg
that no credence whatever will be CIV
en- to such injurious reports, for they gen
orally originate in the fertile Imagination
of some shallow minded ignoramus, or
are manufactured by malicious copper
heads and given currency for the pur-
pose of creating disafection. When
any of Co 'C'' get killed or wounded,