Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-06-04
Things In Alabama---Letter from Col Howe,
of the 32d Wisconsin.


Things in Alabama---Letter from Col Howe,
of the 32d Wisconsin. -
The Green Bay -Adgocate takes the liberty
OF copying the following from private let
ter recently received from Col. ]. Fl. HOWE,
of the SD Wisconsin, then at Decatur, Ala.
1t is interesting as the testimony of truthful
and observing witness to the condition of the
"The situation is unchanged this morn.
ing. The pickets of the SD had a sharp lit
tie skirmish with some rebel cavalry this
morning, but nobody was hurt. Twenty-Five
deserters came in, in body, chased by a
squad of rebel cavalry. The fugitives were
protected by the picket and are safe. Since
we have been here, assertions from the enc
my, at this post, have averaged about - a
day. Many of them enlist at once, in our ar.
my. The I'd Alabama Cavalry has now near
ly 200 men, all natives, Some of these de-
serters are filed with the, fereest hatred
against the rebels. The testimony of these
men, coming from different armies, or at diff
ferent times, is substantially the same. They
say the people at home, are tired Of the'war
and will gladly have peace on any terms.
The majority of the rank and file, of the army
will desert as fast as possible, but that the
great majority of the officers of the army are
determined to fight it out, to the last man.
All concede the hopelessness of the cause,
from the preponderence of men and re-
sources, unless something intervenes. They
are ardent walters on Providence and will
fight, while they wait.
Evidences of the terrible despotism under
which the South groans is apparent every
where, when you penetrate the rim of the
Confederacy. There are no able bodied mer
white or black in the Confederacy. They
are either all in the army or in the woods
hiding from conscript officers The conscrip.
ton is mercilessly enforced. There is no
civil government anywhere. Bands of armed
soldiers patrol the entire country, and their
will is the only law. In that part of Missis.
sippi lying north of Vicksburg and west OF
the Mississippi Central railroad brigade OF
Texas cavalry is stationed, doing patrol duty.
There is a complete reign of terror. The
soldiers live upon the inhabitants and seem
toenjoy life. Thei few citizens i found to
talk with expressed greater dread of their
"friendS" than of US. Those Texans declared
that they never intended to stop fighting
Union men and conscripts are hunted with
blood-houndS. On a march, the other day
we found blood hound dead and hung up to
a tree, in a little town IN West Tennessee
Our guide, an old man of over 90 and resi-
dent of the neighborhood, explained its his
tory We were in that part of west Tennes-
see where the 9TH Tenn. (Union) cav, Col.
Hurst's regiment, was raised. Col. Hurst had
been ordered to Memphis. The rebels, when
he was gone, sent away and got this hound
to hunt this old man and one of his sons VINO
was unfit for service. He had two other sons
in Hurst's regiment. The old man laid out,
watched his opportunity, and shot the hound.
The rebels had q public funeral and buried
the beast with the honors of war. A few
Union men rallied, dug him up and hung him
in front of a rebels house in the village.
This operation had been twice repeated by
each party Unionism was in the ascendant
the day we marched by, and there hung the
hound, stencil in the nostrils of all. The
rebels wreaked terrible revenge, however,
a few DAYS before. Two of them suddenly
rode up to the old mans house, found the son
there, with his wife, Tires little children and
his mother. They shot the young man dead
on his own doorstep, and one miscreant snap
ped his musket three times at the very breast
of the mother. / stood in the door-yard and
heard the story from the widow, and three
pretty children near her. She showed me
the biood-stains of her dead husband. The
story ran through the command. am quite
sure some good lighting would have been done
most any time that day, and but few prisoners
taken, had the opportunity offered.
On this same march, we went to Purdy,
Tenn, where Col Hurst resides. He was
an old citizen, very wealthy, a lawyer, a
planter, large STAKEHOLDER, and 3 Douglas
democrat He stood out for the Union, made
many and strong speeches fcr il. When
west Tenn, was occupied by rebel troops
81,
manned quietly on his plantation. At the in
stance of some of his own neighbors, rebels,
he was arrested and thrown into jail, on
charge of "being 3 suspected person
Among other indignities heaped upon him,
be was led by halter around his neck, by
his own neighbors, round the public square
Of the town. After long confinement he
made his escape TO the Tenn, river, when
our gnnboats went up after Donaldson and
Henry were taken. He subsequently went
back, raised strong regiment of his own
neighborS, the 18th Tenn, Cav, burned eve
r. building around the square, part which he
was marched excepting one owned by
Union man, and gave the inhabitants notice
that for any propertyof his injured or taken
BY them, he would exact fearful retribution.
His family live rnmolestei in the town. ard
he is in command of his regiment on active
duty in the field. His regiment take very
few prisoners
Tbs HOSrfrALS-CARg FoR THE WorxpED.-
late correspond sRt from Washington in the
New York C0gRuasrxsai -adsxreissx has the fel-.
loving: Occasional showers hare cooled the
atmosphere, and thus slleviAtei the sufsrings
Of the fO1Eteen thousand wounded soldiers
here and hereAhoUtS- Never were patients
better cared Tor, and there Is not one who has