Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-05-18

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highly complimentary to me. Being
informed of this, | felt quite free and
easy during my next interview with
him. So on his telling me that he
was member of the Episcopal church,
| ventured to say: General, l at
tended your church last Sabbath and
was very sorry to find that the minis
ter omitted the prayer for the Presi-
dent ~ 81 am sorry too," said he,
but l don't omit it, Chaplain l al
ways read that prayer, and loud
enough to be heard too"
will not repeat any more of our
conversation nor will | say anything
more, at this time, about the loyalty
or rather disloyalty of the preachers
of Natchez. have said twice as
much as | intended to when | COM
menced writing.
shall close this long letter with a
few remarks on other subjects. But |
must first look over the Intelligercer
just brought in by the Sergeant Ma
jor The beat of the drum tells me
that it is 8 o'clock P. NJ, so | will lay
this aside till after school tomorrow,
about 2 o'clock P. NJ.
have finished reading the Inte,i.
genoer of the Goth inst, which has af
forded me more pleasure, think, than
this letter will afford you, and, if pub.
lished, readers also. l know not
who sent the paper, but l thank the
sender whoever it was.
The last we have heard from Wash
ington is, that there is strong hope of
Stewards recovery. God grant it "
is our prayer. The war, we think, is
nearly over. Still we are as watch
full as ever.
A few mounted guerillas are still
seen occasionally prowling about near
our lines Last week six or eight OF
the rascals came within gun shot of
our pickets and fired upon them, but
fortunately, or providentially, they
missed their mark. Our picket officer
had just time to seize gun and fire
at the nearest one as he turned his
horse. The officer missed the man but
shot his horse dead.
Since | have been here, several
shots have been exchanged between
our vedettes and those demons in hui
man form. Our lines are quite ex-
tcnsivc. One hundred and ninety
men are employed on picket guard.
Shortly after | came here, | rode
around part of the lines with an Off
Ger, but saw no guerillas on that day,
though about thirty we'll mounted
were seen near our lines the day pre-
vious.
The Mississippi has risen fearfully
within the past two weeks, and is still
rising, though slowly. The banks on
the other side of the river are very
low, and the lcvee, opposite Natchez,
has given way so that the large Gov
crnment farm near Vidalia, and the
plantations, leased chiefly by Northern
ers, comprehending an extensive ter
ritory, are covered with water. u
am speaking you know of Louisiana.
Animals of various kinds are seek
ing places Of refuge on the patches of
high ground lying here and there.
The ground in and around Vidalia is a
little higher than the surrounding re-
gion, and scores of deer have fed there.
Several citizens Of Natchez have
crossed over and laid in a stock of
venison. A few soldiers from our
camp have been permitted to go over,
also but they are no great hunters,
as have seen but three or four deer
in the camp as yet. Some of the
deer have come on our side. | am
told that three or four bears were
seen on the bank of the river last
Monday.
Natehcz, like Quebec, has an up
per and lower town, the latter is
called Natchez under the HILL" 1t is
now overfiowed and those who live
there are seeking more congenial
houses in the.upper part of the town.
There, | must now stop. Till you
hear from me again, believe that an
Yours faithfully,
j. G.. WIrrEp,
Chap. 5Sth Reg. U. S. Cold Infty