Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-11-02
subject at present. may refer to it at some

subject at present may refer to it at some
future time
Let us return to the camp Soon after the
rebellion commenced, the Mississippi trai tors
selected this place for permanent "Camr
OF Instruction" To this place were brought
the raw but fiery recruits and volunteers. 70
this place they drove and dragged from differ.
ent parts of the State their drafted men and
conscripts to be drilled and instructed in the
art of war in general, and of killing Yankees
in particular, and then, as soon as they could
be supplied with arms, were sent off to fill Tho
ranks of the rebel army, and Others took thei
places in this Scamp Of Instruction." ] an
told that as many as $4,000 men have beer
! in this camp at one time. This villainous
rebel work was suddenly stopped in the spring
of 1868 by Col. Grierson and his a. iron sided .
cavalry. These brave fellows were on their
way from Tennessee to Baton Rouge. and
merely paid the d" rebs'' short visit. But a
more unwelcome visit than this was never
paid to "Camp of Instruction! d" 1t was
quite a large school--few Northern colleges
could boast of such a great number of scholars
and teachers. Now, instead of waiting for, or
going to meet their illustrious visitors. as soon
as the scholars heard of the intended visit,
they began to pack up. Soon the teachers
followed suit, and the school broke up in the
widest disorder. Teachers and scholars were
seen running as for dear life towards the brush
and pine woods in every direction save one,
leaving their pens and pencils Il. e. guns, SC. }
behind. Never did school or college break
up in such wild disorder before Why, you
might have thought that the schoolhouse was
on fire, an the flames were pursuing the
frightened scholars. Most of the teachers
kept up with their scholars, nay, some, be-
lieve, outstripped them in this wild race to the
woods. Some, after running short distance
through the brush, would drop or "squat -
down as prairie chickens do when a hawk ap-
pears. By the time Col. G.. and his bold
troops got to the camp school, nearly all the
scholars with their teachers had fed. The
few who were left, were taken prisoners with
out any resistance on their part. Having Sc
cured the prisoners, the Colonel ordered his
men TO dsmount and destroy the teachers
houses and the scholars tents, pens, pencils
and everything else that belonged to the
Camp of Instruction." but not private prop
erty.
The log house in which write this was fill
cd with fodder, but being private property il
was untouched, though a very good house
close by, also private property, was not
known as such by the Colonors men, SO they
set it on fire. In very short time after the
above order was given large house. con-
tanning commissary stores, the officers quar-.
tiers and soldiefs' tents were in blaze.
While some were setting fire to the tents, &C.,
Others were hunting up the pens and pencils,
or, dropping fisurative language, the arms.
what they could not take with them were de-
stroyed in some way. Some would throw
guns into the fire, others would take hold of
them 10y the barrel near the muzzle and lash
the trees with them, till they becume useless.
Having destroyed everything they could find
belonging to the rebels, and broken up their
celebrated . Camp of Instruction. the Colo
mel and his undaunted troopers went back to
Brookhaven, and destroyed one or two locomo-
tiyes and burned mp the depot. in which was
stored quite quantity of good property. af-
ter which the Colonel paroled his prisoners.
and the next day, if am correctly informed,
bis bold, successful raiders started once more
for Baton Rouge, leaving Brookhaven again
in possession of the rebels. sr
But change has taken place since then
Brookhaven now, thank God is garrisoned
by tbs 5Sth U. s. Colored Infantry. aud theil
tents are pitched on the ground once occupied
as g Camp of Instruction" for the traitor:
and rebels of Mississippi
When preach or lecture, generally know
when TO stop, but not SO when / write
hate to commence writing, but once com
menced know not when to stop. NY apollo
gy for this and other long letters is, / do no
rrite often. As ever yours,
J. @. WIrTEp,
Chaplain 5sth IT, S. Cold nifty.