The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-01-18
Letter xrom MervwiA.
WlLLrAxsBuo. Va, Dec. %. 1864.

WlLLlAxsBuo. Va, Dec. %. 1864.
Dear 7smes Your complimentary com
munication and TINES was duly received
I feel with all due modesty, . sort Of prid'
in receiving such compliments, but allow
me to make one observation upon your un
dsrstanding. In my case you mistake I
native weakness. It would bs extrem,
necessity for me to attempt to compose
anything worthy of publication but in
carrying on correspondence with any one
especially IN Editor. I take pains to write
something readable, and If possible, inter.
esting. Of what use is it to receive two o,
three sheets scrawled over with mere
superficial nonsense? Nonsense may be
entertaining, but this id giggle headed
nonsense, excuse me from receiving in let.
ter or listening to. In defense of my
writing I might quote from an editorial
correspondence published in the Nonrn
Iowa TIxEs last fall.
"JoaN, did you ever see 4 young girl
with her first accordeon, or boy with a
new jewsharp, or man learning to fiddle,
or q young German gentleman taking his
initiative on flute? You dldl Well then,
yoa remember tho several parties referred
to did scarcely anything but ACCORDION,
js,cshnrp, .fddle and flute, until your innate
~ckedness suggested an insane ASYLUM
as fit place for the display Of such talent"
- "Now my weakness is playing
with the pen. Although very Indifferent
performer, yet the music extorted from the
powerful instrument affords me great plea.
sure" &c.
In applying this to myself, I am COMPEL.
ed to say that my ambition runs in purely
private channels. have never objected to
your publishing, because know you are
not apt to embellish your columns with
anything insipid.
Since my last we have been on . ten
days expedition up the Potomac, in West
moreland and The county east, tdon't know
the name.) in company With c. Co. of the
4th Mass. cavalry doing duty here. We
embarked at Yorktown. per transport,
Dec. 18th, under command of Lieut..
Davenport Of Buffers staff. Here learned
that two other Co.'S. Of cavalry, Co. F, OF
our Res't, aid 70. NJ. Of the 4th Mass.
and Regt. Of colored troops. Gnfantry)
were awaiting US at the mouth of the
Chesapeake. Where we were going was
more than our best guessers could divine !;
but concluded time would tell. l suppose
you were rever = cavalryman and secuted
aboard . steamboat, so that a few words
with reference to this most desirable duty
will not be amiss. First our landings or
wharves here are generally from four to
six feet higher than the decks Of the steam.
ers, so that the gang. plank has to rest on
an angle Of about As degrees for the horses
to slide down or roll down, according to
choice; at any rate you may bet he'll get
to the bottom If once started unless, perhaps,
he undertakes the trip sideways and
fiops overheard into the water. In that
case poles, sticks, perhaps small boats,
have to be resorted to to frighten the poor
animal ashore from under the wheel or side
Of the boat. Once on deck, they are led
aft and packed as close as they can stand,
until the decks are full-crowded. The
owner Of each animal takes his position
under his horses neck as the best accom-.
modations to be found aboard for an enlist
ed man il you stay awake. Neither can
you get anything cooked. Ask that black
devil with the greasy apron you see dodg
ing out and in the galley so often, for a
favor Of that kind, he'll tell you he can,
"bothsr with you now" Show him u
greenback and his eyes will begin to glisten,
and just beneath you will discover ivory
enough to make dozen fine combs. Ask
the Steward, and he will display an air OF
insolence and self. lf.,mportance equal to any
niger detached from the hoe. handle; ex.
pose another greenback and his suavity is
not to be excelled by the most accomplish
ed coquet. AL other officers Of the boat
are as mersenary. Some one aboard, per.
haps all hands, have dozen or so bottles
Of whisky--in other words, bewitched
water-for sale at $500 per pint! There
is system Of extortion successfully carried
on here tina. shows most soldiers to be big
fools; even drink Of fresh water (if you
don't happen to have it in your canteen)
commands the moderate price Of 10 cents.
In this way and with these accommoda.
tons, We are transported from one place to
another, and transported when We get clear
Of the miserable things. Although they
are very useful to Government | have no
doubt, but every enlisted man in the service
wishes them sunk, vermin and crews in
cluded.
Next morning after embarking, we found
ourselves just off Point Lookout, Nd,
steaming up the Potomac; following night
anchored, expecting to land early in the
morning, but could not fnd landing {:
fooled about till the middle of the afternoon,
when the boat ahead having on the other
two Cos. Of cavalry, ran up near shore
and commenced pitching the horses over.
board, letting them swim ashore, aud send
ing the men in small boats. Twas fine
sport to see the horses splash into the
water and strike out for shore. Some
would swim around the boat in search Of q
place to climb aboard again, but finding
none, and seeing tho others on land, they
would point aud make good time landing
About S We were all landed, the line Of
march immediately formed, and the direc-
ton taken. At midnight charged into