The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-03-01

lOeSefterfs
An officer of . Connecticut regiment
writes home letter, in which he vividly
portrays the various methods of desertior
practiced by the bounty jumpers and othe,
scoundrels whom the people of the North
are sending into the ranks Of our noble ar.
mics: ..... ....re .-s.,r .a.-
A word now about desertion. 1t is as.
tonishing how little people understand
this matter. and why desertion can't be
stopped. Suppose one Of our veteran re.
giments, as is the case often, is now reduc-
ed to an average Of two hundred and fifty
men for duty-of these twenty are cooks
and assistants, ten are prisoners, twenty
are musicians, forty are non. commissioned
officers, ninety men who do not stand
guard, except the sergeants and corporals,
and they in charge o. relief and picket
posss, you have left one hundred and sixty
Oiled up with one hundred and sixty men
fill Of the old Harry, and undisciplinsd,
md large proportion, more or less, OF
whom are bounty Jumpers. We are OBJ
liged to furnish details for picket duty and
a camp. guard. 1t takes forty men for the
camp guard and forty five for the picket
At that rate it would bring the old men on
duty every other day. We begin to put
in the "subs," and place one between two
old men on the camp ground. His beat is
about one hundred and fifty to two hund.
red feet. We select the sub whom We
think acts as though he meant to stay, and
put him on the beat. The night is dark
or foggy and the men cannot see each other
forms his chums where he is and they ap-
proach him cautiously, and two, three or
more leave, and if they only get five min.
utes start, it is not usually more difficult
operation to 6nd needle in a hay stack,
than to catch those fellows unless by acc.
dent. And this same game may be played
until every one Of the new men are gone
A few will be picked up, but not over one,
fifth are caught, usually. Once in the
swamps and they are comparatively safe.
Now from the camp to the picket line.
The posting is the same 9or this example,
but the chance is for only one man to leave
at a time. The men are here only twenty
PAGES apart as videt:es, sometimes only
fifteen PAGES. At 100 to 900 or more
yards is the enemy's lines. Ours is in the
woods: perhaps heavy timber or oung
pines. The deserter has only to step softly
three or four PAGES in front Of tree. He
may not get one minute the start. II you
start after him you can follow him by the
sound, and the chances are only one in FIVE
hundred that you will catch him. The
first you know you are nearing the enc.
my's vidsttes and pickets and shower Of
balls stops your progress. If the deserter
is ahead Of you, all he has to do is to lie
down, and you have got to retire or bring
on an engagement. The deserter lies quiet.
ly until day break. He then crawls eau
tiously towards the enemy's line. AS soon
as he sees vidette he raises stick or his
musket with bit Of paper or white rag
on it, and cries out "deserter." Johnny
sends out a man and conducts him in. AT:
to put thetfi u' guaru ana picket IN greater
numbers, and then they begin to desert in
squads. Your old men cannot do all this
duty-if they could we should not want
your new men at all.
Another mode Of desertion is to lose the
camp and 60 to another part Of the line
where there is rcgiment,on duty, similarly
situated as to bounty jumpers, and join
their line during the night and then be
passed by some Of the fraternity Once
inside the rebel lines they are rationed,
furnished transportation to Naussau or are
started North in parties Of forty or fifty
men. They are furnished civilians clothes,
and our good overcoats and blankets, and
new Spencer or Springfield rifles help to
clothe and arm the rebel soldiery. Or they
exchange their uniforms for rebel batternut
and grey, and 60 to the lines of another
department and come in as deserters, take
the oath of allegiance and 60 North to
count again on the, quota of some State.