The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-07-22
From the far West.

lclne at Rand0llSt0Wn, In this county, but
who is now surgeon in the Regular army
and stationed on the Western border Of
Arkansas. The Dr. writes an interesting
letter and we would publish it entire had
we space. We make the following extracts
After giving his impressions of the coun-
try throughout the Western states he says
AT ST. Louis we took passage on board
the steamer Arago for Memphis, Tennes-
see, and were soon on our way down the
Mississippi The scenery on the banks of
this great river is not of o character to
awaken the admiration of the traveller
There are a few rocky bluffs and an occa-
sional deep chasm or ravine, running back
into the country on the West bank but
nothing grand. The Eastern shore is low
and fat, and mostly covered with young
buttonwood. The Towns and Villages on
either shore are small and apparently Of
but small Importance. Cairo at the mouth
of the Ohio is place of considerable COM
mercial Importance as reshipping point.
The situation and general appearance of
the town is any thing but attractive. It is
located on low point of land projecting
into the conhuent waters of the two rivers,
which not unfrequently overflow their
banks and submerge the whole city. The
streets are unpaved, and in wet weather are
utterly impossible. The side walks, in ma
ny parts of the city, consist of wooden
frame work, covered with boards and eleva-
ted several feet from the ground, SO as to OBJ
viate the inconvenience ofrow boats in their
streets during high waters. . t.l
Hickman in Kentucky, is asingular look
I'M fou IF 0nncicfo nf ohnnt fVUn hi1n-
dred we'll built but old fashioned looking
houses, scattered promiscuously among the
trees, over a succession of small but abrupt
hills that run directly along the river bank.
The place has about it dingy, ancient and
aristocratic air. Business appeared to be
entirely suspended, if indeed it ever was a
place of busines,-and but few inhabitants
were to be seen. AsiI looked upon its va
cant streets and silent groves / was vividly
reminded of Goldsmith's deserted village
With Memphis l was much better pleas
ed. The city is located on plateau about
eighty feet above the river andis we'll built.
Business was brisk, every body seemed to
have plenty to do, and they looked more
like real yankees than any other people
have seen since have been in the South.
About the centre of the city is very pleas
ant little park, in which stands a statue OF
Jackson, with his clenched hand raised
over his head, so that almost fancied
heard those iron lips saying, "By the eter-
nal, the Union must and shall be preserv-
ed" We were not molested on our way
down the river, having run the gauntlet
in perfect safety But the boatimmediate-
Iv behind us was attacked and perfectly
bullet riddled. 1e.aoal aF a aoi'
| At Memphis we took White river boat
for DuYalls Bluff. The Mississippi below
Memphis is deep and wide, and winds 81
lently and majestically along, bounded on
either side by naught but dense forest.
We embarked about sunset and were
soon gliding swiftly down the "Father of
Waters" On the way we had an exciting
race with the steamer Robert Burns, the
latter coming out second best. lisas
Scarcely boat passed up or down that
was not attacked. But on, on we steamed, up
the narrow stream, whose banks are scare
ly fifty yards apart, unharmed and unawed
except by the occasional grunt of a bear or
the savage growl of hungry wolf or tiger
upon the shore. Our passage up the White
river till we reached DuvalPs Bluff, about
two hundred miles from its mouth, was ex-
ceedingly dreary, not single attractive
object presented itself to break the dull,
monotonous scenery that hemmcd us in on
either side. Scarcely q single house, an
acre of cleared land or any sign whatever of
human habitation is to be seen in all that
distance. The eager eye looks but looks
in vain for some new scene. Nothing but
one continuous, dark, sullen forest and i'm
penetrable cane brakes meet the gaze. s'
White NV nAhl0 1ftf1o OF roo nm ~
is very deep but very narrow, boy can
throw stone across it at its widest point,
vet the largest steamers on the western
rivers ply in its waters. Duvall's Bluff is
at the head of steamboat navigation and at
the junction of the river and the Little
Rock and Memphis Rail Road, hence it is
a place of considerable Importance to Ar
kansas as a reshipping point. All the sup
plies for our armies in Arkansas are brought
up the White river to Duvall's Bluff, from
which place they are forwarded by rail to
Little Rock. This is the only reliable, in
fact the only point to Little Rock from the
East, the Arkansas river being navigable
only few months in the year. Lest you
should think there is a town at Duvalls
Bluff, will say at once there is not. Tie
people of Arkansas have never seen the
Importance of building town at this place.
In fact, the enterprise of the people of this
State seldom scars above raising cotton,
gambling and drinking bad whiskey. The
only signs Of town here are one or two
tolerably decent looking dwellings,, five or
six mud huts and one or two long frame
sheds for the temporary storage of grain
and other merchandise. There we took
the cars, and few minutes ride through a
thin strip of woods, brought us out upon q
broad prairie, as level as sheet of water.
It's tall grass waving in the sunlight made
it resemble broad lake, whose surface was
gently agitated by the wind. This was q
great relief from the dreary scenes we
had just passed through. III afds sif
maL L...m Stamped Paper.