The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-01-05

About the hardest worker know Of here
is your old correspondent, l.. D. Ingersoll,
known to the reading public by the nome de
plume of 'Linkensale.' He works seven
hours day at the Treasury and about ten
at home, giving the other seven, as he laugh
ingly says himself to fun, slespiags eating
and prayer He is well fixed for literary
labor. In very truth, kuSw of no one
who is better situated in that way. His
home is comfortable, having ,an air of taste
and refinement all about it., Ia his parlor
are several fne oil.pantings, one ofthen be-
ing short-trowsered news.boy. that was
taken while was boy says Link. An
other is portrait of his beautiful little
daughter MAY, golden haired girl, between
Ave and SIX, who has taught herself to read
and write. (She writes printed letters y
But whore h like to be the best is in his
back parior, which he calls his den. Here
IS where he used to write his letters for the
Journal. where now he writes for the Des
Moines Register, and is arranging, scissor.
ing, studying and writing on his History of
the Iowa: Troops: T.Iaa aais1gr sTs d9'"H
On the walls are several easravings.-
Right above his great writing table is q
group OF four--W Washington, Shakespeare ,
Webster and Cooper. His table is all that q
writereould ask. Large. With eight or ten
big drawers, an ink.stand on top that will
hold gallon, and as broad bottomed as a
fat boat. On the centre is the finest bronze
bust ofShakspeare lever saw. On the t..
bic and round about are cyclope las, die
tionaries, maps, aliases ana lots Of Iowa
newspapers. On the opposite side ofthe
room is a library of choics and, valuable
books. Among them, you will find pretty
much all the books which have appeared
bearing on this rebellion. In the big
drawers you will find (if you get the priv.,
lege of looking in. as I did, about bnshel
of letters fromIour boys in the army and
about cart load of their correspondence
which has been printed in our papers. Mr..
Ingersoll is now engaged in arranging these
materials. and in becoming familiar with
them, with view Of soon. commencing the
actual composition Of his history, and which
part Of the work, he assures me, will con-
stitute but a small portion Of the labor. B In
turning over the facts 10. his mind, in,read.
ing from, books which may have something
to say bearing on = matters of which he will
speak, in studying maps, and reports Of bat
day. came in,on him the other night, and
found him porting over he.thirda Fart of the
Report on. the Conduct of the War.
learned that he had read every word of it,,
and was going over it again in the way Of
review. pumped him, and learned he
was in stew about the battle of Wilson'S
Creek. What with rebel authorities and
Union authorities newspapers, official re-
ports, this Congressional report, and, Henry
OConnor's pamphlet said he, Il have read
at least thousand pages bearing on tina t
battle, and haven't made up my mind which
side whipped. rather guess the absolute
fact is, we whaled thsm and. they whaled
usv
| | asked him how, he was ever going to
get his history done, fine had so mnch
reading about every battle. WELL he said
'as soon as Fremont and Frank Blair ge,
..t Of st.o "~y have bug 1tQIr uoup:e. com
paratively. We thrashed 'em so unmerci.
fully after that for the most part, that even
the rebel writers. admit 'reverses.' siaj ri
| Linkensale is giving to, this work great la :
Dor, much more than. any, one. would he like.
ly to suppose. But it is all labor of love-
He is an enthusiast on Iowa gene:alIv. and
especially on Iowa troops. Hetsdeclarcs
that Iowa has lhandsoper girls, better sol
diers, ADLER Generals. finer babies, and more
corn to the acre, than any other State, in
The. Union. 4 He has just completed, a biog-
raphy of the laInented Generals. A. Ri ,e,
for the IoUa .4aaals. shich I venture to pre-.
dict will be greatly liked by the people of
our State. b..,, aaa.s ~ g'rar. '...b
:, But enough for the present. Thave said
30 much about your old friend because
wanted to do something in this my first es.
say, in your. columns, toward repaying him
for the many. very many, kind words he
has there said for so many Iowans, myself
among the number, whom he esteemed
good eggs Correspondence Of the Musca
tine Journal.