The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1867-09-05
Correspondence Ottumwa Courier.]

the wing now here, now there, and
then somewhere else, but we try to-
keep cool and take things easy, not
witbstanding the hot sun and ory
weather and terribly dusty roads,
At Macon City we leave the II. Il
st. Joe r. r., and take a due north
course along the line of the North
Mo. R. r., II distance. of. 40 miles to
Kirkville, County Seat Of Adair Go.
The country from Macon City to
hirkyiIlc is good, high prairie Skin
ted with good timber, and we find
all along tho road good largo and
wei! improve farms. The corn crop
is much better in the adjacent conn
ties west. Grading On the railroad
seems to be almost flushed the en-
tire distance to kirkville, and the
cars are running six miles out from
Macon City. Hands are engaged in
laying down ties and rails continu-
ally, and in few weeks they will
run to Atlanta, some ten or twelve
miles from Macon, and it is claimed
on the part Of some that the cars
will run To Kirkville the present fall /,
bat we think not before next spring.
When finished this will be fine road
as Its location is such, that there are
no heavy grades and its course gen
orally direct one. We saw large
numbers of ties distributed all along
the road, and hands at work at va
rious places, and are inclined to be-
lieve the road will be pushed ahead
to its final completion. : Kirkville is
a very neat town containing popu.
lation of 1900 to 1900, and is good
trading point. We find this a very
radical place, and it has good cause to
be, as it was one of the places at.
tackled by the. rebels, ard the bullet
holes are still visible in the hotel a,
which we put up, the result of a bat
tie fought Aug. 6, 1862, between Col
/ Mcneil and Col. Porter, in which MI
Reb., was considerably damaged
We visited the trench in which thei1
dead were buried, on high knoll
adjacent to town. The Court Hous,
was burned a few months ago, ant
the county records badly damaged
They propose building soon again, +,
house that will be an ornament t,
/ their town. From Kirkvillc we @
north again 25 miles to Lancaster
county seat of Schuyler county
There is large amount of "timbe
in this county, and consequently tn
land in many places is quite rollin,
but we found some very fine farm
west of the county seat, anon,
which is one owned by our old frien'
Col. Thompson formerly of Wapell
county. His location is decidedly
good one, gently rolling prairie, wit
an abundance of good timber ut hi
door, and good water. He will 500
i teach Missourians thcart of farming
/ Lancaster contains u population {
4 500 to 1000 and was the scene of
4 battle, the marks of which are plain
4 ly visible in the Court House, we nc
ticed three bullet holes in one wir
dow, and several others in differen
parts of the building. The rebs
came sneaking up a slough in tn
north east part of town and fired
few shots, killed two or three an
lost several of their own party an
then hastily retired. Their leade
Capt Searcy, was badly wounded
captured and afterwards shot by Ce
Mcneil. Messrs. Forsha, OF Eddy
vile have laid off a town four mile
!, west Of Lancaster, at the railroad
:, and built large Grist and Saw Mil
and Planning Mill, and we think tn
County Seat will eventually be loc'
! ted there, and if so, will be surronl
; ded by fine farming country. I'll
! corn through this region of countr
will be good average crop. alth
= rain is needed very mnch. J.E.,
. LANCASTER, Mo-, Aug. %, 81.
r