Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-09-29

enters upon lnc ScINic oi HIS cu-
dannercd country. If in some re
spects it smacks Of the ridiculous,
in others it was none the less bor-
: dering on the sublime.
October Sd saw the regiment
formally received by the govern
ment, some fellows whom God had
not made as large as most of us,
standing upon little blocks, that they
might noo appear below regulation
size to the inspecting officer. Some
men over age and others, boys under
age, equivocating the oath, III order
to maintain their privilege OF going
: as volunteer soldiers, whilst other
few, through some deiornity or dis
ease, were refused acceptance, and
We're compelled, with heavy hearts
and tearitl eyes, to sd ace their
howcward steps.
Eight days later, in obedience to
orders, but with many an cxclama-
ton more torcible than polite and
rcvcrcnt,:::a,l, the command embarked,
not for ssthc 'front.' but for the head
waters of the mississippi river, the
Mile Lacs, Of Minnesota. Short
service, however, awaited the rHgl-
mcnt there, and III few weeks you
gladly turned your faces southwark,
arriving at Memphis and reporting
in the latter part Of November 70
Gen. Sherman, who was ust about
- move as a part OF Gen. Grants
o.,,v ITO Central Mississippi, and
.n! a. IA! 'uossib'e the rear Of
the tIleI rebel eI s.rono ho,,l,, S,'oksburg:
You will remember the abo'.
bic old hlunderbusses with wien
the regiment was at first armed
You mind, when active, actlal ser
vice now seemed imminent, the long,
loud, continual and Just complaints
Of the men, TO their line otiicers,
that the promise Of better arms had
not been complied with. After con
sultation, a large number of' the line
officers waited upon the Colon'l and
made a statement of alleged srlcv-
ances, backed it with their united
voice, and finally went the length to
intimate very decided disinclina-
tion to march with the army into
action, with such unscrvicabic old
Prussian muskcts. The Colonel
heard them patiently, acknowledged
the Justice OF the complaint, stated
his own anxiety and efforts to pro
cure a better quality Of arms, then
added quietly but firmly, Il have
orders to march with my regiment
tomorrow morning. | shall DO 1t.
If any man refuses TO obey those
orders. it will become my painful
duty to pat him under arrest. /
think rs they returned TO quarters
one Of the line officers remarked
something about ~ t." in hf# car,
and know Of one AT least who tronl
that time had much higher opinion
OF his re@imcntal commander than
lie had hitherto entertained. imay
a&d that with such exceptions as
the SURGEONS ordered to remain, the
entire regiment marched next moili-
in@. But the occasion does net
pclmit ihc mention ot the many n
cidcnts which wotiI doubtless be OF
interest to You OF the march to liuf-
ricanc Creek, to the Iallahalehic,
back to Holly Springs, thence Jack
son. i enn., and tilat last march OF
1869. to reinforce Gen. Sullivan, near
Lexington. Tenn, then eng Ged IN
batIle W ith the rebel Gen. Forrest.
The horr i},le condition Of the reads
and dcpth o.S mud is perhaps aIe-
ouatelT described by an incident
upon The mar ch. With soaked feet
and clothing bes rotted and bedr"g-
gled, Just about ha Il way ii, 70 the
cap, the command trudgcd along
amid all sorts Of expressions uh'li
one called out: '.l>nce deep When
others Immediately caught np me
boatman's reports when uslng the
lead and line to determ, ne the depth
of water, from ''two feet they nae
reached ''mark twain," when ohe
unfortunate fellow missing hi' loot
ING, fell his iull length, prone INTO
the midst of the lobloliy. tlamiicr-
ing up and blowing the mud 90, .,
his mouth he sang out ''No bottom.
The climax was reached, and the
subject considered satisfactorily eA'-
hausted. This forced march WAS
made in bitter cold weather with
little or 10 transportation, without
rations, and many Of the men with
out blankets, and probably cost the
regiment more sickness, suffering
and death, than the severest OF the
battles in which it was subsequent
ly engaged.
But time would fail ne to speak
of duties and incidents at Jackson,
at Corin;h, a. Toons, at Modon, at
Buffers bridge, at River bridge, al
Mount Pinson, ut Moscow, where
you were camp guards, picket
Guards, train guards, X. K. guards,
provost guards, and every other
kind imaginable, except guards for
p;qs and chicheH$. | must hastily
pass your heated march to Meml h's.
and that subsequent sweltciinG
march from Helena Ark, to beyond
Brownsville where You overlook,
and became part Of Gen. oteeie's
command in the capture Of Little
Rock. 1t was during this march
YOU were compelled to drive back
the green scum from the surface
Of the s.agnant water and use that
, which the horses would not touch
and that last day ont from Browns,
, Vile saw YOU march under the bis
, tering sun, and over the trceless
prairie, until not n few dropped
from the ranks, apparently as ilte-
less as are the coilincd for burial.
| This campaign, however, WAS fol-
: lowed by couple Of months IL snug
: quarters, which you erected for
$ Yourselves on the eastern bank OF
). the Arkansas river; and here 1t
$ was that the officers so ehectualiy
t warmed up Jake Eiscnharts new
!, Guartcr-master's apartment, by aid
:. of the Coaa5issoyy department, and
/. developed such a wonderful knoWl
), edge Of lhre"ology on that occa
) sion!