, 1876-03-19

non balls II their proper places, uudar e,,anl
| III the centre Of the train vera tha yonn:ecrs
whose arms warc visible at the windows at tue
cat-aoors aenunels wore OH guard. and ia the
rear were bo1~cars for the artillery horses ant,
| ptatform-cars for tho g1n-ca1riaees and cais
sons. No one ou the train felt inclined or bal
beeu enjoned to s,leneo, and impaired no in.
formation, and this rotieence intensified the e5.
c'tement. AlthouEh TUG good people Of Chica-
70 had amply supplied the necessary provisions.
and bountlful amount Of de1icarjey, still tho
boys thought they could lot ge. along without
R''squatc, hot meal. aud as military uisciuliue
eTon III . mild form, had not beeu attempted,
Capt. Webster complied and te1egraphed 10
Centralia for the desired spread.
nGMons-cAU71oN
At Contralla tlo otticeea Of the Railroad Com
Cany had learned that the Big Muddy bridge. a
shaky affair, aud ln what was supposed to
be secesh community, might be tampored
with. Every precaut'on WAS taken; the plat
form cars in front Of tho engine were double
guarded. md all Was in readiness for action !;
the bridges were examined, aud tho big Muddy
found xti right. As d pracautiou, Can't uayden
and detachment Of Zouaves we're left at tho
latter to guard it. The train proceeded and
roached the suburbs OF Cairo late at night. We
wore in time. Chicago had got there ahead OF
the expected piraticai steamer.
ARRIVING SAFELY AT CAIRO,
the expedition was warmly welcomed bv the rail-
rond people and tho "aoid y citizeus, but it waa
plain AZ the MONDAY sun to every ono that tue
floating portion, which Was largo there then
through the disturbed condition Of the locality,
we're not pleased with the newcomers, and ex-
pressons to that effect were indulged in freely :;
but then Company AS four barkers looked ugly,
aud wien they were mounted On their carriagcs,
and tue men with their peculiar jaunty uniforma
and arms took their POSITIONS, aud tho we'll
traiued artillery ho1aea vcro in their proper
places; and when Capt. Smith gavo the ringing
order to move forward, 1t looked like business.
and 1t meant business, Following the artillery
marched the "troops." Theze was no trouble
marked expressions Of diaike at tho course
things wero taking So the first military organ
ization OF the State Of Illinois to tako part in the
stirring scenes which followed formed camp
ut Cuiro, point Of subsequent military opera
tons OF great importance il the Southwest.
THE rl1sT GUN IN THE WET.
Military discipline was gradually moldlng the
raw volunteer into the Rofdler; guards were
regularly posted, aud o strict watch was kept on
the river. There had been no steamer from be-
low for: several days, and communication With
any of the cities down the river Was Impossible,
as the teloEraphic wires had been cut across tho
Ohio in Kentucky. Thera wa5 something wrong.
Tho continned suspeDse began to he painful.
Relief catuo ut last. On the second or third t1ay
smoke WAS socn issuing from the treo-tops be-
lQw the city, indicating the approach OF steam-
Il, beHared to be tho expected piratical craft.
All tho necessary preparations wofo made 10 re-
celye tho vessel, whather it be Of warli1e or Of
pacific character there was no question about
that; the intent WAS piaiu. Ono Of Company
AS guus was placed on q piatform-car on tho
bauk OF the Fifer. The steamer eauo u1 slowly,
but, hugglng tho Kentucky shore. 1t was ap-
parent that u landing Was not intended. A shot
ac1oss her bows from the 12-pounder 8eo1led to
change the programme. for tue steamer imuaa-
diately headed for tho Illinois shore. She
proved to be the Baltic from Memphis. 4 thor
r,4fr!,G 9 ry1a1n lint rrthru nnraun1 xHaa
discovered her officers were sulon, unc ommu-
nicatiye. and suspicious, hut they were allowed
to depart. 1t was clear, from What was learned
afterward, that the boat had started for Cairo
some suspicious undertaking, but, learning Of
the military arrival there. had becou;e trishton-
Cd aud abandoned it.
soLnIEnIsa.
After tho steamer episode the pioneers wont
to WORK with will in laying out and clearing up
their company quartcrs. Capt. Webster placed
sharp bend Of the river, With the Lincoln Rifles
rs . support. It WIS m important position.
Here half dozen reeolute men IN ono night
could have destroyed tho levoca, flooded the city,
aud rendered its further occupancy impossible.
Immense trees we're felled, the debris OF years.
collection landed there by freshets, which they
burned, and in few weeks they had laid out q
beautiful camp, all the while keeping q atrict
guard, with their support, on the river. Tho
Zouayes and Hardtns's company were in camp
further down tho river. In tho meantime Bat
terry B (Taylor's) had arrived, but had been
stationed at Birds Point. NO. opposite Cairo.
and Darkor's Chicago Dragoons after remaining
q fow woeks were ordered to Iirglnia~
SCATTERING
Troops wero now reaching Cairo daily from
not orly Illinois. but from losTs and Wisconsin.
Swift, genial and generous, good mi}itia officer
enough, but no dlsciplinacian, had been ordered
home to g1ye place to Prcntiss, of Quincy Web
ster superintended the building OF the fost at
the confluence Of the Ohioiand Mississippi md
the defcnses at Birds Point, Fort Holt (ken-
tuckyl, and ut tho mouth Of small river below.
with Jenny and Waterman IS assistants :; Bald
win, who, us an organizer. had no equal and
performed an Immense amount Of work, bocanle
Colonel Of tho Nfty-aoventh Illinois Infantry ;
Hemstreet served on P1ontlaa' staff Company
4, with Willard IN command, went to Paducah,
Ky; tho Zouaves and Harding's company won't
to Springfield and formed tho Nineteenth illinois
Infantry, with Iurchiu, Scott, md Harding aa
Colonel, Lieut. Colonel, and Major, respectively,
while many Of the Chicago volunteers were IN
many directions, and one a7on penetrating their
lines at Atemphis weoks a1ter communication
had beon cut oil, getting away and bringing i'm
portaat information.
coscICs1oS.
It would be impossible to follow tho pioneers
of Cairo wherever the fortunes Of war sent them.
Their paths lay in many directions, they fought
IN mang fields and did honor to themselves al
eoll a. to tho city that sent them. Through tho
Siberian frosts OF Douelson. tho pitiEcss storms
II 6hifoh. the severe and memorable march to
.he sea- and until the dispersion Of that little
mutual admiratiou party which met st Appomat-
ox, it WIS the samo they nevcr faltered 10 their
luty, to do ~hich was ever paramount. In this |
respect they profted by the example aud tho
.ariy leasous they received from otle over whose
grave the turf is etin green in ltosettlt
IL. C. II.