The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-05-22
TRIP TO TIE SOUTH.

TRIP TO TIE SOUTH.
From 1Vorthington to Pittsburgh Land
ing, Ne,o Orleans aud Mobile.
EDITOR ADvANCE:-Taking advan-
tage of cheap excursion railroad rates
for the X. of r., H. c. Shepard. J.. 3.
Bennett and myself started for the
Sunny South, April 10th, 1884. When
we lett Wortl'ington high wind was
blowing, tossing the leaf]ess trees and
dry grasses "f our rich prairies, but ere
we reached Cedar Rapids, Iowa, tor
rents Of rain were falling, cold, chilly
rain, the entire earth drencl,ed, covered
with water, ard chilly rains continued
to come until we reached Grand juno
ton, Tenn., on the oath, and in st.
Louis we were compelled to take over
coats and seek fires. AS we approached
the South through Iowa and Missouri,
tile advance III season ard vegetation
seemed to. spring up as if by magic.
Near st. Louis apple trees were in
blossom, the green wheat fields with
six to eight inches Of grain. The parks
in the city We're fragrant with beautiful
flowers and trees covered green. In
st. Louis also we found high license
just coming into force and witnessed
the etfect-the closing up of low dens,
and the prosperity "f all quiet, orderly
and cleanly saloons, with greater cost
to patrons. We visited the great
bridge and tunnel under the city,
walked out OH its dizzy height, looking
down on the many river steamers far
beneath. Just think, we say, - years
AGO we crossed with our regiment, the
53d Illinois, on ferry, never dreaming
that in future years we should walk dry
shod across the mighty river on rs fine
4 work rs the age has produced. We
undertook to find Benton barracks,
over south Of the city, but could find
no trace of it, where so many federal
soldiers in 1SG1.2 encamped OH their
way from the Northwest to conquer
the confederacy. Changes and i'm
provements and the growth uf the city
have blotlcd all, AS etfectually us have
the same causes Camp Douglass ut
Chicago. But one thing we do see,
just the same us p years ago, that is.
the same black, narrow, almost desert
ed streets reaching several blocks back
from the river landing; the same pon-
derOus, heavy wagons, carts and drays,
the same historic mule and driver and
snap of the whip with the git thar"
On the 2lst we resumed our journey
south via Cairo Short Line railroad.
At Du C"i", ILL.,. we met Bpnjamin
Bennett, Of the Sioux City Journal,
which made our party complete for the
trip, and at 4:45 We reached Cairo, Ill.
IIele our train was backed on u trans
fer steamer and crossed the Ohio river,
that stream that destroys more lives
and property along it's borders and
causes more SORROW and distress than
in Kentucky, the blue grass State. We
Lane. the field, the woods; the old
double log cabin with space between
and roof over it, with floor; that fire
place and chimney at eacl, end built
with sticks and led clay filled III and
plastertd up-tl,at old log cabin of the
South that all your soldier readers will
so we'll remember. We are now going
south over the Illinois Central. We
reach Jackson, Tenn. This is a thriv-
ing city. Many people from the North
l,aye settled here and in the country
surrounding. And now we zee once
more the DEPOT where Capt. Osborne,
Co. A. 4th Illinois Cavalry, lost his keg
of brandy in 1868, and who afterwards
distinguished himself as !, brigatli+r
general of colorcd troops. We had
learned that this city WAS the end of
the southern division, that u new con-
ductor took the train from there south.
We left the train and purchased tickets
TO COrinth, Miss. and were soon on O,ir
way south owe: the Mobile Il Ohio rail-
road and reached Curiuth. Here we
were Desiegea by Il dozen or more col
ored men who were each rs persistent
rs the other in trying to persuade us
that they had the best accommodations
aud furnished the best meals ut their
hotels respectively. They all followed
US forty rods or more, determined to
get our grips, willie we as leterminedly
persisted in gripping them ourselves
and going where we liked. Finally we
found the Corinth House. which seem
ed the most inviting and is called Il
first class s. house, but the customs,
the manner of cooking, the cOlovrd men
cooks and walters, and the interior ar
rangement Of dining and other rooms
were so different from any hotels in the
North. that we almost imagined our
seves in Eastern Europe or Asia.--
Dinner over, we took horses and as
bold cavaliers rode through the rain,
visited the old Notifications where We
had done what we cOnld in the severe
battles as federal soldiers to suppress
the rebellion.
First, east of the junction. near the
Nj. s. e.. r. r.. where the 84th Battery
stood, Sd and 4th of Oct,, 'G2, in rear
of our right, then passing north about
6O rods we come to IL small fort hastily
thrown up on our extreme right on the
night of Oct. Sd, '6!. AS we approach,
this fort, (calleG Williams,) we look
down to our left across the valley in
which the NJ. & O. railroad comes down
from the North ard to the high ridge
beyond. where we now can yet see
plainly Forts Robinett- Richardson. We
now stand on horseback as we did on
this same spot when the last fierce
struggle took place. Our minds go
back to the roar and din of the contest
the deafening muslzetry, the heavy
boom of 134 field guns, the solid squares
of blue coats placed SO we'll in support
OF the batteries by Gehl. Rosa, on our
right and center; and we see the three
long double lines of Confederates rs
they come for the third time. with
closed ranks, so grandly, so terribly, to
the charge 50 desperate. They come,
they take Robinett and Richardson on
the left center, they break through our
right center ut the same time, where,
rushing down into u bakery, they are
shot down with bread in their liza 1ds
and mouths. They now cheer for vic
tory. But no; on our left center fresh
brigade of Blue charge bayonets, clear
contest. At the same time a brigade
Of cavalry sound the charge on our
right center and a brigade of Blue with
fixed bayonets charge from our right
into the left flank Of their lines that
had broke through into the town in the
valley. and then We hear that grand