Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-04-22

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ::
! The best parts of history are the
personal stories told by men we know
and dealing with incidents in the ex-
periences of those men. The most in
teresting portion of the history Of the
United States with which people now
living are acquainted is of those four
dark years during which the Civil war
was being conducted. Captain G. P.
Brown of this city was for several
months on duty at Memphis,
Tenn. in the heart of the rebel coun-
try, and his experiences at that time,
told in letters which he has recently
found at his home, make interesting
reading now. The following letter,
written by Captain Brown to his
brother on October IL, 1864, shows the
feelings of the union soldiers who
were barricaded inside of Memphis
waiting hourly for the arrival of the
rebel leader, Forest:
Memphis, Tenn, $50 a. M,
October H. 1864.
Dear Brother:-
1--WE are belted. sworded and revolt
cred; streets barricaded with Jack
sons old standby-cotton. All the
loose Philippians in town are throwing
up earthworks near the bayou on Madi-
son, Union and Monroe streets Mill
tia out loop-holing houses, and all
waiting the appearance of that omni-
present rebel raider, Forest.
II don't know what will come of it,
but it looks fight. We hear occasion
ally rattle of musketry on the picket
lines,
Forest thrashed W. on the Ten
nessee and joining Chalmers at Grand
Junction, is moving to this place with
force estimated at from 10000 to
10000 men. Whether when he finds
us ready for him he will fight, remains
to be seen. Everything was out at
3 o'clock this morning, but from all
accounts Forest is hardly in striking
distance yet. In order to reach here
he would have had hard march yes
terday and last night and his men
would be in poor condition for fight
this morning But by tomorrow morn
ing there will be no reason why he
should not attack if he is going to-
General Morgan l.. Smith is in
command here, and he is a fighter
Was colonel of the Eighth Missouri
and IS wide awake. Forest won't drive
him into the fort in his shirt tail as
he did Granny W. last summer
W. is good man at a stump
speech, but rot much account when
there is powder to be burnt. We have
been up all night and am little dull
and sleepy and will close.
"Affectionately yours,
Charley"
Another letter found by Captain
Brown is one from George l.. Paddock
to the present Ottumwa man. Mr..
Paddock, it seems, had been made the
dupe of former Tennessee soldier,
who was supposed to have turned
unionist, but who, when he received
letters from Paddock and consigned to
Captain Brown, suddenly turned rebel
again, much to Paddock's disgust. The
letter also tells Of the death of two
brave men and discloses some of the
history of the civil war which is never
seen in books. The Paddock letter fol-
. lows:
Columbus, KY, Oct. 20, 1864.
: 'My Dear Brown:
II send my report Of the Eighth Ar
; tillery In an unlucky moment was
$ made acquainted with an ex-Tennessee
i lieutenant named Wagner to whom
several days since, impaired letter
; and message to be delivered to you at
: Memphis, he then making every de-
) monstration Of prompt departure and
1 undertaking and agreeing on his part
to carry and safely deliver the same
Since which, SO far from departing for
said Memphis, the said ex-Tennessee
lieutenant has secreted himself in and
about the post Of Columbus where
) 'latitat' he now turks, concealing upon
his person the letter aforenamed to
? the damage Of the writer and consig.
nor's morals at least one hundred hor.
!. rible oaths and unbecoming execra.
tons touching his irresolution and de-
: fault in that behalf The letter called
for sack coat and the forwarding OF
any letters of mine in your hands. AS
to the sack, do not send 1t as can
: get along without it, but please send
on my letters whether Wagner ever
turns up or not. Address care Colonel
Macarthur.
: "The Belle of st. Louis. Capt. Zieg
: Ter, passed up last evening. At about
!, IL o'clock the night before while in the
act Of landing at Ft. Randolph, she
: was boarded by menof Jesse Forests
: command, who fired upon the passen
: gers and crew, and attempted the cap
I ture of the boat. It seems that mum
! Der of paymasters were on board, two
: of whom, Major Beeler of Illinois anG
? Smith OF Minnesota, were killed, while
! most CALAMITY defending the vessel
A paymaster's clerk, an engineer and g
: hand, (negro), are also reported
= wounded. OF the pirates. captair
was dead on the boat and a man lay
! in the cabin mortally wounded wher
the Belle of ST. Louis passed here. II
is said that the force on shore was
large and that rebel colonel was
: Fkilled on the bank. Some of the ac
$ ton was on the deck below and some
| in the cabin among the passengers. !
: could not learn IL the passengers were