The National tribune., 1909-08-05
A coNrEpERA1G LETTER.
Hard Times in the Camps Hf Brasg's
Afnly.i- n

publication if you so Tish. sThe letter
itself | will send to friend. in Bruce
n. c., Mrs. Robert Ry Cott6n. who is
making a museum collection Df wartime
mementoes, and if by your publication
it may be claimed by the writer she
to. The rebel letter IS, instfGctise and
historical from the rebel side of army
life. The mention of the, fight at Moe.
casin Point is the attack on Geary in
Wits Valley. The rebels had to pass
Moccasin Point 10 reach Wills Valley.
i think Longstreets supports We're Stov-
ais Georgians, who were demoralized
by the charge of the Mule Brigade
VIM. G.. lie Due, Hastings. MINI.
Bivouac 47th Ga, Stovars Brigade,
Breckinriige's Division. Breckin-
ridges Corps, Army of the Tennes-
see, Oct. 81, 1868 Saturday.
My Dear Friend: You can perceive at
glance by the heading of this letter a
slight change III the Organization of that
part of the army to Which 1 have the
honor to belong. An order has been
issued (Which doubtless you have seen
by this time) relieving Lieut.-GeD. ID.
H. Hill, together with the staff brought
with him to this army from Virginia,
of duty here, and ordering him and his
staff to report to Gen. 5. Cooper, a. and
/. Gen'l, Richmond, Va. Gen. Breckin-
ridge takes command of his corps in
consequence. Gen. Bragg has issued an
order, in which it is announced that the
corps known as HBl's Corps will here
after be known as BrEckinridge's Corps.
Our Rrigadier-G General, Stovali, now
commands the division.
l presume you have heard Of the lit
tie fight we had day before yesterday.
Part of Longstreets Corps was engaged
at Moccasin Point, in which our troops
were defeated. 1t is rimored in circles
of high standing here that a flank
movement is taking place by the enc
my. They are now, j understand in
possession of Wits Valley, and
learn from very authentic sources that
can be relied upon that we will yet be
compelled to fall back. The enemy has
been largely reinforced, | am told. up
to 125,000 men; that is the strength of
the Army of the Cumberland, formerly
commando dby Gen. w. Rosecrans, that
willy old veteran; undoubtedly he is
one of the ablest Generals of the Fed
eral army.
1t would be worth your while to come
out here and take a view of the Yankee
country; their tents, camptires, bat
teries, wagon trains, are plainly seen
with the naked eye. They sometimes
amuse themselves by throwing over a
lc" butCH ONtHS ut " HtlD BAKE
our bread. This is the term they apply
here to shells.
Our picket lines are within $50 yards
of the enemys. Their fires and ours
are within speaking distance of each
other. They often console themselves
by talking to each other On the Yam
kee "hollerng," Come over; I'll give
you some fish and coffee they have
frequently exchanged papers with our
pickets. ~ e
l happened to be on picket one day,
and exchanged papers With them. An
affecting incident occurred ethe other
day (probably week ago).iNVhen the
two pickets We're exchanging papers
one recognized the other as his long
lost brother. There the two brothers
met; but more. the Yankee went to
camp and brought With him4 the other
brother and uncle of the poor Confed /"
So by that chance three br9thers and
an, uncle met: three in thf Federal
army and one in the Confederate army.
All the boys are WELL We ethave been
supplied with two good, suits of cloth
ing each, including shoes and stockings
and one blanket as fine sas, you have
ever seen-beautiful English blankets
The weather here is intolerable-rain,
rain, rain; it is a desperate country for
raining. When il commences raining
here 1t does not cease for three days
at least. You must imagine yourself in
the condition of poor soldier-no tent
no flies, nothing but an old blanket or
in that line that will tend to
keep the rain from him. At the same
time. may say, he is famishing with
hunger
AS for rations, it is awful in the ex-
treme; that is the reason j wrote home
to send me something TO eat (for God S
sake). and send it by express to me.
We occasionally get dry day, which
dries our clothes, after three or four
days rain. We sometimes get COM
pfetely inundated, ..waliowing in the
mud and Wet like a hog. / will not
strike a comparison between. a Chris
tian and hog; but now We have ac-
customed ourselves to so many of their
habits that. in fact, a similarity exists.
In the first place, we eat out Of a trough
like a hog, and the same kind of food,
sometimes corn boiled in ashes and
mashed up; other times cornmeai
warmed over the fire in water. (wood is
now scarce here and hard to get) and
eaten, and many other messes of a
worse description. Cooking utensils are
few and far between.
James Eden. poor fellow, has suf-
fered. He has not a blanket since he
came out here; slept out under cold
rain and wind, sometimes without fire
at night. Poor fellow, L have often
pitied him. But we were not much
better ourselves. i slept under an old
blanket for tent. with no covering but
my overcoat. Oh. the cold, frosty, rainy,
wintery nightsi But now, thank God,
we are all supplied as regards clothing,
shoes and blankets. Each man received
one blanket. James S. Eden is in hos
pital lfield hospitaD: the poor fellow is
in bad health; he looks bad. Capt.
Conner is gone to hospital. have de-
livered your note. but the papers have
never come to hand. ! inclose your re-
ceipt of the Southern Express Co, hop
ing 1t has arrived in safety I am now
clerking in the Adjutant- Generals De-
partment of the division. / wish you
would send me. some papers, and tell
my wife to send me something to eat,
for Gods sake. You can get nothing
here for love nor money. Write soon
Remember me to st. p. w. Doyle. I
hope he is now well. Your friend-John
Joseph Powlite.
=. 81 suppose you have heard of
Roger Folliard's DEATH He died thru
neglect and want of care. The Hospi-
tai Steward, o. p. Mathews. was
drowned in Chickamaaga Greek cross
ing on a float. Tell my wife,to send me
to eat. / am starying-J.
j. 2. 1T
cJEpInAN AT <r,.N.., ,--r-