Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-04-12

y
q we will therefore from time to .
4 time as space permits publish :
4 sections of this autobiography, :
4 should it prove of sufficient in :
4 terest to continue)
10 =
Continued from last week.
We remained at Pilot Knob, or
Ironton, till the 9th of August,
when we were ordered to Jackson,
Missouri, where the regiment ling
cred till September Sth. From
Jackson we marched to Fort JEFF
erson, Kentucky and there We stay
ed until September 23rd, when we
were ordered back to our old camp
ing ground at Birds Point. In the
meantime Col. Curtis had been pro-
NOTED to Brigadier General; Tuttle
had been commissioned Colonel and
Crccker Lieutenant Colonel; he was
soon afterward, however, given the
Colonelcy Of the Thirteenth Iowa
Infantry and Captain Baker of Co.
&c" became Lieutenant Colonel
with Adjutant Chipman as Major.
There were many interesting feat
ures connected with our tramps
about Missouri, some of which were
very pleasing. Soon after leaving
Ironton we met with gratifying
surprise in the discovery of large
orchard loaded with apples and
( peaches. 1t was a delightful find
FOR the fruit was thoroughly ripe
pd was really delicious. For a
png time after eating them my
houth would water at the thought
II those peaches. Never in my life
lad / tasted anything that seemed
10 good; they were even better than
English mince pie, and that is say
iing great deal. We all ate and
late till we could eat no more and
then for change we would eat an
apple just to prepare the way for
lmore peaches. / think 1t must have
lbeen with US as it is said to have
Tbeen with certain individual, who,
upon being told that he might make
three choices of whatever he liked
best, chose first. plenty of whiskey;
second plenty of tobacco; third after
hesitating a moment, little more
whiskey. We had only one cause
of regret which was not lessened in
any degree because 1t was shared
by all: there was mourning that day
because there was limit to our
capacities, we could eat no more.
{Of course the commanding officers
were wroth with us; we were given
to understand that such depreda-
tions as we had committed must not
be repeated under any circum-
stances, that though we were in the
enemy's country, we must respect
the rights of property; all of which
was listened to with great respect,
but with very little inclination to
, observe, for while we were disposed
to guard the property of Union men,
lwhose sympathies we knew were
with us, we had as little regard for
febel sympathizers in the South who
Hacked the courage to take up arms
and join their friends at the front
as we had for copperheads of the
North, who were content to fire al
us from the rear.
The owner of the orchard was q
rebel and that was quite enough fol
us; why should he not contribute
to our comfort?
\ In those first months of the
'Iwar of the rebellion there was
Ma great deal of unnecessary squeam
Iishness about the conduct of the
,Awar. which gave way gradually as
1.-THE struggle progressed and as the
hwith us, who might be won over
rur enemies were developed. We
became impressed with the thoughi
'Nhat there was in the minds of the
authorities at Washington, an un
Wholesome fear of unnecessarily Of
PENDING large element in the Nortf
(whose sympathies were not openly
4 with us. who might We won ovel
Nby a mild conduct of the war bu
4 be hopelessly driven from us by {
vigorous prosecution on the part O