Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-06-07

lance Idrtner east, the river Supplt-
ments the road. General Dodge, be-
sides being a most capable soldier,
was an experienced railroad builder.
He had no tools to work with except
those of the pioneers-axes, picks
and spades. With these he was able
to intrench his men and protect
them against surprises by small par
ties of the enemy. AS he had no
base of supplies until the road could
be completed back to Nashville the
first matter to. consider after pro-
tecting his men was the getting in
OF food and forage from the sur
rounding country. He had his men
and teams bring in all the grain
they could find, or all they needed
and all the cattle for beef, and such
other food as could be found. Mill
ers were detailed from the ranks to
run the mills along the line of the
army. When these were not near
enough to the troops for protection,
they were taken down and moved up
the line of the road. Blacksmith
shops, with all the iron and steel
found in them, were moved up in
like manner. Blacksmiths were de-
tailed and set to work making the
tools necessary in railroad and
bridge building. Axemen were put
to work getting out timber for
bridges and cutting fuel for loco
motives when the road should be
completed. Car-builders were set to
work repairing the locomotives and
cars. Thus every branch of railroad
building, making tools to work with,
and supplying the workmen with
food, was all going on at once, and
without the aid Of a mechanic or
laborer except what the command it
self furnished. But rails and cars
the men could not make without ma
terial, and there was not enough
rolling stock to keep the road we al
ready had worked to its full capac-
ity. There were no rails except
those in use. To supply these de-
ficiencies l ordered eight of the ten
engines General Mcpherson had at
Vicksburg to be sent to Nashville,
and all the cars he had except ten.
also ordered the troops in West
Tennessee to points on the river and
on the Memphis and Charleston
road. and ordered the cars, locomo-
tives and rails from all the, railroads
Memphis and Charleston
to Nashville. The military manager
of railroads Also was directed to fur
nish more rolling stock. and, as far
as he could, bridge material. Gen.
eral Dodge had the work assigned
him finished within forty days after
receiving his orders. The number
Of bridges to rebuild was one hum
dred and eighty-two, many of them
over deep and wide chasms. The
length of the road repaired was one
hundred and two miles,"
When General Dodge received
these orders from General Grant he
made his headquarters at Pulaski,
Tennessee, seventy miles south of
Nashville. My first letter from Pull
aski was written Nov. 10, 1853, and
among other things which were Of a
purely personal character, ran as fol-
lows: ION the 31st of October our
brigade left La Grange and went di-
rect to Iuka, Mississippi, on the cars.
We stayed there three days waiting
for the main body to come up. did
not leave our camp with the regi-
ment, having been ordered to re-
main at La Grange in command Of
the rear guard and follow the army
as soon as everything was in readi-
ness. Unfortunately, on one Of the
trains which carried the troops there
had been loaded q few barrels Of
whiskey belonging to the commits
sary and medical departments. Some
OF the members of my company
which, for the time being was under
command Of Lieutenant Langford,
discovered the liquor and at once de-
termined to appropriate It to their
own use. So they managed to get
possession of q small gimlet, and
boring q hole In one Of the barrels,
inserted a goose quill or pipe stem
and drew OF enough to fll their can
teens. then carefully plugging up
the hole they proceeded to imbibe
the stun, which by the time Iuka
was reached. began to get in It's
work. As a matter Of fact several Of
the boys were soon riotously drunk
and some of them In a very ugly
humor. ! had no sooner reached my
tent than the Colonel sent for me,
demanding an explanation, which
when made. of course satisfied him
that ! was In no sense responsible
for the disgraceful occurrence. Re-