Year: 1862

army correspondence


Bolivar, Tcnr., Nov 81, 1862.
EDs. TINES: After the long interval o.
days and months since last appeared te
you: now that have survived the heated
term, and after having come out of thu
flames Of the summer campaign with feath
ers unscorched, take my quill, like anoth
er we'll roasted yet modest Phoenix, and
humbly ask permission to address you once
again.


To give you q history Of all the events
incidental to ou "solge:in' in Tennessee
and Mississippi since last spring. would be
task too numerous for me in fact it
would require more paper than I am able
to acquire by one or two "quire"


The "wear and tear" Of soldier business
has wrought many changes in our regi.
ment, and those who witnessed its depart.
ure from Kcokuk eighteen months ago with
ranks full, even to rcpletion of the sinew
and vigor Of the State, than which has sent
forth no healthier looking type than the
Sd Iowa, would now be astonishcd upon
beholding its thinned ranks reduced to
nearly half Of their original strength and
numbers, and see them still marching on,
still fighting on, pursuing the same old
routine Of camp and other duty in and out,
coming up to their regular fodder of hard.
tack and salt mule the same as one year
40 on the Hannibal & St 10. Railroad, and
they would ask where have they gomez
There is now and then a fellow who fails
suddenly to appreciate his luxurious fare,
and the shingle-bread and grease remain
untouched on his plate; and then after a
while he is not seen at the mess, and bye.
and bye his name is not called on the roll,
and musket bearing the initials Of his
name upon the stock stans in his tent
neglected and covered with rust, glist.ning
with brightness if the ono who had carried
it on many long and weary march, and
through the smoke and din Of battle, were
alive to scour it. Yet there are the same
number Of guards and pickets daily called
for, and as one by one leave the mess, the
nearer together come the guard turns, and
the time for rest more distant and less, and
there is the same old flag, borne BY the
regiment from its infancy. True it is now
dasaged article, and faded article, and
through its folds are many re mt made BY
rebel bullet, but it is a good article, and
the more tattered it becomes, the d-arer it
is to every heart and the more begrimed
and smokey it appears, the cleaner and
more pure it is to the vision. 1t is not
borne by the same color guard who first
carried it to Blue Mills, nor even the same
one who so nobly moved it at Shiloh; for
the old flag has changed hands, and
some of those whose arms so CALAMITY
protected its folds from sacrilieous touch of
traitors, now sleep the sleep Of the brave,
and the cherished emblem is still carried
forward with arms just as strong and hearts
as stout, the beacon Of hope and talisman
Of victory.


There is long list of those who have
fallen in battle, and Of those who have
perished by disease, and Of thos. who have
been incapacilated for servi;e by physica!
disability or loss Of limbs. Add these to-
gether and the question why the ranks are
so poorly filled is answered. The Sd Iowa
is still the 81 Iowa Notwithstanding, and
the boys stand shoulder to shoulder, and as