USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 50
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I found Lieutenant Marshall, who is adjutant of the regiment, and Colonel Matthias, both looking remarkably well. We met them labor- ing through the mud on the wagon road, while the troops were march- jug on the railroad. f was anxious to see company D; so Marshall and myself took our way across the woods to the railroad; but found only straggling soldiers. We could not find out by them whether the Fifth was ahead or behind, but concluded to go on and get into the railroad some miles ahead and wait.
We rode through the woods, jumping fences and ditches, over bogs, and through swamps for some miles, until we came to a point where the wagon road and railroad were close together. Here we halted, and in a few minutes they came up. Captain Lee looks as tough and hearty as could be expected. His hair may be a little whiter and his beard a little longer than when he left Independence; but otherwise he looks no older. Tom Blonden is the same gay and festive young man he was at home. C. F. Putney looked a little thinner in the face, but as rugged as ever. Mr. Bunce, of Hazelton, is with his company again and looking well. Dick Whait is "the same old coon." All the boys looked well, and seemed to enjoy war as one of the necessi- ties of life, if not one of its luxuries. I stayed with the Fifth till the next day. On returning through Oxford I saw between eight hundred and a thousand rebel prisoners that our cavalry had taken from the rear of Price's army. They report also a large number of prisoners that have not yet arrived at Oxford. One thing is certain; they are worrying Price very much. Report says that Steele is at Grenada, south of Price, but this is not authenticated. If it is true, the rebel army of the Mississippi is in a "hard row of stumps."
Grant has about fifty regiments of infantry with him, mostly old regiments, well drilled, and of course good fighting men. They are now encamped around the city of Oxford, which is pleasantly situated, laid out with much taste, and contains many fine residences and some nice public buildings.
I saw on my return to camp that our wing of the army had taken possession of a fine steam mill, which they were using for grinding corn for the men. We expect to be fed on corn bread for a few days, by way of variety. The darkeys of the secesh planters were compelled to husk and load the corn, drive it to the mill, and, in short, to perform all the labor necessary to furnish meal for our men. Around this mill, which I judge also contains a cotton-gin, lay several bales of cotton, and a large pile unbaled. On almost every plantation in this vicinity there is a large amount of cotton. Some of it is unpic'.ed, some picked and unginned, some in rail pens, and some lying around loose. It seems a great pity that so much valuable property should go to waste. But such are the incidents of war. Our army, so far as fresh meats and forage are concerned, subsist entirely upon the enemy. Salt and sugar are also taken when found in sufficient quantities to pay the quartermasters to bother with it.
The rebels, when they left this part of the county, felled trees across the road through the swamps, so as to impede our progress as much as possible; but they could not have had much of an idea of Yankee per- severance if they hoped thus to stop the army of the Mississippi. The other day, as we were marching along, with our army extending about five miles, an old darkey that had stood a long while by the road watching the columns pass, finally broke out:
"O Lord! bress Moses! Massa, where all dese folks cum from? O Lord! I never see so many folks afore, since de Lord let me live. Where you cum from Massa?"
Here he broke out in a big laugh, such as only a full blooded Ethio- pian can give. I asked him where his master was.
*From the Fifth. t From the Twenty-seventh,
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.
"O Lord! he's done gone dead long ago, long afore you all come."
"Where is your mistress?"
"She's gone down to her father's."
"Don't you want to go along with us?"
"Yes, massa, but I'se got two little chillun heah, and I reckon I better stay with them. I think it'll all come right by'n by, don't you?"
"Don't your mistress treat you well?"
"Yes, massa, but I reckon 1 can do better by myself massa, and when you all goes back norf, I guess black folks all gotoo."
This is a fair specimen of the feeling existing among the slaves, so far as I have seen. They think they could do much better if they were free, and they all long to be free. Some of them dislike to leave their wives and children, but not one I have met yet objects to leaving his master.
Where we are to go, or when, is a thing not revealed to your humble servant.
JED LAKE.
LETTER NO. XC.
CAMP AT WATERFORD, MISSISSIPPI, December 14, 1862.
FRIEND RICH :- Since I last wrote you from Hurricane creek, we have been on the move. Our division has been subdivided, and the commander of the right wing of the army of the Mississippi has been sent to another point. On the tenth inst. Major General W. T. Sher- man announced to the whole column that he had been assigned to a new command which required him to return to Memphis, but he hoped to meet us again at Vicksburgh; till then he bade us farewell. We supposed, then, that our other army relations would remain unchanged; but the next morning Brigadier General Lauman announced to us that he had been ordered to a new division, and that the Twenty-seventh lowa would move to Waterford as soon as practicable, and report to ('olonel Dubois at Holly Springs. The Colonel has gone to-day to re- port. What our destination is we do not know; but the prospect is that we shall be set to guarding bridges on the C'entral Mississippi railroad. Our present location is on that road, seven miles from Holly Springs, and four from the Tallahatchie. The One Hundred and Third Illinois and the Twelfth Indiana are also here, and I understand the One Hundred and Seventeenth Illinois is to report here.
We may be put into a brigade again and move in some direction quite different from what we now expect; but the peculiar state of the country around renders it almost certain that our duty, for the present, will be the inglorious, but very important, one of preventing the rebels from destroying the railroad. One thing is certain, we have here a better chance to receive news from home. As it is, our regiment has not received any news since we left Cairo, except what we got by visit- ing the Fifth lowa. I understand one mail has been sent by way of Memphis. If that is the case, we must wait until it is sent back to Columbus, Kentucky, and thence to Corinth. There is no communi- cation with Memphis any other way, except by a large, armed force. Thieves, rebels, bandits and guerillas infest the country, and are in and around the city. It is a place of so much importance that I should suppose our army would open, and keep open, communication with it by railroad to Grand Junction.
The country around Waterford is mighty poor just now. The an- cient landmarks of the proprietors of the soil, which consisted princi- pally of ten-rail fences, have disappeared. Ancient stables, sheds and out-honses, are fast going the same road. You see an unoccupied building to-day in good tepair. To-morrow the doors are gone, then the floors, next the siding, then the roof, and in a short time the entire structure has disappeared gone to cook the pork and beef, and boil the coffee of the Yankee soldiers. Foraging in this vicinity is quite different from that in the region of Chuluhoma. There neither the rebel nor the Umon army had been in large force till the time of our advent, and forage was plenty within our lines. Here Price's whole army was stationed for several weeks; then Grant's army lay here for a while, and forage is quite as abundant as you could expect, after the passage of an army of locusts, followed by one of grasshoppers. But every day sees from five to ten teams, and from thirty to sixty men from each regiment go out on foraging expeditions, under directions of the quartermaster. They have some distance to go, but generally re- turn well laden with corn and fodder, and in the bottom of the wagon it is not strange to find a few slaughtered domestic animals-hogs, chickens, sheep, turkeys, etc., or a barrel of molasses, sugar or salt. Frequently it also happens that the expedition returns accompanied by several fine contrabands, who are immediately set to work to do the cooking and drudgery of the camp, the policy of the Government being to relieve the soldiers as much as possible from fatiguing duties in camp, which can be better performed by these "free American citizens,
of African descent." Night before last we had an alarm. One of the pickets accidentally discharged his gun. The long roll was beaten, and the whole regiment was in line in less than three minutes. Among the first on the ground with gun and cartridge hox was Edward L. Hern- don, my contraband. He has been carrying for some time the equip- ments of one of the sick boys in company C, and says if we ever get into a fight he is bound to do something for the stars and stripes. . .
The coldest weather we have had here, as yet, is about like an April shower in Buchanan county. To-day it threatens rain, and is so warm that the flies are somewhat troublesome in our tents. We have had but one snow storm where we have been, since last winter. When they had snow here we were at Mille Lacs. It has snowed a very little once since we have been on the Tallahatchie, but we saw it only while it was falling. News comes that we are to be stationed to-morrow. Our worst fears are realized. JED LAKE.
LETTER NO. XC1.
OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI, December 6, 1862.
FRIEND RICH: - We have the prospect of a few days of rest before us, and feel it our duty in the meantime to let our friends at home know of our whereabouts. We marched from Moscow, Tennessee, very near the southern boundary line of that State, November 28th. Our force consisted of General Quinby's division ; but a junction was formed with General Grant's forces before entering Holly Springs. The roads were next to impassable. It was 12 o'clock at night before we got into camp, the first day out from Moscow. To add to our suf- ferings, a cold rain set in which compelled us to pitch our tents, though only for a short time, as we were on the march again at 4 o'clock in the morning. After a short march, however, we entered the beautiful town of Holly Springs. It seems strange that the chivalry should leave this place without a struggle. They had some light fortifications on the northern side, which have the appearance of having been built sometime. A small force of cavalry left the day before we entered, and though they did not think it consistent with their safety to give us a warm reception, that of the citizens was as cold as the most bitter of our enemies could wish. Assembled on the street corners are a few old fellows that are out of danger, so far as the conscript act is con- cerned. These, with a few worn ont negroes and small children, con- stituted all the visable population. We marched seven miles south to Waterford, and there encamped. The rebels were driven from there by an advance, a few hours before we arrived. A skirmish took place which resulted in the loss of one man on our side, and four of the reb- els. We remained in this place two days, and then resumed our march to the Tallahatchie. Price, though holding a strong position, was seized with a panic, as he has often been before, and evacuated in time to save all. From this position he could have withstood any at- tack from the front ; but Sherman's presence in the vicinity seemed to aların him for the safety of his rear. 1 consider it poor generalship in the rebels to select this place. It may be a strong position enough, but it is in the midst of a swamp that is completely inundated in rainy weather, and must be very sickly. They took care to burn the railroad bridge before evacuating. We were obliged to halt two days to repair the roads, which were very bad in consequence of the rain. The wagon train was two days coming to this place, fourteen miles. The infantry marched on the railroad track and had good walking. Our camp is now pleasantly situated a mile east of Oxford. We came through the town after dark, and had no opportunity of seeing much. It is called one of the finest places in the south ; but, like all others in the track of the contending armies, it is deserted by the wealthy citi- zens. We shall move southward as fast as the railroad is repaired. Whatever the indications may have been heretofore, it is certain now that there is energy displayed in this department. Everything indi- eates a speedy termination of the war. General Grant may have many enemies, but let him continue to pursue the present course, and there need be no fear of his success. The rebels are now in the vicinity of Grenada, as near as can be ascertained from deserters. The Twenty- seventh lowa is with Sherman. Lieutenant Colonel Lake and some of his men have been over to see us. The Colonel has the appearance of being all he is represented to be, a good officer. He seemed to be highly pleased with company E, at least I take the liberty to suppose so. Some of our men have gone over to see them to-day.
Our brigade has been reorganized, and is now commanded by Colo- nel Boomer, of the Twenty-sixth Missouri. The board of trade regi- ment, Seventy-second Illinois, is in this division. On our recent march from' Moscow, heartrending to their friends as it may seem, they were compelled to lie three nights without straw. The green things these new regiments get off, afford considerable fun for the old
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.
soldier. I must close and fall in for grand review by General Grant. S. A. REED.
LETTER NO. XCII.
HEADQUARTERS TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, } CAMP THIRTY MILES FROM MEMPHIS, November 29, 1862. 5 FRIEND RICH :-- . The scenery of the lower Mis- sissippi is perhaps as interesting, but not half as beautiful, as that of the upper portion which we saw on our northern expedition to Mille Lacs. The water is changed from a lively, sparkling clearness, to a muddy, pool-like appearance. There are fewer and less inviting is- lands, and the bold and rocky cliffs have dwindled away into the level marshes. The canebrake, the misletoe, and the cypress, appear in the place of the stately oak, the graceful cedar and the stately pine. So far as evidences of thrift are concerned, it is precisely as I have always heard ; a slave country cannot compare with a free one. The towns along the river side are vastly different from those in the free States. They are small and built without regard either to taste or economy. The landings, as they are all called, usually consist of a clay hill, on which stands an irregular shaped, dilapidated building, whose front is half covered with a sign, of which the letters are as varied in size, as in shape and decipherability. This morning we passed the famous Is- land No. 10, where so many days of hard fighting gained the well- earned price-victory. The island is not so formidable by nature as I had expected, nor was it so large. An old gun-boat lay at anchor near it, while various wrecks were scattered along the shore. A little after we passed New Madrid, a little town, of no importance seemingly, but long to be remembered by the Guardian and its friends. As we move along, and the air became warmed by a southern sun, the scenery seemed more inviting. Some places along the river in Tennessee pre- sent naturally a thrifty appearance. Occasionally there is a farm-house which resembles some of the better class of northern ones. The river. at some points, spreads out into a lake-like width, almost equal to lake Pepin in the north. We received no cheers, with one or two excep- tions, save from the colored people, who swung their hats and danced for joy. Some fear was felt lest we might be fired upon by rebels con- cealed in the thick woods, but we met with no hostile demonstrations.
At night we lay under cover of Fort Pillow, a naturally strong de- fence. There is no fort, but the earthworks are extensive and evince military knowledge. They could not have been stormed without an immense sacrifice of blood and treasure; and happy is it for our Army of the Southwest that the rebels evacuated it. The second day of our downward trip, we passed nothing of special interest. At one point some fine hills rose by the river side, and then we passed the blackened ruins of Fort Adams. The weather was fine, and we reached Mem- phis in good time on Saturday, finding the troops that had been de- tailed on the Vicksburgh expedition awaiting orders. Two extra men from each company were detailed to accompany the expedition.
Memphis is a magnificent city; the location is most beautiful, and the place is said to be healthy. At present it is teeming with military life. 1 rode back and forth through the streets, viewing the fine build- ings, public and private, and if Tennessee was a free State, I see no reason for not being anxious to live there. At the time we landed there, at least seventy-five thousand troops were in and around the city. The people of this State are of doubtful loyalty. Some are doubtless time to the old Union, while others, intimidated by the pres- ence of the Federal army, cover their secession fangs with a garb of loyalty. Soldiers are shot almost daily by concealed rebels.
The next morning after our arrival at Memphis, we marched out into the country some three miles to the southeast, and encamped. The day was quite warm, and many of the boys became much wea- ried. On that march we passed some very elegant houses, surrounded by very beautiful grounds. Such lovely evergreen trees as they have there are enough almost to call our affections from the bleak pranies of the north to this sunny clime. While you shiver in the northern blasts, we can sleep in perfect comfort in the open air, uncovered save by our blankets. Not only the climate, but the fair homes, call on us for an unflinching struggle to redeem them from the blight which threatens to fall upon all that is fairest and best.
There is a building hard by our encampment said to be the home of a rebel general. It is reported that this man, at the breaking out of the war, gave two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for its support, sent two sons into the army, next hired two soldiers, and lastly went himself. The house is now confiscated property. It is by far the most magnificent place I ever saw. The house is a fine, substantial brick structure. The grounds, which are extensive, are elegantly laid out and splendidly decorated. At each front corner of the house there is a fine statue, representing some character in ancient mythology.
Such a place as this in a free land, a land inhabited by a race of true freemen, the wealth of the half of Buchanan county could not pur- chase.
We were brigaded in that camp, and it was our good fortune to get into General Lauman's brigade. The people of Iowa were proud of him as a colonel, and they expect him to maintain his high character in a higher rank and in his present capacity as commander of a brigade in the field, already in the advance. Our sick who were out of the hospital were left in the care of Captain Miller and Lieutenant Don- nan. Like all other movements of the army, no one could tell of our course or destination but those in the highest authority. We marched over a good road down into Mississippi, thence in the direction of Holly Springs, travelling about fifteen miles each day. When we came to the enemy's land, our boys put the confiscation act in force to its full extent. They confiscated potatoes, chickens, turkeys, geese, mules and negroes. Before we reached General Sherman's headquarters, we had in our brigade, I doubt not, a hundred mules and half as many negroes. They also burned many buildings by the roadside. If the privates had their way, I believe they would devastate the whole coun- try. When we reached the major general's headquarters, he declared the officers should be arrested; that captains should be held responsi- ble for the acts of the companies; and that there was but one way to confiscate property, and when confiscated it should be done by legal forms. We arrived here and pitched our tents last evening, six miles from Holly Springs. Our camp here is supplied with the best water we have had since we left Minnesota.
How long we shall tarry here, none of us know. It is reported that we are to move in the morning to reenforce Grant, and that he is to offer the enemy battle with fifty thousand men. We have in this bri- gade the One Hundred and Thirtieth and One Hundred and Seven- teenth Illinois, Thirty-third Wisconsin, and Twenty-seventh Iowa infantry, and Rogers' battery. In this army corps there are thirty regiments of infantry, nine batteries, and one regiment of cavalry. In all probability we shall soon see a fight, and Iowa's host, in high posi- tion and in low, will, as their hero brothers have done heretofore, strike effectually for the Union.
C. H. L.
LETTER NO. XCIII. HELENA, ARKANSAS, December 8, 1862.
MY DEAR WIFE :- Two weeks ago I wrote you that I was about to start with an expedition which, it was supposed, had for its object and destination, the reduction of certain fortifications on the Arkansas river. You can judge of our surprise when our fleet of fourteen steam- boats all rounded to at Friar's Point, ten miles south of Helena, and on the Mississippi side, and debarked all the troops. It then became apparent that our expedition, consisting of eight thousand infantry and two thousand five hundred cavalry, were in some way to operate against our old antagonist, Price. We arrived at our old camp again last night, having made one of the boldest, and at the same time most fatiguing marches of the whole war.
It was especially a cavalry expedition, the infantry marching only to the month of the Coldwater, a tributary of the Tallahatchie, to be used as a support in case of disaster. At that point, which is about forty miles from the Mississippi, our advance surprised a small camp of rebels on the opposite side, by throwing a few shells among them, killing three and wounding quite a number, as we afterward found them in different houses where they had been left along the road.
At the month of the Coldwater we built a bridge of boats and crossed the cavalry. Twelve miles further on, we met one thousand of the enemy prepared to dispute our passage across Bayou Yorkney, at the ferry; and, with a few shell, sent them flying again. But, much to their surprise, we did not attempt, and did not intend to cross at that point; but continued our march to the south and east, far into the interior of the State, and in rear of Price's whole army. The object of the expedition was to destroy all his railroad communica- tions with the south, and to call away as many as possible of his troops from the front, where Grant and Sherman were making it interesting for him. We struck the Mississippi & Tennessee railroad at Hardy station, where we burnt two bridges and a lot of cars. A part of our force was then pushed on to the Mississippi Central rail- road, three miles from Grenada, where another bridge was burned.
Our first object being accomplished, we spent about a week in creating all the panic we could, the report having gone to Price that we were thirty thousand strong. This illusion was carefully encouraged by dashing about in all directions at a terrible rate, at one place to-day and to-morrow at another, fifty or sixty miles distant. We heard of
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.
three brigades that were hunting for us in different directions, and one of them we finally met at Oakland, consisting of three regiments of seven hundred men each. A smart skirmish occurred between the ad" vance of both forces, resulting in the capture of one of our guns, nine horses killed, seven men wounded, and none killed. The loss of the enemy unknown, except two killed and some eight or ten wounded and prisoners in our hands. Among the prisoners are one colonel, one captain, one lieutenant, one chaplain, and one adjutant. In thirty minutes from the firing of the first gun, the whole force was flying for parts unknown. The expedition on our part was an entire success; we having done all we were ordered to. We dodged about within a few miles of Price's army without losing a man, destroying all his railroad and telegraphic communication, and compelling him to retreat as soon as he heard we were in his rear. What advantage has been taken of our work, by the armies of Grant and Sherman, we have not yet heard; but, in all probability, Price is by this time across Black river, somewhere in the vicinity of Canton; and if so, the campaign and the war in the west is reduced to the taking of Vicksburgh. The capture of Mobile, which will not be difficult,, will cut the Southern Confed- eracy in two; and opening the Mississippi at Vicksburgh, will cut off Texas, the only supply region they have left; and neither of these events will be long delayed. When they occur, the war is virtually at an end, the rebel army in Virginia to the contrary notwithstanding. And then all our war worn soldiers, myself, I hope, among the num- ber, will be relieved from the toils of the field, and report ourselves for duty to our wives and sweethearts.
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