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From The Michigan Ninth

From The Michigan Ninth image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
December
Year
1861
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Muur.ov's Iín.r., Ky., ) December 4, 1881, , Friknd Pond : - If you had stajed in camp with tlio Michigan Ninth last night, and had boen " turned out " at reveille this morning and foand the mercury at zero, as we did, your ideas of the " Sunny South '.' would have vanished, '■ I reckon."' We h;no bad about threc taches of Bnow For the hut f'our days, and the weatber is wliat we would cali, if iu Michigan "right smart" wifiter weather. Oor only hope of getting rid of this cold weather is tbat we niay reeeive orders to marob as far South, at least, as Nashrille, wliere, by tho change of latitude and tho warm reception we should hope to meet, we eould work off the chills whieh afflict our regiment. But we have littlo hope of moving with the advauee forces of Gen. Boiil'B comtnaud. Our regiment has, n -niany respoets, been uufortunate. When we 'anded at Jeffersonville, on the 25th of October, we were in as fine coodition as auy regiment in the service, and save our lack of anus were better preparcd to inake a furward movement thau any regiment whioh badlanded in Kentuoky; and so thought Gen. Siieüman when he gave us tho order to march to this poiot, whieh the rebel forces wcre then threatening to attack and straining evory cffort to reach. But, in consequence of the complication of affaira at Louisville, at that time, we were compelled to go without food for a whole day and at the samo time to perfonn two day's labor in one, in building a road to the Bteamer wliicli was to transport ug hoL and in pitching and striking tents, &c. Gen Sherman desiring, our move was made made in the night, in order that it might be kept firoffl the knowledge of the rebels. We landed at the mouth of Salt river and pitelied our tents du ring a heavy rain, and upou a soil botter calculated for evaporaiug purposes thuii are the vat and cana at Salt Point, The water neversettlos or loaches through tlie süil here. Wliat ■ cannot run oft' iuto the river, evaporates, and the surfaee of the couutry hereabouts bas been wet sir.ee we tirst Raw it, and probably alwaya wiil ba. Iiumediately upon our arrival our regiment was reuireí to furnish a detail of 200 ïaeu daily for fatigue, in building roads, a pontoon bridge, and the Fort iu whieh we are now erieainped. - Our regiment has expended over six thousand days labor upon the Fort alone. The result of it all is, that we have nearly all of us been on the sick litt. Manj of our boys who were taken sick after our arrival here are still very lowNew cases stül continue to be reported, Nearly all of the private ïesidences of West Poiut, (whieh bv the way had 'ufc ter been callod Salt Poiut, for it is oire of the bardest looking holes it, has ever beeu my fortune to visit) have besa ap propriated to hospital purposes. And our sick list has run up as high as three hundred and thirty in oue day. Th.s would seein to bo ciiougli to dishearteu even the professional soldier, but to the credit of our officers and meu be it said no lack of courage bas been oxhlbited iu the whole regiment a determination to endure the pains of sickness, as well as an anxiety to eujoy the hazards of war, is evidenced in e.erv couut-cnancc. The numbor on tho sick iist is now daily diminishing, and we are in hopes of soon getting all of the sick upou to the Hill where the air is mueh better titan it is in the valley - we are some 460 feet above the river - but we cannot expeet to see the regiment iu health under thirty days, though this cold weather is considered vei'y favorable to the typhoid form of disease whieh prevails bere. Our Colonel is assigned to the cominand at this post. This point is considered a very impor. tant one, as it commauds all the avenues frora the South and Weat to Louisville save the Louisville and Nashville llailroad. The Fort is capable of holding 2,000 uien, its guns commands the valley for several miles in ex tent, the Ohio River, the National Road to Nashville over whieh all troops from the South must pass to reach Louisville, and also the Salt river whieh is navigable with fiat boats some 40 miles. If Buckner should succeed in turuing MeCook, the Federal forces would fall back to this poiut, but we don't look for any falliug back of our forces and are cousequently are not really satisfied with our position, althougb a rcsponsible one. We alldesire to have a hand iu the fight whieh will come off within the next twenty days, and we would much prefer wintering íd Nashville, wbere our advanced forees will certainly pitch thoir tents for the winter, notwithstanding tho rebels consider that tljeir stronghold, and are removing their Congress thithcr. This is made the grand depot for tho Department of the Ohio, and one hundred thousaud rations arrive bere daily, and are tranpported to our troops over the national road - the Railroad being out of repair. We have here at this post between 400 and 500 Ilorses and about 150 Wagons, besidei auy quantity of Mules. The First Wiseousin regiment left here yesterday, and our regiment is the only one now here. There are two more on their way here from Louisville, and we are looking for some of our Michigan troops to joiu us. We hope, as soou as our regiment is in health, to move forward with :i brigade of Wolverine troops, undcr the command of " Gen.' Duïfieid. Our field officers, with one exceptiom are very popular with both officers and men. One of the field offieers is strongly suspicioned of being interested in tho Sutlcr'B instituten, whieh readers him quite obnoxiouB. Whethcr the suspieion is well founded I cannot teil; one of the circumstanees whieh excited suspieion was thp fact of agood sharo of the Sutler's stores having boen shippcil from Detroit, iu thig ofücer's name, thereby getting this portion of the stock througl) at the cxp-nso of Únele Sam; a sbarp trick, bul Dot very comiriendable. We slmll probably spend tlic most of the winter hcre, and are busily at work, building log buts, in whioh e anticípate a vast amouut of lnxury. Our tents aro nearrj worn out, having passed tlirough tho tbroo menths service witb the First Michigan Regiment. We bavo a good hupply of blauketsand eyerything nenessary to mak e us. eómfortablé, save our tents. Our irms are poor, they are caüed tho new Belgian musket, aud are iiiw guns, but the material of whieh they ; are manuf'acturcd, is poor and tho gune get out of repair easily. Wc now have a Surgeon ; he arrivcd last week. Heretofore our aesistant Surgeon bas bad tho vrhole responsibility of the Hospital, though be has bad tba assistance of tvro good Pbysicians. No fault eau be tound with tlie agsistant Surgeon, bc has done everythÍDg for the Bick liiat any man could have done, and out of all the sicknoss we have bad we sliall not lose 25 men, but 25 of our brave boys is too large a loss. I have no time to relate the inany interesting incidente whieh huve occurred bero, and have very hurriedly related these few facts for your personal benefit, knowing you feel somc interest in our llegiment. G. P. S. The Medical Director at Lonisville bas just sent an order hert for the ïvmoval of our sick to the general hospital at Louisville. This looks liko a forward movenient, and [ sbould not be gurprised f the Ninth should be ordered forward witliin five days. Sueb an order would be received witb great joy by us all, and would reduce the lick list orer 20 per cent. G. gegr Tiie annual meeting of the Wüshtunuw Counly Agricultura] and Horticultura) Society, for the electioo nh officers and the transaetion of other business, wil] be held :it (ho Court House, on Tuesduy noxr., the 17th inst.. at 11 o'elook, A. M. A meeting oj the exeeotive commiüte vvill be held at 10 o'clock, A. M ,the same day. ]9f The New York WceMy Argvá is the nanio of the heir and suceessor of the Albany Weekhj Atlas and Arguê, a journal whieh has a bistory, and whieh in times past has exerted a great iufluence in tbe politics of New York and of the na tion. It is now publisbed in New York City, in quarto fonn, on new type, and is (me of the bandsomest journalg the national metropolii turns out. It is Democratie and Consérvative in tone, and carriea tho motte: " To inaintaio the Constitution and to restore the Uuiou," believicg that neither is desirable nor to be had without the other. The Editors are OaLVBET CoMSTOCK, WlLLlA.M CaSSIDY at.d Elon Comstock. lts political, news, literary, agricultural, and market departnaents bespesk it a first class weekly jougpal, and we eomuiend it to all our fViends who wisb a New York weekly. - 82 a yéar; three eopiea $-3 ; eight copie$10; twen ty copies. $20, and an ex tra copy to the person sending the club. Address Comstock & G.'ssidy, New York, City. JOgT Notwithstanding the hard times, wives, daughters, sweet-hearts, and little ones will all expect Christmas gifts, and what gift more appropriato or longer cherished than an elegant volume or a beautiful picture. - Thinking with us in this respect, Scuoff & MlLLEK have laid in an ampie stock on whicb tbe fabled S.anla Claus can draw. Their assortment of ohoice volumca is large, the range suited to various tantes, and the bindings "fit to set before a queen ." Theu they have a fino collection of pbotographs from the most popular paiutings and statuary ancieut and modern, with oval frames in various styles to match ; also Ambrotypes of classic and modern pictures ; photographic portraits ; stcreoscopes; stereographio views, foreiga and American, briogiag all lands to the possessor of a good collectiou, instead of repuiring oue to spend thousands in travel; and- well if you appreciate the beautiful go and see for yourself. The Poet bas said 11 A tliin of beauty Is a joy forovsr," And if you thiuk with the Poet some heart will be made glad the comir-g boüdays by a beautiful book or picture. P. S. -We bad almost forgotten those Photographic Albums, for from 20 to 50 pictures, whieh you can fill from their collectiou of card portraits, or get filled witb family and friends.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus