Quiner Scrapbooks: Correspondence of the Wisconsin Volunteers, 1861-1865, Volume 5

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captain, 1 lieutenant,   1   1st sergeant, 28^ rain a day or two previously, we were not
privates, about 100 horses, with guns, &c. troubled with it as at Bolivar; in fact, .captured, 15 kilkd, and 12 wounded ii eve]:ything seemed propitious, or, as the ¦ the  different skirmit-hes,   and   we bad rhoys wonld say, " bully."
men wounded. Altoi^ether tbis has beet Wo expected to have been " away down . a moat successful   expedition,   and rtflooti south " from   tbis a long  way   beloro this
great credit on all concerned Id it.      W,    time, bat the  powers  that  be bave been I
waiting, like Mioawber, for " soaietbiDg to turn np," and thjit something eeema awful
Letter from the \2th Wiicontin—Skirmishing- g\Q^ aboot  accomodating them, and con
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^o.^'*'i-'"'^/r*?* ^"^^l"^ up-Deaths in th gequently,. to the anlnitiate<l, everything is 12<A—N«to Uniforms—Inaction of the Arm' l^ .. "^ t .mi Tj„f A.^„\\*\^^a thar.^ ia ^Constant Pouring in of Troops-ThesUl ''^ " stand «tjll. But doubtless there IS dior, getting an^cioutfor Active Service—The " Strategy " m all this qulotneSs, and, want to go ahead and enforce the  Proclamct judging by the trains loaded to the Utmost
thn—The   Confiscation Act   uet properly   en forced.
Laokanqb, Tenn,, Nov. 24,
Messrs. Editors :—The   12th   Regimen
Wis. Infantry, has  been  resting open it
laurels ever einoe tho never-to-be torgotte
reconnoisance detailed in my list.    Whei
wo started out tlieu, , . supposed w« wer
going to " move upon  your works ," a 1
Grant, but we wore orTfered back, and ar
other regiment has "gone and done it."~
But they could not stay ; Pemborton laii
a plan to "take them ia and do for them"
in tha most approved rebel stylo ; but ala
for his glory, he fonnd the nest empty an<
the bird flown,    Ool, Lee  with  his Jay
hawkers,  as rear guard to the  retreating
force, delayed bis exit long frcm the town,
from his Sharpo's carbines to the chivalry,
capacity of the wheezy old engines vvith the bread and butter of the army—hard broad and pickoled pork—ammunition, clothes, &c, and the steady stream ot troops pouring into each of the three^Vj camps of the advancing army, there will be a blow struck  soon that will  "counUi
big." c
I believe I speak the sentiments of all our boys when I say that the government, has done well by removing McCIellan, Buell, «fc Co., and that It will do well to clean ont the whole " chebang" of do- nothing officers, west as well as east. We are anzioas to return home to our wives and children, who need our lovo aod care, but we want the rebellion ended first, if p0ssible, so that we may never have to do our " first works " over again, io subjngat- lug the traitors. I assure you there is an under-oarrent of intense feeling among the rank and file of our armies, that is fust
hoping   to   deliver  a "farewell address'  setting against the Administration,  ou ao
oonnt of its snpineness and slowness, and
but they respectfully declined his gallant nothing but the most earnest and energet- ^fl. .   «„j .> „^    .1    u    » /.    , .      io polloy in the  future can change or con-
offer, and prudently kept out of sight tro, it. It has been understood lor a long allowing his single battallion to retire at time that "Little Mao" and his imitators leisure to their camp near Grand Janction, ^c® " played out," and the action of the
Sinoe that time wo have had several skir¬ mishes between advance piokets, foraging parties, &c,, resulting in the visits of sun¬ dry scarecrow specimens of " Southern gentlemen" to our provost marshal, and last evening by a whole regiment of infaut- ry, who were quietly " gobbled up" by our cavalry. Near Davis' mills, there was an attack inKdo on a foraging train that grew almost into afisrht on Saturday, the firing being distinctly heard in our OAmp, the particulars of which have not transpired as yet here.
Daring the past week, Oo. 0 of *' onrs have lost two of its best men, Sergeant Jack Rowe, and private Jonas Level, who died of typhoid pneumonia in the regimen tal hospital. They are universally re¬ gretted, Jack being a general favorite. Everybody knew him. Full to the brim of fun and mischief, he is sadly missed.
There bave been some changes made in onr regimental staff' lately. Major Strong j-uMi maa^i-nhiftf x)f ataff to Gen. MoKean, {Lieut Whitney of Co. 0, division commis¬ sary. Surgeon Gary, brigade surgeon and 2nd aast. surgeon Bennett, chief of general hospital^ ac Uiis plaoe.    Our  regiment is
President in removing ibem has not sur prised us. If men aro put in their places who will go ahead, and carry out the pol¬ icy of the lato prociamation, and tho con¬ fiscation act, and no obstacles put in their way, all will be well, but to have the lives ot onr best and bravest frittered away nselessly in camps and hospitals,^ battle-fields or pestiferous swamps, is get¬ ting to be too muoh, even for Aiuericaof patriotism. ,,
We are often   disgusteil with the palpa-r' ble neglect of tho confiscation act by onn shoulder it.-appers, and are  often led tt ', wonder why it  Is not put  into vigorou*oi operation.    Thero  is not   a private  bo   j could testify, if neceseary, of vast quanli--} ties of property justly forfeited to the an- I thorities, that is not only left undisturbed  ; bot is actually   p>'otected even at this late - date.    Is tbo confiscation  aot a nullity or has  it  been  repealed ?    Fxccpt  in   very rare instances indeed, property when taken" is taken by the  forces for  the use of the] army, such as  forage, &c.,   and I confess that I   have heard  of but very  lew   in¬ stances where property baa been seized, or ever pretended to be seized, in accordaoce i with   the  provisions  of   said   act.    Will
now nnder the medical care of Dr, Rogers,   some one tell  us what guarantee we have w^^ K ^**'' ^'*fgeon. that the prospective proclamation of free-;
We have received our frock coats,   and   dom will ever  be   carried  Into effect any
witii our new sky-blue pants, have a nni- [ more than the confiscation aot has?   Tru-
form that looks very well on the  mon.—! ly "a little light on a dark  subject " Is,, On Saturday,  onr brigade was reviewed   needed  here,   if   anywhere;   but   when.
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by Major General* MaoPherson and MoKean, and oor boya in their new uniforna looks firet rate, and won the praise of tho generals for their superior appearance and marching. The day waa lovely.    The dust having been laid by the
where or bow is it to be produced ?
W.
Trnlw
ill Kegiment.   "
Liiiiipkiu's Mills, sissippi, Dec. Od, 186-2. f
the 12tL Kegiment.
Cuinn near Luiiipkiu's Mills,     ) ilississ"    '   "
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Messrs Editors:—The array   commenced   its'
move from La Grange and vicinity Thursday Nov 27th. Our Reg.'left curnp at about 7 o'clock Friday morning. Wc were allowed to bring only four tents and one oEQccrs' tent to each Co. We had i.^-,e:u-ry knapsacks-, you may be sure the boys carried XxXiy little unnec¬ essary luggage. Wc v\ere obliged to move elowly on account of the number of teams.— Our Brigade camped iu a field of Cotton, ner.r whore our Cavnli-y bnd the skiimish wilh Jack¬ son's Cavuli-y, of which I gave you an account. We started quite early Saturday morning. The sci-caining of fifc.-s, clanging of drums antt.: murmur of .ca ibousand voices filled tho air. Wo reached Cold W.iicr, a small stream, about noon when the Division halted for rest and re¬ freshment. Resuming the march a Utile be¬ fore sundown, our progress was so provoking- ly slow that wc did not reach Ilolly Springs— five miles distant—till near nine o'clock. Our Division camped near the Rail Road on the west side of town. Abor.t 7 o'clock fsur.dny morning wc were again on the ro.iJ, owing to tho energy of our Captain in loading the bag¬ gage, our Co. were all relieved cf their knap¬ sacks. We pas.sed through town taking the road lo the South. Holly Springs is a huge and very beautiful plu'^c, second in importance to no town in the ttate, save Jacksou the Capi¬ tal. The streets arc wide and very smooth, there arc many splendid public buildings and princely residences, with commodious and tastefully laid Out grounds. Tbo rebels had when here, a manufactory for arms, quite a number of iieavy guns were turned out here. Tho place seemed very nearly deserted ; I bow-ever saw a fow care-worn, haggard, ghostly eountenanccs peer¬ ing cautijusly out from nearly clo.scd curtains, as though they each iiioaieiit expected to hear tho savage yells of " brutal Yankee?," turned loose to pillage, murder and destroy. But w-e quietly pursued tbo " even tenor of our way." Wo reached our present locality about !3 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Ileavy caiinovad- ing had been going on, ut the bridgo across the Tallahatchie six miles ahead, neurly all day. We passed the camps of the Mb, 14ih, lO'.b, I7lh and 18th Wis. Reg's that reached hero yes¬ terday. The boys crowded the road on both sides, giving us a hc.irty vvelcoinc. It rained quiflT hard Sunday night. Monday morning the scene was grrnd, every hill and slope wos thickly studded with while tents, around which crowded dark forms in countless numbers. Four Diviiions were camped in sight. Mon¬ day night and Tuesday morning troops were constantly p.dvar.ciag. Sunday niglit and Mon¬ day the onemy abandoned his strong fortifica¬ tions on the Tallahatchie and fell back, lie is now reported to be 10 miles from here retreat¬ ing southwards full lilt. It is also reported that Oen. Steele wilh a heavy foice, is below him at Grenada. It has becu cold and stormy two or three days, it has cleared ofl" again warm and pleasant. Tliis Country has been appa¬ rently long settled, being nearly all cleared. The soil appears to be good but washed badly. I should think the inhabitants would sicken of rebellion ; ihe prcspect of subsistence another year is very slim, tho v.ar is turning the coun¬ try into a desert. We aro hourly expecting orders to advance. The boys most of them seem to  stand  the   march   well.    Our health
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