CHAPTER
II.
MISSOURI AND THE REBELLION - THE PACIFIC RAILROAD - ROLLA AND ITS SURROUNDINGS - CATCHING MULES - ORDERED TO SPRINGFIELD - ON THE MARCH - ARRIVAL AT THE LITTLE PINEY - CONFISCATING REBEL BEEF - RECEIVE OUR TENTS, AND LEARN THE MYSTERY OF MAKING "SLAP-JACKS" – WAYNESVILLE - CROSSING THE GASCONADE RIVER - MARCH TO LEBANON - GEN. F. J. HERRON - MILL SPRINGS - ARRIVAL AT SPRINGFIELD.
Notwithstanding the intimate commercial and social relations subsisting between Missouri and the north, and the loyal Free State element in her population largely predominating, yet the desperate spirit of a rabid pro-slavery, copperhead faction - a spirit which was the legitimate offspring of their accursed institution - had by fraud, usurpation and brute violence, forced the State into the great vortex of rebellion. It was here that that barbarous relic of guerrilla warfare was first inaugurated which has stamped infamy on its instigators, and tinged every American cheek with shame. The nineteenth century blushed as she looked upon the degenerate sons of noble sires, enjoying all the blessings of a republican form of government, whose land teemed with prosperity, and whose peace was like a river, happy at home and honored abroad - professedly a christian nation - violently attempting to stifle the spirit of liberty, to crush out every feeling of humanity, and reduce to despotism or
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anarchy that government in which alone were concentered all the future hopes of freedom throughout the world. Here desperate men with desperate purposes seemed at once to cut themselves loose from every moral, social and political obligation, and madly vent their malignant feelings in horrid deeds of outrage and of murder. None who were loyal to their country were safe either day or night in their person, their family or their property. Thousands of her best citizens, driven night after night for weeks and months to the woods or wide prairies for safety - every hour in danger of being shot down in their fields while at labor - assassinated in the highways if they ventured abroad, or inhumanly slaughtered before their wives and children at their own firesides - now abandoned the State to find safety and peace for themselves and families elsewhere, from those unnatural and brutish outrages. Nor was even St. Louis wanting in monsters who could not only countenance and aid all this murder and treason throughout the State, but who could labor with a fiendish zeal to introduce a like state of society within their own prosperous city. And to the firmness, the loyalty and the bravery of the officers and men of other States she is this day largely indebted that her citizens were not slaughtered and her city reduced to ashes. It is not to be supposed that our men, loyal at heart - reared in a purer and healthier moral atmosphere - now ready and prepared to avenge treason to their Government - would look upon these scenes but with feelings of abhorrence, and a determination to col-
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rect them. It was under these circumstances that our regiment received orders to prepare to march to Rolla.
On the morning of the 14th of September we left our barracks and marched to the Pacific Railroad Depot. On that short march I discovered that I had forgotten to supply myself and mess with provisions for the journey, and hastened to a restaurant to procure such supplies as I deemed sufficient. But to our surprise we soon found that our colored servant had already exhausted "the pile". Biting appetite never was intended to smooth the asperities of temper, nor was this ease an exception. "Guss", however, excused himself on the plea that he thought "all dat stuff war fur me," and readily promised that he "would steal enough for us on de fuss chance." Although our supply was exhausted at the beginning of our journey, yet at Rolla we could not but call to mind the promise of "Guss," and "the widows cruse of oil."
Arriving at the depot, we were forthwith hustled into a train of cattle cars which were found just sufficient to hold us. The calculation had been so nicely made we concluded that it must have been done after we had buried our two comrades, for there would have been no room for them had they been yet with us. We left at 2 o'clock P. M., and a very short ride convinced us of the wisdom in selecting cattle cars instead of passenger cars for our transportation, for had there been such things as windows or doors, or any other large openings, we certainly should have been sifted through before we reached
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our destination. The motion of that road is peculiar to itself neither perpendicular nor horizontal - neither a jolt nor jerk - but all these together, accompanied with a quick sidelong oblique movement with an occasional up and down thumping, creating a sensation which I suppose one would feel in being rolled down hill over rough ground in a barrel, minus half its staves, and pushed by a lame copperhead.
The greater portion of the country through which we passed was sparsely settled - the land hilly, rocky and sterile. The only indications visible of business were a few dilapidated lime-kilns. We encountered a few citizens at one or two points dressed in the style then peculiar to Missouri – "butternut" - being of home-made jeans, colored brown with walnut bark. Men, women and children were all dressed in the same kind of material, and from the entire absence of skill and taste in manufacturing the garments, one would readily suppose each had manufactured his own. A stranger would at once conclude that the ladies in the rural districts were ignorant of crinoline, and had not yet become the victims or slaves of fashion. The style of costume of both sexes - the gored dress, the crown bonnet, the linen apron, the wammus and the hunting shirt were new to the younger men in our regiment, while the older ones saw again the style of costume away back in the time of their boyhood, before the days of newspapers, railroads, steamboats, telegraphs or fashions. We passed some tine farms and a few neat villages, but all presented a
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deserted and desolate aspect; not more than one-third of the houses, either in town or county, were inhabited. Here we began to see some of the first fruits of that harvest of folly which the rebels had sown in their ignorance and madness, but were now reaping in tears and in blood.
We arrived at Rolla after nightfall on the 14th, and after some delay, and considerable marching and counter-marching, finally halted upon a hill about half a mile from the town. We were then informed that we could have the temporary use of tents by sending to the rail-road depot for them, which we did, but owing to fatigue used them to sleep upon rather than under, notwithstanding the rain which fell during the latter part of the night. We were up early on the morning of the 15th, and after hastily partaking with good appetite of the food provided by our "reliable contraband" pitched our tents and set our camp in order. The night previous guards had been detailed, but notwithstanding this precaution many of our boys were at an early hour strolling through the village, enjoying free life in a western town.
Having obtained permission to visit the town, in company with some of the officers of our regiment, we found G. W. SMITH, Esq., of Davenport, established there as post sutler, and doing the principal business of the place, and whose many acts of kindness and attention then and subsequently, placed us under lasting oblig-
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tions
to him. The population, aside from those temporarily there on duty in
the Commissary and Quartermaster's Departments, did not, perhaps,
exceed two hundred. They were a poor, dejected, ignorant looking
class of human beings - more like escaped convicts than intelligent
American citizens - listlessly wandering around from place to place
without energy, and without any apparent object in view.
We looked upon these uncultivated specimens of humanity with pity, and wondered to what useful purpose they could be appropriated. The suggestion of “Guss”, however, that "dis was whar de stuff fur makin' norden simplethuzers comes from," relieved our minds on the subject, but created a fear that "Guss" was giving politics more attention than our exhausted mess chest.
There were in this place a few mansions formerly occupied by a rancid codfish aristocracy, but they were surrounded by shanties, temporarily built regardless of streets or order, and just large enough for three persons - the occupants no doubt apprehending, in case our forces were with withdrawn, that their town would be again sacked by the roving bands of guerrillas who then infested the country. We did no duty here aside from that pertaining to our own regiment, as the post was garrisoned, and the town only held as a depot and fitting out point for supplies going to posts in the interior. From this point supplies were transported by wagon, except to Sedalia, with which we had connection by rail.
Our teamsters were now informed that they could
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select their teams from a large pen filled with mules a short distance from the camp, and they set about the work with a zeal, but the task was more difficult and dangerous than they had anticipated. The mules, fresh from the wilds, made all the resistance of which a mule is capable. When approached by the teamster the mule would suddenly "change front," causing the teamster to stand off, and re-organize." But “standing off" was not a part of the teamster's tactics, for his reputation for handling mules was at stake, and he adopted the safer plan of the running-noose and threw it over the mule's neck, thus enabling him to hold on to the animal and steer clear of his fighting end. Assisted by two or three others they soon bridled, harnessed and triumphantly led away the captured beast and tied him to the wagon. Several of our men were severely injured before the trains were all secured, but the business was completed during that day, and we had the satisfaction of seeing our transportation train ready for a move.
Two wagons were allowed for each company, each drawn by six mules, and such loads piled on as would secure against a "runaway." The wives of several of the soldiers having accompanied us, some with small children, provision had to be made for their accommodation on the wagons. One small boy was sometime after-wards killed by the overturning of a wagon, and the mother narrowly escaped a like fate. After having followed the army over five hundred miles, and finding their garments were not as those furnished by Moses to
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the children of Israel, these patriotic ladies left as and returned to their peaceful homes.
Orders were received late in the evening on the 15th to prepare to march at 6 o'clock in the morning, with one day's rations. Our sick were disposed of in the post hospital, and our tents left standing for an Illinois regiment just arrived. some difficulty occurred in the Quartermaster's arrangements, and we were detained five hours in line before marching. The time of our stay, however, was not tiresome, for we were highly entertained, not by a circus, or puppit show, or concert - there was no lecturer there whose eloquence "thrilled the audience through," no rich repast spread by dainty hands to satisfy our craving hunger, but there was a feast, if not of "reason and flow of soul," there surely was of shattered harness and flying heels; it was a contention which had arisen between the mules and their drivers upon the mooted question of starting. The former having been captured from some secesh pasture-fields had early imbibed their masters' doctrine of "let us alone," while the latter persistently urged the propriety of their standing motto, go-ahead. "The mules got into every possible position but the right one, some laid down, and persisted in being "let alone," some, like the copperheads, had the harness on but had kicked themselves outside the traces, and the swearing, kicking and cracking of whips by the drivers, created a ludicrous scene of confusion which might be imagined but cannot be described. As all things else, this scene had an end and the mules, utterly disgusted with the place,
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dashed off with a speed that would have confounded Jehu or Gilpin. "Fall in" was now heard, and our regiment started on its first march.
Our route the first few miles was over a rough and hilly country, heavily timbered, but we soon reached a more fertile and better cultivated region, though poorly watered. We passed many well improved farms, but their cultivation had been suspended on account of the frequent visits of guerrilla parties - and strange to tell - most of their owners were then absent in the rebel army. It was humiliating to our American pride to contemplate the pitiable condition of the unfortunate inhabitants of' that forlorn country. These farms, forsaken by fathers, husbands and brothers, to join the rebel cause, were left to the cultivation of women and children alone, who by care and toil had secured a scanty harvest only to be seized or destroyed by the rude guerrilla, professedly engaged in the same cause. To what strange depths of degradation and shame can fallen humanity sink! We could only account for such barbarity on the ground that men who had enjoyed the blessings of such a government as that of the United States, and the happiness it secured to them all their lives, and yet could raise against it the arm of treason, or sympathise with those who did, were lost to all moral sense and capable of any deed however degraded or mean. The men, owing to our long delay in starting soon become fatigued, and the heavy clouds of dust, together with their heavy knapsacks, under a scorching sun, ren-
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dered our march slow and unpleasant. While passing through a deep ravine where clouds of dust rose in suffocating volumes to our faces, rendering breathing diflicult, I began to doubt my ability to proceed, when suddenly the stillness of the scene was broken by Corporal N. B. Graham, of Company E, in a loud clear voice singing
"Let the wide world wag as it will,
I'll be gay and happy still."
The sentiments of the song contrasted so strangely with our feelings and circumstances that we gained a momentary relief in a hearty laugh. Soon reaching the new made grade of a railroad track we were relieved of the dust, and invigorated by the cool breeze of the evening. Once in the afternoon we halted and filled our canteens from a large cool spring, the water being so abundant that quite a creek was formed from it alone. With this exception we found no good water till we arrived at Little Piney, a tributary of the Gasconade river. We descended to the low bottom lands of this stream just after dark, which being heavily timbered and much cut up by small creeks, caused our companies to become scattered, and we did not get together until next morning. For myself not being able to find the remainder of the regiment, I halted my company, camped for the night, went to bed, was awakened next morning by a rain which had commenced falling, and by receiving orders to move into camp. Arriving, we found our regiment, with the remainder of the brigade, consisting of the 94th
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Illinois, 19th and 20th Iowa and 20th Wisconsin, encamped in an old field on the banks of the Little Piney, with brigade and regimental lines established, and I was immediately detailed as regimental officer of the day. This brigade had been temporarily formed until the regiments composing it reached Springfield, Missouri, and was under command of Col. Wm. McE. DYE. One of my men brought me a fine piece of fresh beef, and while I was discussing a nice steak, received instructions to arrest a number of men in Company K, who were charged with killing cattle. This produced a sudden decline in my appetite, as I felt assured that the steak I was then relishing was contraband. On my way to the quarters of the designated culprits, I saw numerous pieces of fresh meat being concealed by men of other companies. On arriving at the headquarters of Company K, I found a sergeant with a squad of men busily engaged in skinning a beef, a calf and a hog, and issuing meat with great liberality to all who made application - the grounds presenting the appearance of a division butchering establishment. The first intimation these men received of this proceeding being discountenanced at headquarters, was their arrest. I made some arrests from other regiments, but my rich steak at breakfast had been so well relished that I felt little disposed to make very rigid search, as most of the men seemed to think it was no crime to confiscate rebel beef to satisfy the cravings of hunger. Some of them seemed now to have frail memories, for they had forgotten
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not only the names of their regiments and officers, but even their own names. Strange freaks memory will play sometimes. After administering as severe a reproof as my well satisfied appetite with the same beef would allow, I ordered them to report to their company officers under arrest. Our own men were kept under arrest, but on being told that prisoners were not subject to duty, nor allowed to carry guns, they bore their misfortune with cheerfulness. At one o'clock we broke camp and resumed our march for Springfield, passing, three miles from camp, the residence of Mrs. JAMES BARCLAY, whose husband had been murdered by guerrillas five months previously. The deed was perpetrated a short distance from the house and in the presence of his family. The scoundrels then robbed the house, taking all they could find, not even sparing the clothing of his wife and children. A few days subsequently they returned, burned a part of the premises, and drove away all the cattle they could find, leaving the family destitute and occupying the quarters formerly used by the negroes. Such occurrences, however, were not rare, and in our extensive travels through the State, we became acquainted with facts in relation to the operations of these guerrillas, which would shame a fiend! - and these outrages were frequently perpetrated by persons who had been former neighbors! Near this we passed the spot where a government train of seven wagons loaded with sup-plies for Springfield had been burned by guerrillas during the preceding winter. Arriving at "Big Piney,"
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we were told the water was shallow, and that it was unnecessary to take off our boots, but some of us looking at the stream doubted its shallowness, and took the precaution to remove our boots before entering, and it, was well we did, as those who did not had wet feet and boots the balance of the day. While one of our officers who was accustomed to wear shoes of unusual length was sitting on the bank putting them on, "Guss" passed, whose feet were wringing wet, and looking at the shoes with surprise remarked "dat had he known dar war a ferry boat so near he would have crossed on dat." The last we saw of "Guss" he was getting out of reach of the owner of the "ferry-boots." We encamped on the banks of this stream, having marched only about ten miles, and felt elated at the prospect of having tents on our arrival in camp, as they had passed us during the day. We received our tents soon after arriving in camp, and pitched them in an old field among high weeds. 1 will here remark that during all our travels through Missouri we seldom camped on smooth pleasant ground - preference always being given to that spot where the weeds grew highest and where briers grew thickest. We never could see the military advantage in choosing such ground, unless it was that some of the rebels were barefoot and thinly clad, and such places were deemed safe from their approach.
The process of putting up tents being new to most of our men, it was late before the work was completed, and no cooking was done that night, but next morning the
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boys made their first attempt at baking, and produced, after much labor and some hard sw-- grumbling, what was popularly called "slap jacks," which was done by mixing flour and cold water together and frying the dough in grease. After becoming cold this bread might well be manufactured into mallets, as it possessed the two qualities requisite - hardness and toughness - and produced much sickness. Our marches being long and the men often fatigued, but little attention was paid to baking bread, as we depended chiefly on our half rations of "hard tack," which was daily issued and carried in our haversacks.
Our march on the 18th brought us to Waynesville, a small village containing fourteen houses, making a distance of fourteen miles today. This town was remarkable for having in it a "school house," the only institution of the kind we had yet met with in the State. The enterprising projector of such a novel scheme in that region of country must have found it rather an unprofitable investment, for from its appearance it was then mortgaged to a flock of sheep, which had evidently occupied it unmolested for a long time. There was a post-office too, in that flourishing business place, or rather had been, but as mails were like "angels visits," the enterprising postmaster had now converted it into a whisky shop and tavern, and was doing a thriving business. On the morning of the 19th we had reveille at 3 o'clock, but did not commence our march till six. The men now began to show evident symptoms of fatigue from our
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continuous marching, and many of the companies hired or confiscated teams to haul their knapsacks, which was a great relief and enabled some who would otherwise have been unable to proceed, to keep in the ranks. We marched about sixteen miles this day and camped at two o'clock on the banks of the Gasconade. This is a very pretty stream, about forty yards in width, the shores lined with smooth boulder stones, and on the west side a steep hill, with a narrow wagon track winding through large crevices in the rocks, half a mile to the summit. Camping here for the night we resumed our march at six in the morning. On the 20th we had a pleasant day's march, except that we suffered much from the want of water, which we were told could be procured at Lebanon, and hurrying along to that place in hopes of obtaining this necessary beverage, we camped two and a half miles beyond - as usual, in tall weeds. Breaking ranks, men scarcely waited to disencumber themselves of their knapsacks, and complete their stacking arms, before hurrying to the place where we were told water could be obtained. But when we arrived at the spot what a sight met our eyes! the long hoped for cool refreshing spring of clear water, which the heat and fatigue of a hard march had conjured up in our imaginations vanished, and we beheld before us a large pond of stagnant water the surface covered with a green scum - the margin lined with the decaying carcasses of mules and horses, and emitting a sickening stench. Many turned away with disgust to seek water from cisterns two and three miles from camp.
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General HERRON, who had arrived at Lebanon in advance, ordered rations of whisky to be issued and mixed with the water in order to destroy its sickening taste and render it palatable. Through the politeness of a member of the 3d Iowa Cavalry, who were doing guard duty at this post, I was furnished with a horse to return to Lebanon in search of water. The citizens here provide their families with this necessary beverage by carting from a small creek about six miles distant, and it was with difficulty, after a long search, 1 obtained enough to satisfy my thirst. This village is a small unthrifty place, contains about forty log houses, many unfinished and few occupied. Appetite too admonished me that the inner man could not always be neglected with impunity. But there was only one place in the whole town where food of any kind could be obtained, and that a widowed lady's house, then occupied by General HERRON and his staff. Hunger and fatigue are great levelers of rank, and I determined to make an effort to obtain my dinner at the risk of the General's displeasure at my intrusion, but upon entering, and finding myself in his presence, I at once perceived that the hauteur not unfrequently assumed by officers of inferior grade only served to brighten the lustre of that suavity of' manner which has characterized him as a man and an officer. Those who are from business or necessity thrown into his presence are not less favorably impressed with his native modesty, than are those acquainted with his labors in the field with his gallantry, devotion to his country, and sympathy with his
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men. Through the hospitality of our hostess we were promised a hasty repast, and we then felt that our many hours fasting would impart to it a relish an epicure would envy. After relieving our face and clothes from the dust of a long and weary march we sat down contentedly to await our refreshments - nor were we idle. The easy manners of the General making us perfectly at home, and feeling proud of the lofty eminence a noble son of our own State had reached by his valor, we scanned, to the utmost of our power the general appearance and features of this young but distinguished officer About twenty-seven years of age, standing five feet eleven inches, with brown hair approaching to the red, of pleasing countenance, and his whole contour denoting that indomitable energy of body and mind for which he was already so remarkable, we regarded him as our ideal of a soldier and an officer - noble, generous and brave. The regiment having been the greater portion of its time of service under his command, his history becomes a part of theirs. Early devoting himself to the cause of his country, Iowa boasts that he was the first to tender the services of a company to the government from any State in the Union, thus casting a halo of' glory alike upon his State, his company and himself. Having aided in leading our brave soldiers victoriously through many hard campaigns from Missouri to the Rio Grande, he won for himself laurels by his daring bravery and consummate military skill, lasting as the principles for which he was fighting, secured the admiration and approval of his
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government, and buried himself deep in the memory and affections of his army. The following authentic sketch of his military career will not, we presume, be uninteresting to the reader:
General HERRON was captain of a military company at Dubuque, Iowa, known as the "Governor's Greys." In December, 1860, he tendered the services of this company to the Hon. JOSEPH H0LT, then Secretary of War, and in reply, received a letter accepting the company, conditionally, with the further statement that it was the first offer of troops to the government. On April 18th, 1861, upon the issue of the President's proclamation, calling for 75,000 volunteers, the company was again tendered to the Governor of Iowa and accepted, and at once mustered into the State service. On April 2nd, 1861, the company, 101 strong, left Dubuque for the rendezvous at Keokuk, and was mustered into the United States service as Company I, 1st Iowa volunteers, May 14th, 1861, by Lieut. ALEX CHAMBERS, U. S. A. By order of Brig. Gen. A. LYON, the 1st Iowa volunteers left Keokuk on June 13th for Hannibal, Mo., to aid in opening the Hannibal & St. Joseph R. R., then held by the rebels under Gov. JACKSON. From Hannibal the regiment proceeded to Macon City, thence on the North Missouri R. R. to Renrick, and thence by marches to Booneville on the Missouri river, where it joined the forces of Gen. LYON from St. Louis. On July 3rd, left Booneville with the column under Lyon, for Springfield, in pursuit of the rebel troops under Gen. STERLING
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PRICE. He was in command of his company during the entire campaign under LYON, through the skirmishes at Dug Springs, McCullough's Store, Forsythe, and at the battle of Wilson Creek, August 10th, 1861, losing of his company in the latter fight 19 killed and wounded. He was mustered out of service at St. Louis, August 23d, 1861, and on September 17th was commissioned and mustered in as Lieutenant Colonel of the 9th Iowa Volunteers. He joined his regiment at once, accompanying it to St. Louis, thence to Franklin, Mo., and on January 6th, 1862, to Rolla, Mo., where it was attached to the 1st brigade, 4th division, "Army of the South West," Brig. Gen. S. R. CURTIS commanding; was in command of his regiment from November 20th, 1861 - Colonel Wm. VANDEVER, being a Member of Congress, and absent at Washington, and on his return being assigned to command the 1st brigade, 4th division. He remained in command of the regiment during the Curtis campaign, and during the fight at Sugar Creek, Arkansas, February 17th, 1862, and the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, March 7th and 8th. Lost of his regiment 251 men killed and wounded, including 13 officers, out of 512 men engaged in the latter battle. Had his horse killed and was severely wounded and taken prisoner. Was carried by Gen. VAN DORN to Fort Smith in his retreat, and at the expiration of' thirty days was exchanged for Col. Louis HIBBERD, of the 3rd Louisiana. Reached St. Louis about May 1st, 1862, after having been carried sixteen days in an ambulance. On July
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16th, 1862, he was commissioned and confirmed as Brigadier General of Volunteers, and ordered to report to Brig. Gen. J. M. SCHOFIELD, at St. Louis, for duty. Reported without delay, and was assigned to command of a brigade at Rolla, Mo., with orders to march it to Springfield, Mo., which service he was performing at the time we met him at this place – Lebanon - whither he had preceded the brigade, arriving the day previous. His subsequent military services will be found in connection with our own up to August, 1864, when he was assigned to command of the District of Baton Rouge and Port Hudson, Louisiana. Gen. HERRON concluded his military career at the close of the war by receiving the surrender of Gen. Dick TAYLOR'S army at Shreveport - the last large rebel force in the field.
Our march on the 21st was through a more thickly settled and better improved country; fruits, such as peaches and wild grapes were abundant, but we still suffered greatly from the want of water. Having marched about thirteen miles, we arrived at camp early in the afternoon, and rested until morning.
We left camp on the morning of the 22nd at sunrise, in good spirits, but many of the men who were foot sore from our previous long marches, began to show evidence of fatigue, falling out of ranks soon after starting, and with much difficulty could be kept with the regiment under the promise of a short day's march. At 2 o'clock P. M. we passed the Block House at Sand Springs where some rebel prisoners were confined, guarded by a com-
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pany of State Militia. This we had hoped would be the end of our day's march, but were sadly mistaken, as not even a halt was made. By this time nearly one-third of the brigade were in the rear, and groups of stragglers from the advance regiments were scattered all along the line of march. We did not camp until we reached Mill Springs, a distance of twenty-four miles, which brought us within twelve miles of Springfield.
We remained in this camp during the 23d, and as there was a fine clear stream of water running through it, the men availed themselves of' the opportunity thus afforded to wash their clothing, and bathe. There was a large sawmill standing on the banks of the stream - the first building of the kind we had yet seen since leaving St. Louis, but it showed no indications of having been worked for some time. Many evidences of the sharp skirmish which had taken place here between Gen. LYON'S forces and the rebels under Gen. PRICE, were still visible in the shattered trunks of trees and nearly demolished mill.
On the morning of the 24th we were on the march at 6 o'clock, feeling much refreshed from our day's rest, and although annoyed by the dust, were less fatigued than on our previous marches. As we approached Springfield the country presented a much better appearance, being more thickly settled - finer buildings, and the land under a much better state of cultivation.
Passing a fine mansion near Springfield we were greeted from its balcony by the waiving of a Union flag
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by a little boy, whose father, a fearless supporter of the Union, had been murdered early in the war, by the sanction, if not the order, of Gen. PRICE, for having displayed the same flag from his house top while the rebel army were passing. His patriotic lady, however, was permitted by PRICE to retain the flag, on her positive refusal to give it up, and since the occurrence of the tragedy which had deprived her of her husband, she never failed to fling its glorious folds to the breeze in the presence of friend or foe. This little patriot's shrill voice, then at its highest key, could hardly be heard by the passing regiment, but he still uttered his gladsome shout, which seemed to fill his whole soul with patriotic fire, till the brigade - company after company, coming to a shoulder, as we passed - uttered responsive cheer upon cheer, till the welkin rang again. We were here joined by our Assistant Surgeon, Dr. A. O. BLAND and marched through the city to Fort No. 4, where we encamped for the present.