58

From early dawn till dark, there
is a continuel stream of white topped
waggons, cavelery mounted Infantry
artilery, pushing on towards Tenn..
In the opposite direction more or
less prisoners with tempty teams are
moving towards Camp Nelson
This afternoon 175 six mule teams
passed by going with supplies for
Burnside. A few days ago a drove of
1450 beef cattle passed down, to-day
500 more went by; nearly evry day
droves of 500 to a 1000 horses are
driven down for cavelery and Mounted
Infantry. From this you can form
a little idea of the immense cost to
supply even such a small army as Burnside's
This is a great cool country we can get
very good coal almost like that
they burn in the cities as plenty as
rocks in NH. If we stop here this
winter we shall have fireplaces and
stoves in our tents. And as we can

[page break]
get plenty of coal to burn we can
live as independently as the people
in the City of Nations.

But I have not told you of ou rmarch
from Crab Orchard. We left that
place week ago last Wednesday marching
13 miles over the most rocky rough
and hilly road I ever saw.

Thursday we marched 8 miles
being somewhat delayed by many
teams and meeting the 2200 rebel
prisoners captured at the Gap.

They were rough though hearty and
tough looking set of fellows of all ages from
the boy of 15 to the old man of 50
They wore every conceivable kind of
hats and caps all much the worse for
wear. Their dirty gray coats still
dirtier and more ragged pants with
half of them shoeless, the bags made of
calico woolen cloth canvass &c for haversacks
an old quilt or shall for a blanket
with no tents; contrasted rather