Mr. Wm. M. Osborn returned to this city Saturday from Pittsburg Landing, where he has spent a couple of weeks among the camps, hospitals, etc. etc. He says there is considerable sickness among our troops, who are not acclimated. The water disagrees with them. Mrs. Harlan and Mrs. Fales, he thinks are doing more for the sick than all the Governors who have visited Pittsburgh. Hey are laboring indefatigably and deserve great praise. One thousand sick Iowa soldiers are in the various camps and hospitals in the vicinity of the late battle field. Mrs. Harlan will send a steamboat load to Burlington if they can be taken care of. She has already sent another load to Keokuk, which is expected daily. She says hospital stores sent from this State to Doctor Douglas are used for general purposes and not for Iowa troops – that she had great difficulty in getting articles contributed by our people to use for our soldiers where they were greatly needed.
Mr. Osborne saw only a portion of our troops – did not get to see those in Gen. Pope’s division. He says the older regiments are in the best condition – the new ones suffer most from sickness. The 15th and 16th have a large number of sick. It is not true that the 2nd Cavalry has been or is to be disbanded. It is one of the best in the service. He met Capt. McFarland, of Mt. Pleasant, sick, also Lieutenant, now acting Captain Clune, of this city, sick. Clune has been well since he entered the service until the present time, and has done remarkably well. – He is well spoken of in the Regiment, as a good and efficient officer, active and courageous, all of which we take pleasure in recording.
Mr. O thinks there will not be a battle there for a week or perhaps more – perhaps not at all. But of this he is by no means certain.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 24, 1862, p. 1
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