Traveling Correspondence

ON BOARD TRANSPORT NEBRASKA,
CAIRO, April 18, 1862

EDITOR GAZETTE:– Having arrived here at noon to-day from St. Louis, I immediately began to make arrangements to move down the river to the “Pope’s” territory, and had begun to think it somewhat doubtful about securing a passage that way, owing to the scarcity of boats about here and the uncertainty of getting a pass form the commanding General here; when all at once my doubts were dispelled by the giant steamer Nebraska, of Memphis, heaving to from up the river and on her way down to New Madrid; wherever it might be. In less than one hour after I landed here, I was on board her with my passage secured and ready for exploit. The water is entirely too high here to make it interesting to write anything adescriptive [sic] about Cairo or its surroundings, but suffice it to say that in the way of mud and that of the most disagreeable quality and the different style of odors, that about here, certainly places this city far ahead of its illustrious predecessor on the banks of the muddy Nile.

The river here is from ten to fifteen feet above the level of the city, and in some places along the levee it looks as if a foot and a half more rise would flood the city, and the water seaps through now so fast that the pump engine has to run day and night to keep it off the sidewalks. As for the barracks over at Fort Holt and Bird’s Point, the tops of them are just visible. – One of the old Mayors of St. Louis, who has lived there for the last thirteen years told your correspondent that this is the first time he ever saw the Mississippi so high in April.

Ever since I left St. Louis I have had painful evidence of the late terrible conflict at Pittsburg. On our way down last night our boat tied up during a storm beside the John J. Roe, on which were some two or three hundred of the poor mangled fellows. I soon found some of the 6th Iowa [boys], and was not a little surprised to find among them my old friend, Lieut. Jo. Halladay, of Burlington, badly wounded in the thigh, and several other Burlington boys. Here at Cairo, about every fifth solder we meet is limping on a crutch or carrying his arm in a sling.

This evening, at the St. Charles Hotel, I had a very interesting talk with Dr. Edwards of Dubuque, surgeon of the Iowa 3d. He had just come down from the battle ground, having left there last evening. He relates a great many incidents about the great battle. He was glowing in his praises of the valor and heroic bravery of the officers of the Iowa regiments and their men, that were in his division. He speaks especially height of Lt. Col. Add. Sanders, who, he says, was always in the hottest part of the fight. While the Dr. was performing an operation, he heard some one coming in the room gaily singing “Old Bob Ridley,” and on looking around he saw Capt. Littler with his shattered arm, who remarked to the Dr. with inimitable sang froid, that he wanted his arm taken off instantly. The Dr. dressed it, and says if he could have had a chance to attend it he could have saved it.

10 P. M. – There has been an entire change in the programme since writing the foregoing, caused by the appearance of Gen. Pope and staff on board the Crescent City, which has just steamed up at our side. He is on his way up the Tennessee to join Gen. Halleck. His whole command are on their way up the river, and already four or five transports loaded with troops are lying around us. I have just been aboard the Crescent City and had a first view of the man who is so good at playing the bag game with all it variations. Our boat, loaded with commissary stores, will start in one hour, with the fleet, for Gen. Halleck’s army, and my destination, instead of being Memphis via No. 10, New Madrid and Fort Pillow, will be Memphis via Gen. Halleck’s army and Corinth, and it is not probable that we will reach there before you receive to or more communications from your correspondent,

GAMBIER.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, April 25, 1862, p. 2