Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Camp McClellan Deserted

Some seven or eight sick or recovering soldiers were brought down from the camp yesterday to take passage on the Northerner for St. Louis.  They were left at the steamboat office at the landing to await the arrival of the boat.  As she did not come for some time, the poor fellows made their way, as well as they could, to the hotels for dinner.  One of them, when he arrived at the Le Claire House, was so sick that he had to go to bed.  They all obtained their dinners, as we take pleasure in saying that the practice of the hotel proprietors here is not to turn away any soldier because he is short of money.  During the rest of the day the soldiers made themselves as comfortable as possible.  These men belong to the 4th, 6th, 13th and 16th regiments, for which they have just been recruited, and are now ordered to report themselves for duty, although they look very unfit for duty as soldiers.  They left only one man at camp McClellan, who is believed to be insane.  His name is Love, from near Washington.  He has since been removed to a private residence.  Camp McClellan is therefore now entirely deserted for the first time since its establishment last August.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, May 10, 1862, p. 1

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