Sept. 15th
We removed from our camp to Springfield
yesterday. This is a beautiful place for
camping. I really don’t know how many
troops we have here, but suppose from eight to ten thousand. Gen. Brown left here, with 8,000 troops, for
Vernon, he was met by the rebels and driven back: he came into town last night
about nine o’clock. About the same time
heavy firing was heard at the southwest; and the supposition was that after the
Gen. left his troops, they turned on the enemy and had a fight. The firing was kept up till 12 o’clock, but
we have no word from them as yet. By the
way, this Gen. Brown is not well liked. His troops that are in the regular
service despise him; they think he is “secesh.”
All the troops, and all the farmers, merchants
and mechanics that are inside of the pickets have to work on the entrenchments
this morning. The prospect is pretty fair for a fight. The enemy are said to be approaching in two
columns 30,000 strong—our force is much less.
