cornfield, we encamped near the first nio:lit we took feed 

 for onr horses from the field and used about a half mile 

 of fence for firewood and the night that the hoy hurt 

 himself we burned near as much fence as we had that 

 day. the next day we all wanted coife but our camp and 

 garrison equipage had all but a few kettles been left be- 

 liind and we did not get our coffe nor get started untill 

 about 7 or Eight Clock A ^.I. That day we marched un- 

 till we came to Wilsons creek without stopping with the 

 exceptions of occasionally a few rests we crossed the 

 creek that the battle was on but we were five miles from 

 Springfield, the battle in August was west of Springfield 

 about 10 miles I did not get time to go to the battleground. 

 We stopped on the creek at near 5 O Clock P M there 

 we halted and rested untill about dark when we were 

 again ordered on to Springfield which we reached some 

 time in the night with expectation of going into a battle 

 the next day we were ordered into a strip of timber 

 there we got some rails and made a good fire and went 

 to sleep. Next morn we heard a band of music coming 

 along the road that we had came in and some the boys 

 went to see who it was when we found it to be Fremont 

 on his return to St. Louis and we then first heard of his 

 being superceded he had his body guard with him and 

 also some Indians there was great many rumors running 

 around camp then about Fremont being superceded just 

 as he was going into one of the greatest battles that 

 was ever fought but at the present you can hardly find a 

 friend to Fremont in the whole western army they most 

 all call him decessionists or a rebel. We laid in Springfield 

 without our tents that night & two days and nights after- 

 wards before they came up from where we left them on 

 the praries. while we were there as I have mentioned 

 before we had no camp equipage with us but about one 

 camp Kettle to a company, we received nothing to eat 

 but flour & fresh beef & salt that was all we could get. 

 Now how do you think we baked bread with out ovens 

 skillets or anything of the kind, we drawed flour some 

 had no way to carry their flour from the commissionary 

 wagons to their fires and would take their blankets that 

 they used ever day and put it on and then catch hold 

 of the corners forming a kind of a sack, but our Oderly 



