| From the New Orleans Times Picayune |
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| March 7, 1862 |
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| Letter from Alabama |
| Huntsville, Ala., Sunday, March 2 |
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| I left Murfreesboro on the
last day of February, at 1 P. M., our army being under marching
orders, and our sick soldiers were put on a special train {on
the Nashville & Chattanooga RR} to be
removed to this city. I took passage on board the locomotive James K.
Polk, Capt. Wm. E. Harrison, Engineer. The army left Murfreesboro'
with many regrets, for the hospitality and kindness of the private
families knew no bounds, and our sick soldiers especially were most
tenderly cared for. |
| Our train reached
"Decherd's," 38 miles from Stevenson, about 7 o'clock, and
as the widow Davis, at that station, had been celebrated for setting
the best table in the South, we promised ourselves a royal supper, but
on our arrival, (having had no dinner) imagine our intense
disappointment when told that the old lady had been eaten clean out,
and had nothing to cook to give us. It was also determined that as the
brakes were very poor on the cars, not to risk going over the
Cumberland mountains until daylight, so we remained all night with no
place to sleep. The sick remained on the cars, and others sought the
fire in the reception room of the tavern, and lay down like sheep on
the floor, making a spread with their blankets. We started the next
morning (Saturday) at 7 o'clock, and made the grand descent of the
mountains without any accident, reaching Stevenson at noon. Among our
passengers were ex-Governor John Bell, Mr. Morgan, of Nashville,
George N. Sanders, and other celebrities. At the latter point we took
a freight train {on the Memphis & Charleston
RR} for this city, and after a breakdown which detained us
three hours, we arrived here just before mid-night. |
| ***** |
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