Of the many skirmishes reported throughout January, the Battle of Mill Springs was of special interest to Hoosiers in particular. The 10th Indiana was in the thick of this “Battle in Kentucky”. The front page article sub-heading was “75 killed and wounded”. That sub-heading referred to the 10th Indiana. Local unionists were happy with the news of the union win, the first decided win for the long suffering union troops. (This battle and an earlier one in same area, eastern Kentucky, gained control of Kentucky for the union and offered a chance for the union to invade Tennessee.)
Next to the news of the battle, were the mail postings. The post office posted the times that the mail was available. Mail via train was sent, and received, twice a day. Mail for Rossville, Prince Williams, Wild Cat, Petit, Edna Mills and Geetingsville were tri-weekly, Tues. Thurs. and Sat. Mail from Montmerenci, Oxford, Rainsville and Pine Village was received on Tues. and Sat. Independence mail was sent Tues. and Thurs. It was also advised that all mail had to be pre-paid by stamp, collect mail would no longer be delivered.
One of the hot political issues was Gov. Morton and other republicans keeping the Democrat legislature from interfering with union sympathies and turning to the state to copperhead, or at the very least, neutral. The Democrat State Conventional was controlled by southern sympathizers, touting harmony.
The paper issued a request for mittens, towels “ &c” for Capt. (Jerome) Cox of the 10th Indiana Battery. Items were to be collected and forwarded to Capt. Cox for the troops at Indianapolis. These would be distributed before the 10th heading to Kentucky. (not to be confused with the 10th Indiana Regiment Indiana infantry involved in Battle of Mill Springs)
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