Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1861-05-10

CAMP DENNIsoN, May D, 1901.
FRIEND KKELER;-I promised TO write you
and Mr.. BEAN an occasional communication, but
as yet have not had time. If can find an
opportunity TO write you win do so.
The boys stand dry bread, fat pork, mud and
water first-rate. The only person on the sick
list is Lieut.. Dickinson, who has the genuine
old fashioned ague. We hope and expect that
he will be able to do duty in q few days. He
is comfortably qumtered in farm house short
distance from the Camp
/ forgot to mention, in the proper place, that
we left JAMEs MAxwELL at Cleveland, sick with
a low fever, brought on from sudden checking
of camp diarrhoea. The Physician said it
would be several days before he could join us
at Camp Dennis0n. He is in good hands, how
ever, his father being assistant steward in the
hospital at Cleveland. There is very little
sickness here.
The rain is beating against our frail tenements
as if il would wash them away. The weather
is as gloomy as lone watch at midnight death
bed Of an only friend. The boys bear up brave
| ly Notwithstanding all their privations.
We left Cleveland Friday noon with Reg-
rnent of men; came as far as Columbus and
stopped at 10 o'clock at night; had our suppers
and weut 10 quarters composed of boards and
I
our breakfast and started for the cars through a
rain that would drown duck in four hours
Got to the depot and fooled around until nine
o'clock getting cars and getting the men on
board. | was acting as aid to the Colonel of
the Regiment, and had of course to be in the
rain, and got slightly damp. We got of at 8
o'clock, or thereabOuts and had gloomy ride
to Camp Dennison where we arrived at 2 o'clock
to find mud-hole and no shanties built. 1t
was remarked by "Uncle Toby" that "the ar
my sworo terribly in Flanders" ] can testify
that there was some if not more, swearing done
here on that occasion. At little after O'clock
we found some lumber and worked at our shan
ties until dark when Capt, Drury of the Sd
Regiment came to MS and kindly offered US sup
per and quarters for the night, which was grate-
fully accepted. In the morning / went to Gin
cinnati, where procured quantity of neces-
sary articles for the Camp.
Our manner of cooking is primitive enough.
A pair of crotches, with pole for a crane, and
wooden hooks TO hang our kettles on. PrOvis-
ions are coffee, bread, pork, rice, beans and oc-
casionally beef. If we have potatoes, or any
thing of that kind, we buy them at our own ex-
lpense.
We were at work most of the day fixing our
shanties. We have four of them finished and
{ three more to build. Their dimensions are 81
by Ii feet with two hunks in each capable Of
containing 10 men each
1t is a show to see our city of huts There
are nearly 300 erected, and in a few days there
will be sixty more, and nobody knows how many
more there will be in the course of month.
Camp Dennison will be a nice place after it il
fixed up and the weather clears off. The Camp
] ground contains l 300 acres. The string of sen
tinels or guards is six miles long. The huts anC
, parade ground are in a hollow, or bottom, on the
banks of the Little Miami river, surrounded
with high hills, and is altogether a romantic
S place, barring the mud
1t is ten o'clock and still raining, with viviC
flashes of lightning and loud rolling thunder
The boys have all gone to their hunks excep
t Lieut.. CoNGER and myself. He is engaged il
? the very necessary occupation of mending hi
, trousers.
Notwithstanding the exposure to which
have been subjected, feel better to-day than
D have in three weeks.
Yours, DC, @. NJ. FOUKE.