Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-11-20
Our Army Correspondence - Letter
From western Virginia.

WEBSTER, Va, Nov. 8, 1861.
EDrroR SENTINEL: Dear Sir-Never until to-
night have / discovered what an excellent Qna-
ker would have made with little early educa-
tion. | left home exceedingly angry, but my
feelings are fast undergoing change. In a
short time. may acknowledge the right of Sc
cession. and already so far as Western irgina is
concerned, she might have seeded the morning
after the creation and my happiness would never
have been disturbed. Such country and such
people. no one living would believe could or did
exist. Last night, at BeIlair. Ohio, i saw seven
State prisoners, on their way 10 Columbus, and
am free TO confess, blushed for human nature
TO think such looking creatures lived ana brea,h-
ell They were not soldiers out "bush whacking"
murderers, and not one of them could read or
write Our progress 50 far has been very slow,
and it you could Just but for ten minutes take
survey of this beautiful village and get one
glimpse of the road we have TO travel to- morrow,
you would only wonder it were possible to reach
any place. Wagons in from Elkwater, distance
of sixty miles, have been four days route, and
coming empty Col Garvin and Doctor New
left TO night horseback, for Phillipp, If they
reach il by morning, distance of twelve miles,
they will do well. The people here, so far as l
have had an opportunity TO observe, seem to be
passive, and without any particular notions of any
kind in regard to this struggle, and Heaven knows
they are excusable, for such an amount of iguor-
ance, could not be believed to exist, without be
ing seen.
/ had believed until now, had seen all the
rich specimens of what would properly be denom-
mated the "big ornary," but never struck the
lead until Webster hove in sight. had been
simple enough to fatter myself that a cano-
straphe" had not seen was not worthy of exhi-
biton. But l care To undertake TO describe
this village and do it well, on paper, would so in
crease mans reputation abroad for what is
termed exaggeration, he would have to live to an
age where Methuselah would be colt in com
parison, before he could regain his reputation for
veracity.
To sum il up as genteely as possible, can
only hope, If in passing through the " valley and
shadow DEATH you should reach any worse coun
try may the Lord be with YOU. / leave this
morning in company with couple of officers
and Mrs. Lieutenant Slemmer, of war notoriety,
a very pleasant agreeable looking lady, yet looks
if she would do just what she said, which
simply means fight.
l will close this by saying that il any of your
friends think they have Travelled, let them make
a prospecting trip even this far, and my impress
sion is they will conclude they have never been
out. / am free to say with Queen Sheba, the
half has never been told 1t requires good
deal of an article called grace, even in me, to
withstand all the temptations have had to swear;
and need not tell you how we'll have perform
ed my duty. You well know in my position as
Assistant Chaplain it behooves me to comport
myself in manner that will cast no reflection
on my profession. If there is any one thing
above another in which | take a pride, it is in
maintaining the dignity and purity of my brother
"chips"
have found more wickedness and vice among
my associates than / would like to see, but /
have determined to endure it as well as / can.
Send us papers.
Yours, II. f. X.