Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-07-17
Letter from Second Regiment.
CAMP RANDALL, NEAR WASHINGTON, I
District Columbia. July !, 1s6l

FRIEND COVERT Having few leisure
moments | embrace the opportunity to pos
you and our other good Grant County
friends relative to our recent movement,
and upon some facts and speculations
which may interest you all.
OF course you have seen in the papers
and perhaps published the leading Incl
dents connected with our departure from
Madison and trip to this place, 50 will in
this connection allude to such matters only
as may not have found their way into the
public prints.
Our march through Chicago, though
not performed with strict military propriety
was witnessed and applauded by larger
concourse Of people than | ever before saw
on such an occasion. We Were clapped
and cheered by dense masses Of people,
filing the side walks for a mile or more
but more as | learned on account of our
great size and athletic appearance than for
any other reason except that Of patriotism.
But Indiana and Ohio, particularly the
latter, bore off the palm. The patriotism
of the people was irrepressible all along
the route, and at Cleveland our highest
conceptions of female loneliness and patri-
otic hospitality were more than realized.
The ladies there had prepared en- enter
tainment for the Regiment sufficient for
twice the number of men, OF substanIais
and dcIicacies, which were distributed and
forced upon the soldiers, aoleRS Uoteas, by
themselves, the weathicst and most re-
spectacle taking the lead. The toughest
soldiers were fraternized with, shook by
the hand and talked with as though they
were equals, and when we marched from
tie Park back to the cars, there WIS not
an officer or soldier in the battalion but
would have stormed any secession Sebas-
topoI or laid down his life instantly at the
command of the Cleveland ladies'. One
genteel lady, whose perseverance must
have been equaled only by her patriotism,
was reported to have shaken hands with
every man in the Regiment; and when the
train moved out of tae city at every avail
aide point within its limits we were saluted
by the waving of delicate hands and hand
kerchiets, aud by such spoken adieus rs
friends and patriots only can give. The
boys were all perfectly wild with excite
ment; they cheered continually, and made
themselves hoarse by such exeflions. This
continued all through the Buckeye State;
every house turned out Its inmates and
every village or city It's population to do
us honor. Female adieus, which brought
tears to the eyes, and the stalwart hurrahs
Of the yoemanry, excited and encouraged
us on every hand. Angels of ladies came
along side of the ears when we stopped
and shook hands with us, came into the
cars and occasionally Kissed as, gave US
boquets Of choice flowers and brave words
of encouragement, and even ran after the
train as it got under way to again cheer US
bv their smiles an kind words. Well J it
would require volumes to do justice to these
events and to tho feelings OF the Regiment,
and as my time will not suffice and as am
inadequate to the occasion, | must from
the double poverty, leave the subject. l
will remark, however, that any alluslon to
the Buckeye ladies made in the camp, even
now so far removed in time aud distance,
brings out from the boys universal burst
Of admiration. They will never have
done talking about and praising their an
gel friends.
There can be no question but that Ohio
would vote her last dollar and furnish her
last man, aye. women too, to carry on
this war, il necessary. Never were peo-
Die So united or more patriotic. Tie pi1n-
ciples Of liberty aud justice are part o.
their being, without the enjoyment OF which
life to them would not be tolerable. How
proud her honored servants, Chase. Wade,
Iidlings and otke,s must be- Of their con
slituency and who could desire higher
honor than the privileges OF representing
such peoples
Before leaving EIarrisburgh, our guns
furnished us there) We're all loaded with
nalI and buck-shot, and at the Maryland
line they were capped and If cooked,
ready for instant use. Soon after we EN-
tered that State, SecesStoaasne began to
show itself. Many Of the settlers either
took no notice OF US while passing orstood
prum and hateful, DOUBTLESS venting but
nalf suppressed maledietions upon our
heads. But the darkies were all IN clover.
1t was amusing to see them enjoy the IN
fiux Of Northern troops-sone m Will,
boisterous way and others under the sur
yeillance of their masters, III a very sly
vet expressive manner, One chap, evl-
IDENTIFY Of the latter class, | noticed sitting
n an elevated doorway Of a barn, having
one eye upon our train and the other upon
the mansion Of bis master, while with q
slow, stately motion, as if tanning himself,
he waved bis handkerchief to our welcome
II was characteristic and to me vastly sua-
oestive of the condition and hopes OF the
poor negroes.
Two other incidents Of the same tenor:
lst. On the morning Of oer arrival IN
Washington | took stoll up tlio avenue
to the capitol, ard noticing several eolofed
men sitting at a gate to thepuolie grounds,
[ singled out the oldest one (quite an Oh
mani and bowling said to MIN, good
$500 - ,ftf4.,