Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-10-16
18th Regiment Of N. C. Volunteers,

18th Regiment Of N. C. Volunteers.
We clip from late Register the following ex-
tracts from a long but we'll written letter, by a
member Of the 18th Regiment N. G.. Volunteers
dated Scamp Holmes Sept 23rd" We desire to
call special attention to the excellent hygiene ar
rangements Of that Regiment They speak well;for
tie care taken by Col Pettigrew and the Surgeons
Of that Regiment of the health and comfort of the
command
"Ths forced march; SO fruitless of any good was.
dearly paid Tor by Up to that period there had
never been death in the Regiment, while our
neighbors on asides were losing men by the score.
But mnny Of our measles convalescents n their
anxiety to be in at the first fight, evaded the order
requiring them to remain behind, and marched in
Inc RANKS The roads were perfectly impossible
Wagons stalled and broke down in every direction.
Infantry and Artillery alike bivouacked in tho mud
and water AS l was detained with the baggage
train did not reach the hating place, four miles
Off, till half past eleven, but then coed up in an old
held, with my head on persimmon root and my
feet at the fire.. slept most deicicusly through
ram and wind until revee. In this manner q
journey of two days occupied week. the GONZALES
cents reapsed under the effort, and at length one
in spite of the efforts of the Surgeons paid the
debt OF nature. The event made at the time most
painful impression. We had not yet been rendered
cailous by frequent repetition. The funeral took
place at night, and solomon scene it was to those
who witnessed it for the first time, as we wound
down the side of the hill or ridge upon which we
are encamped ard desposited the remains of our
conrade in his last resting place in the valley
Though the booming of cannon and the rafting of
musketry had not attended his exit from this
worldly scene yet he died the soldiers death, for
his life had been sacrificed to his anxiety to be first
in the service OF his country. Misfortunes never
, come alone The two following days added one
each to the number of graves in our little Cemetery
but then the hand of the Destroying Angel was
stayed, and the health Of the regiment has been i'm
proving ever since. Regimental Orders require us
to pay the utmost attention to hygiene The revcille
i is not sounded until sunrise The day commences
with ''mannana" (as the Spaniards call iD of in
fusion OF dogwood bark, as prophylactic against
fever and ague. We are not allowed to 20 to work
! before breakfast AS soon as the sun is we'll up
and the air dry, the tents are all raised and the
camp thoroughly policed To accomplish this more
cfectuay, the officer of the day makes his visits
of inspection in company with of the Surgeons,
and there is no class of offences more unpardonably
punished than those against cleanliness. We are
not allowed to drill until the dew is off the grass
nor in the heat of the day. Our tents are placed
so as to have the morning sunshine full upon them,
while our arbours against the noon day are IN the
! adjoining woods, contrary to the usual custom Of
encampng in the woods itself. If there be neces-
sity, orders require it. as on the last march,
are exposed without stint; but otherwise we are
carefully protected and warned to protect ourselves
against even the dew Whether it be owing to these
precautions or to our good luck, know not but we
certainly have diseases save the meases and their
consequences.
You are doubtless tired of this ard wonder why
don't write you some news" Why, my good
friend, we hear no news except every now and then
the appointment of new Brlgadier General, which
has become of late, that we run the risk
OF having inscribed upon our tombs the famous
epitah
"N n'ftuit r;cn,
Pas ucldemcien.'
Cape Hatteras affair is an awful mystery to US
still, and We would be glad indeed to hear some
! news from home calculating the transaction.
, If commodore Barren, initiating the horrible ex-
! ample set in Western Virginia, surrendered while
it yet possible to make some little resistance
however desperate then let sadly turn the picture
! to the wall and mention it no more. If the blame
! rests with the Confederate Government, say So
But il, as charged by some papers, it belongs right
fully to politicians. who sacrificed their State to
desire to further the interest of political friends and
to political faction, then step could be too
vigorous to preserve the honor and fair fame of our
State from SOlling and to against repeti
J ton of such humiliating disasters, which might
result in transferring the scene of war to our own
; iiresidcs. Indeed it is high time this fashion of
| surrendering should cease. Surprising resistance
| unavang and death inevitable is not death by the
bayonet preferable to death by the halter? Those
| who mediate upon surrendering under any circ.r-
instances entirely mistake the character of this
| contest. 1t is not a war to defend liberty The
| question is no longer whether Pompey and Cuffee
shall be held in subordnation to the Southern white
man, but whether the Southern White man shall
be held in subordnation to the Northern Yankee of
all hues In such struggle what nducement any
| Southern White man can have to surrender am at
! loss to perceive and think that the Government
should formally announce that no person who de-
l5eraely surrenders himself shall ever be exchang-
| ed. You may rely upon it the examples of Rich
Mountain and Fort Hattcras will never be followed
in this Regiment And in closing this letter, may
assert though say it myself, that are, to speak
modestly, second to none we have met inspunetuah-
I ity, vigilance, care for weapons, good humor,
hard work, marching craftsmanship, Qor we arc
Mounainee,s) battalion drill, and that the maneu-
| vre we execute best and like best is the bayonet
charged in line at double quick so the idea of sur
rendering has not entered our heads. Indeed, the
boot is quite on the other leg. We fondly expect
to receive vast lot swords, marked Ames Man.
Co." of which we are in much need.
If you have any fresh butter please send it along,
there never was any here, and besides we have
eaten up what little there was. We are told that
this region is quite proverbial for its sparseness-
They wttly say that tho crows here sit on the fen
mel weeds with tears III their eyes, and the grass
hoppers always provide themselves harersacks when
they cross the country Be that as it may, we have
devoured every edible thing, and would be grateful
for supply Of luxuries
SENSIBLE FrEws.-We find the following excel
lent thoughts in an editorial of the Georgia Com
aaonwealth:
PARTY lines are wiped out now-or at least
should be- We hope they are, for then choice of
the best can be made without being blindedby party
prejudice The great questions may now be pro-
pounded " Is he honest-is he faithtul-is he capa-
| bley
mans private life is good index to what will
be his public life. He who has been just and hon.
est gocerned by principle in his private relations,
will carry the same with him into public life. He
| rrh hoe Laau