Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-06-27
For the Republican


CAMP PHILLIPpI. VA, June 10, 1861.
DEAR FATHER:-After considerable DELAY,
againtake up my pencil TO let you know how we
arc getting along. We are now in camp In Phil
lippi, small town on Valley River. Is miles
Southeast from Grafton and about Ia miles
North of the Cheat Mountains. We did not
get here in time to have hand in the taking
of this place-three companies of our regiment
being kept back for the purpose of guarding
Grafton; however. we did not lose much, as the
Secessionists did not make even an effort to
Withstand our forces. but retreated at the firing
of the signal gun. There is no doubt of the
bravery of the Northern soldiers. Those who
witnessed the fight say the boys rushed down
the hill side firing their guns, yelling at the
top of her voices. driving the poor rebels before
them like leaves before the coming storm. Ma
ny amusing stories are told of the fight. The
enemy reireated southwark and are now over
forty miles from us. 1 conversed with an in
dividual few days ago, who had made his es-
cape from them but a short time before, and he
said there were now not more than 1000 of them
in camp; that they were greatly dissatisfied =
Two companies had not returned since the ia
king Of this place, and that qnite a number
were waiting for an opportunity TO escape
Since tha. time, I understand one whole COM
pany has deserted, and We have got the Cap
tain of it a prisoner. Had the attack on Phil
lippi been properly conducted, we could have
taken every secessionist prisoner. Quite num-
Der it is reported, were killed, but they were
carried away aslast as shot down. But one of
the Union men. Col. Kelly, of the Virg. regi-
ment, was wounded, it is thought not mortally,
as he is reported to be recovering. Quite an
amount of provisions and about 600 stand of
arms were captured. Our soldiers have entire
possession of the town, and some of them are
living in very fine houses. In three or four
of the houses the soldiers have pianos, ON which
they make some rather gay music during their
leisure hours. Perhaps you will not object to
a short description: n
Western Virginia you already know is
rough mountainous country. To me it seems
but thinly settled. The soil should think is
good, but it is set up on edge so much that il
very hard TO work But little wheat is raised,
corn being the principal product. What corn
have seen does not appear to be any better
than it should be. This isquite good country
for grazing-have seen some very good cattle
should think it a splendid place for Sheep
Fruit grows in abundanee-climate temperate
and dhealthy-days rather warm, but nights cool.
The farmers, or at least what have seen, ap-
pear to be comfortably situated, yet few of
them are what We call rich. i have not seen
good barn since l left Ohio-have seen but
few horses-have not seen a garden that would
compare with those l saw on the Ohio river.
What roads ] travelled were good. Timber
think is not quite so heavy as in Ohio. This
is truly a beautiful country to travel over. To
our Impractical eyes it seems as if nature has
almost overdone herselfin furnishing such grand
and magnificent scenery. Standing upon one
of the highest hills. far in the distance may be
seen the blue range of mountains, natures ev-
erlasting chain, stretching away to the North
and South, while here and there a peak proud
er than the rest rears its rugged head above its
fellows, piercing up into the blue ether, and as
the eye turns from gazing upon these. it rests
on the breakers clothed in living green, rolling
off in vast sweeps like mighty waves of the sea.
Such scenery is well calculated to stir up feel
ings of reverence and awe in the mind of the
beholder. Who could be passive while behold
ing such mighty works of Him who fashioneth
everything even according to his own will.
But must close. Excuse writing with pen
Gil, it was all l could get TO write with.
remain your son,
J. B. WEIGH.