Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-21
Letter from Theodore Marsh, ESQ.

Letter from Theodore Marsh, ESQ.
[The following letter from Theodore Marsh,
Esq, to ]. NJ. Noble, City Treasurer, is
kindly furnished us for publication;l
CAMP ELKwATER, October l3, 1861.
JocksOn NJ. Noble, Esq, Treasurer:
Dear Sir: am now trying camp life--tho
Soldiers life-in good earnest.
The Grays are stationed here, together
with the Third Ohio, Seventh, Ninth, Tbir-.
teenth, Fifteenth and Seventeenth Indiana,
Howes battery (regularsl and Loomis's bat
terry. This place is strongly intrenched.
We arrived here q Monday evening, the
7th inst, with Major Hazleton, the Paymsster,
and have at the present writing just COM
pleted the Sixth Ohio, or Gray Regiment.
We will send to you from this regiment
$4,000 or $4,000, which we have collected
from the privates. We are highly grati6ed
with the alacrity which the men exhibit in
this matter; nearly FIVE hundred have con-
tributed, which speaks well for the number
in the regiment, and the material Of which
it is composed; for large number Of young
men of this regiment are of wealthy parents,
and number Of others who do not live in
the city or county, but are natives of other
States. Many OF whom are desirous of send
ing the money, and in few cases we have
taken their funds to accommodate them.
We visit the Third Ohio to morrow; there
is but one company there, Captain Fithian,
with some of the Brighton boys. From these
we will proceed to the Fifth Regiment,
which is scattered all along the road from
Clarksburg to this place. AS soon as we can
get through with this regiment, we, in all
probability, wili return to the city before go
ing to the Kanawha Valley, as il is not pos
| sible to go from this place. We desire to
make some arrangement so as to facilitate our
matters which is Indispensable; but we shall
be governed by circumstances, should we
| conclude not to return at once. We will
| for ward the funds we have on hand, which
| will be sufficient to gladden. the hearts Of
hundreds at home.
This enterprise meets with universal favor,
and will work well and be the means of
starving out the gambling camp followers,
who are nuisance and curse to our army,
and had it been instituted only for this one
cause would be worth all the cost of the en-
terprise.
i have seen some of the worthless, for want
of better conveniences in the way of gam.
bling, get the head of -four barrel for .
table, with numbers from one to six, marked
on it with q piece of charcoal a mustard
box for dice box, seated in some retired spot
under the river bank, or in fence corner, a
little outside the camp, working away hard
at it, making the old tin box rattle again, a
group of ten or twenty looking on or parti-
cipating in the game, all deeply engaged,
the spoonies and green ones getting regu-
lsrly skinned, as matter of course.
The only way to stop gambling in camp is
this very project: induce the soldier to send
bis money to his family at home. When the
money goes the gambler vanishes. Money,
to q well-rationed soldier is of but little
, use, and is q source of more harm than serv-
ice. Give him all the regulations call for, Of
good quality as well as quantity, and he can
dispense with the use of money. He needs
none.
There appears to be some paper CORE.
spondence in relation to this regiment. AS
far as / can judge from observation, there il
but little doubt that the boys have been neg
lected; their clothes are very much worn
and some of. them are truly TO be pitied
, | This regiment have never had over-coatE
since they entered the service, while nearly
if not all the others have been we'll supplied
,, Their blankets were those furnished them
while at Camp Dennison, and were of very
inferior quality, and soon worn thread-bare
and worthless, being of no use these cold
nights. Their shoes are poor. There has no
| been a regular army shoe in the regiment ISSUED
dsyet. The ones given out have been hal
leather, the others pasteboard or shingle-sole
few days marching over these mountain
! rendering them unfit for further service
! The men have seen rough service, as mucl
!, go as any other regiment in the field; and by
| SoNhS
have been the most neglected. They bear il
cheerfully, and are merry set Of fellows
and will compare favorably with any sol
diers in the service-vety efficient in drill
aud the use of arms, having seen service il
the frontier scouting forays, which are Q
nearly every day occurrence. An improve
i, ment in this matter is certainly desirable.
We have been very Hospitality entertaineO
I at the Hotel de Royse, feeding on the dain
ties Of camp fare. The regiment is unde
: the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ander
: son, an efficient officer and gentleman
q Many of the officers and men are our per
sonal friends, and we are happy to &C
, knowledge, have proved themselves full
. competent for the trust imposed in them
, and are fully qualified to command. The
are all anxious to go to Kentucky, and hop
a soon to hear the order to strike tents an
q march to the defense of that Commonwealth
q Colonel Anderson has just received lei
ter from Captain James Bense, who is noV
p prisoner at Richmond. l will bring th
q letter home with me. He is well.
= sent for some printed blanks-allotmer
e rolls. Be sure TO send Them TO Buckhannol
q and see that they are large enough to COZ
4 tain the names of an entire company.
q Yours, respectfully,
. THEO. MARSH.