Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-05-30
Letter from Camp Anderson.
Core spondence Of the Belmont Chronicle.
CAMP ANDERSON
LANCASTER, Ohio, May "a, ls6l. (

Core spondence of the Belmont Chronicle.
CAMP ANDERsoN,}
LANCASTER Ohio, May %, 1-6l.
DEAR CHRONICLE: We (thc Belmont
Tigers) are still in Camp Anderson. There
is but little change in our situation since my
last, except that we have quit boarding at
the 'JomtJauy spread' tables at which
the State was feeding us on last Monday at
thirty-five cents per day, and have COM
menced living on rations furnished the State
at fourteen cents per day, by some liberal
minded citizens of Lancaster None of us.
however, complain of the change; when
We boarded we had no more than we have
now. except that We then got butter,
which we do not get now. We cook our
own food now, and can have it clean and
sweet, if we wish to then everything looh;
edquite suspicious and the stencil of the
cook room and dining table was sufficient to
take away the appetite of the strongest
stomached among us. We are furnished as
rations, meat, potatoes, bread, beans and
coffee, and this is all. The rations at first
were not sufficient for the men, and the
complaints were loud and deep. We have
plenty now of what we get, and good enough
what there is, except the bread, which is
miserable stuff. There is not ten men in
our company who would cat such stuff at
home. The entcrprising gentleman who
furnishes our bread rations passing plenty of
potatoes in the doughy stuff to make it
weigh well. We are divided into twelve
messes of eight men each, and one out of
each mess does the cooking, the boys
taking this duty by turns We have a camp
fire for each mess, aud the scene about meal
time is exceedingly interesting, to any one
who still retains little romance in his soul
This camp life, however, is mighty hard on
romance; there is a very serious quantity of
stern reality about.th 'tepted field" When
the pot is boiled each man takes his tin pan,
knife and fork, quart cup and spoon, and
takes free pitch into the pot. and coffee
boiler; the pitch in is free, with this pro-
vision, however that is, that he takes no
more than bis one undivided eighth part OF
the contents thereof. When the division i;
made each man takes his seat on the ground,
OH the wood pile, or any where he chooses,
aud deyoars, the share that has fallen to his
lot Our meals are enjoyed by the boys
with relish that would surprise some o.
our friends if they were to see us-in thl
midst OF our attack upon the contents O.
the tin pan and quart cup. 20 'sf .-l q
| On Saturday the generous ladies Of Pleas
ant Township, in this county, gave the regi
ment free dinner. They came into camp il
4 the forenoon accompanied by almost ever,
body, and spread the feast OF roast chicken
pies, cake, fruits, anu an innnmeyabl
quantity of unmentionable good things, up
on the green sod. When the companies wer
\ filed around the ground to one end of tn
table, then b., opening the files got ono eac
side Of the table and then down upon tn
!, ders, but went into the good things with
5 will that showed We were all gentlemen {
taste. and thatwe appreciated the GOOD
ness of the fair donors. The Ladies, eco
c bless them, stood around, seeming to enjo
y the feast as much as the soldiers. The lea.
: Twas glorious one, and, after living upo
= the toughest of food for some time, it WI
. enjoyed hugely; one member of COnipan
!, k it is said wept because he could eat n
+ more. ltliiI ~ 81 Li-i- t..ii
II Saturday evening Mr.. Isaac T. Craft a
y rived in camp with the good things sent |
|; by our kind friends at home and we ha,
7 been living upon the fat of the land sin,
2 then We hardly seem to realize that OF
n must return to pork and beans to-day. "
N can do it, however, and enjoy it. | think
:, never saw so many men together who seer
II cd to have so much kind feeling toward eat
le| other as the members of Company X ar
ct we are on the best of terms with the INC
ID Of the regiment, especially Company
- from Morgan county. They are lot
III glorious boys, and we neighbor back al
- forth with them and there seems to be d
er position among the members of these t,
I'd companies 70 stand By each other upon
v, occasions
ic Sunday differs from other days in car
n only in this, that thsreis no company dri
The dress parade, however,. comes Of Al
aenl tlliYAlL I. J n M Nn laal etlI 81 .ulI /.