Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-07-05
tcvTrsspOnesnoe o the Delaware Gasstss-l
Camp Deunison as il was ana as it Is
Nr,r.pr Tnnn o. 1891.

sJfu19 a more sQlgnlucQ appear duCC
NATL finally, under the guidance of
fins industrious and mechanical hands
Of our sons. it approached the full ma
ture of a camp. During all this time
little or no complaint was heard. =
Our noble volunteers suppressed all
murnurs. caring not to disturb their
friends at home. Ner did they. until
forbearance ceased to be a vIrtas or
patriotism. The complaints general
" had a good effect, and thieving con-
t,actors with their accomplieos
trembled in awe of the indignation
of the troops and quailed before pub
lie opinion, and the grub became bet
ter and better. / will give you a list
of rations for 101 men for twcnty-four
bours.. l1s lbs Of bread, l30 lbs beef,
121 hs of sugar, 6 lbs coffee, 81 lbs
SOAP. g quarts of beans, l gallon Of
vinegar, 6 candles, &c. This is the
only rations they ever have had at
camp Dennison with the exception
we had potatoes twice and rice occa-
sionallv. The only duties the soldier
boy is called upon to perform are to
drill from four to eight hours per day,
and stand guard. Standing guard is
one Of the most responsible and at
the same time most irksome duties
tt is to the careful keeping Of the
guards that the safety and lives Of
the camp are committed. After night
sentinel ranks with a general. The
punishment Ter any material neglect
of li3 stTHcSions is death. Mount
Sng guard IS attended with more GER
emonial form than any other part of
camp roaltiae. As most of your rea-
~lers are no doubt ignorant of the
mode of mounting guard and their
dnlies, I will give you short sketch
of the Aose which perhaps will be ia
teresting to some. | know it Is the
policy Of latter day writers always
bent on a master stroke never to con-
descend to descend to the minutia.
Each regiment has a regimental guard
around its immediate precincts all
governed by the same rules, and each
brigade have a brigade guard or
piket guard. It's the former we
have to do with. The. day previous
the Maior-Sergcant orders the Order
ly-Sergeants Of EACH company to de-
tail, by mess generally, for duty on
the morrow, and report at 4 o'clock
ea the regimentaI parade ground, for
dress, inspection, and special instruc-
ton. This takes one hour. They
are then dismissed till 8 O'Clock in the
morning. One out Of the nine is al
ways appointed supernumerarly TO re-
lIeve those that are taken sick.
This drill is under the inspection
Of tho adjutant, assisted by the Ser
geant Major and officer of the guard,
who is always Lieutenant, and who
takes charge Of the guard while on
duty. At that time the officer Of the
guard delivers his instructions to the
new officer of the guard. These are
all under the command of an officer
of the day, who is always Captain.
tits his duty to see that all instruc-
tions are obcyed and counter sign
passes, and goes the grand rounds
at night as often as he may deem nee
essary. The object of the grand
rounds is to see that the sentinels arc
on the alert, and have the password
or eountefslgn rlght.
The guard of each regiment avera-
rcs about 80, divided into first, Sc
cond and third relieves. The men
IN each relief are numbered 1, 2, 3,
&c. The companies are called out at
81 o'clock; those at the proper post
frst take the preference are then
numbered into relieves and marched
with arms at "a support till they
each the old guard, who are drawn
up in double ranks in front of the
cuard-house with arms at a present,
they then shoulder arms, march by
and form on the right of the old guard,
when the officers of guard advance
and salute. The first relief is then
taken to their respective posts by the
Corporals of the old and new first re
1icves.
They are relieved every two hours,
making eight hours out Of the twenty
four that a sentinel stands, two hours
ON and four off. They are instructed
as follows during the day You
are to walk your beat all the time
hold no unnecessary conversation with
any one, allow no one to pass unless
he has a pass .counterSigned by the
officer Of the day, or by the Colonel
YOU can carry your musket in three
positions, at a support, right shoulder
Shift, and ghealder arms and il
YOU 90 to sleep on yomr beat. or allow
anv one to take or &an7le your mus
ket, you arc liablerso be court-nlartia!
cd and shet.! gAe night instruction
IS very strict
After a, retreat, until daylight, q
sentinel challenges every person who
approaches him, taking, at the same
time, the position of arms-a-port. Ht
challenges by calling out, Who come;
there p If answered Friend will
the countersign, he will reply, 'Ad
vance, friend with the countcrsign,
If answered, Friends, he will reply
Halt, friends, advance one with the
countersign. If answered, Relief.
Patrol, or Grand Rounds, he vii
reply, Halt. advance with the coun
tcrsign, and satisfies himself that th,
party is what it represents itself to be
otherwise he will call out Corpora
of the Guard, and fhe number Of l.i
post, as Corporal oftiie Guard No. 5.
At night, when any one approaches
sentinel's post, after challenging
causes him to halt until examined b.
a non-commissioned officer Of tn
guard if it is an officer cntitIed Il
respect and make the grand round:
the non-commissioned officer will cal
out, Turn out the guard, when th
guard viii be paraded at shoRlde
arms, the officer of the guard, il b