The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1861-11-20

greatly err, someDody Is Certain " oe
whipped, and that soundly too, but when,
is more than we dare to predict One
thing is certain, we hear less Of battles
and probable battles here than we did at
home. Aud yet one gathers the idea
that the white tents scattered In every
direction for miles, the immense bodies
of men around and about them, the gllt-
tering arms, the constant drill. the close
surveillance of all papers, the strains OF
martial music, the constant never ceaslng
hustle in every department., the arrival
of train after train of Gathering cars load
ed to overfowing with human freight,
portends something serious. We hope
and trust that it means, down with Sc
cession and rebellion, and short rope to
steady limb for traitors We believe
that the thing is rapidly coming to TO-
Gus, and unless the fortune of war is
against us, We purpose to be with you
long before the three years for which we
enlisted has expired. But still it seems
hardly worth while to speculate upon that
point, for there is an uncertainty about
the thing which time alone may deter
mine for US. One thing is certain, we
think you will see few, very few of the
Potter boys in the old familiar haunts
until the war shall have been terminated
by the crushing out of secession. If We
rightly Judge, most of them are deter
mined to see rebellion pat down ere they
turn their faces houeward During our
short stay here We have had the pleasure
of an extended ramble through the Cap
itol. And when one rambles through its
spacious hall, and views the tastefully
arranged plans, when rising fight after
fight of steps until at last he stands upon
the last finished landing place of the new
dome, aud sees spread out before him the
beautifully arranged grounds, and in the
distance the Department buildings, when
be takes into consideration the vast in
terests centered in these various depart
ments, then is it that he begins to feel
a strong desire yelling up within his bo-
som to see the foul Vaccinations of the
arch conspirator, Jeff. Davis, recoll upon
his own head crushing him to the dust
that he feels like fighting, and IF need be,
dying in so good cause as that 10 which
we are engaged.
-l3TH. To-day I obtained pass
from Col Brooke, and went down to the
Navy yard, and there saw what to
greeny like myself was something of "a
sight. Artillery in large supplies, of va
rious sizes aud patterns, pyramid upon
pyramid (smaIl ones, of couTse,) of can
non balls piled in the yard, while the yes
sells unloading supplies, and the machinery
in constant play in the various machinery
departments, together with the din of
cannon firing at points down the bay,
caused me to think OF war in good earnest.
1t does seem serious when you take a
view in your peaceful home away back
among the wooded hills of old Potter.
But as you near the scene OF action, as
you become accustomed to the handling
of arms, as you learn the drill, as you
place yourself in the various attitudes to
be gone through with in course of an ac-
ton, the thing begins to grow less serious
to contemplate. But after all, perhaps
when we come to fighting, the operations
of war may prove more serious than they
now look. But whether such proves to
be the ease of not, we hope that none of
the members of Company &c" will ever
have cause in any event to regret the
step which they have taken.
Now then, word or two more and
shall have done bothering you with ny
trash. Did you not agree to send me
some papers? 1t would do US bunch
of good to hear from home, [ can tell you.
You have probably sent us papers, but
not one have we received, and although
some of the boys have received letters
from home containing words of cheer, yet
not word has been vouchsafed to me.
| have written stacks of letter., employed
all my leisure time, in fact, at the desk.