Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-10-31
ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
HEADQUARTERS PENNsvALLEY INFANTRY.
CAMP GRIFFIN. Oct. 22d, 1861.
Near Lewinsville Virginia.
MR. EpIToR:-

MR. EDIToR:-
| am not certain whether
my last communication, written just after
cur arrival at Washington ever reached you
or not. We have not had pleasure of seeing
any of your Issues in our camp, and we give
you due notice hereby, while We are duly
sensible of the dignity, power. and privileges
of the press, we are fully resolved that you
shall be compelled to live in ignorance of our
brilliant achievements, away down in
Dixie" for all the future, unless you recipro-
cate, and gladden. our eyes with the sight of
something that belongs in Old Centre. We
have seen wetter days than the one we are
spending, but more muddy and disagreea-
bic one. if we ever experienced it, we have
forgotten.
Perhaps you wonld like to know what we
are doing. You might possibly be interest,"
ed to know what we have done. Jus. now
we are doing nothing except eating, smoking
and sleeping, things we never neglect attend
iRg to, unless it be fJr want of the raw ma-
terial. Most of our time is spent in drill,
when the weather permits it. We have had
a good portion of CLOUDY" and wet
weather." Our Camp is rather low, and SO
fat that the water did not know which way
to run until we made bitches for it. In fact
| have the authority ofons of the " boys" for
the declaration that it came into his tent
without knocking or being Invited, "to get
out of the rain" be reckoned.
The fourty-ninth after six weeks of service
has lost no man except the two who
were killed ON eur trip to Baltimore
We have fewer men in the Hospital, ian
empty House near our camp) than either of
the other Regiments in the Brigade; we have
none dangerously ill, considering the hard
ships we have undergone, and the youthful.
ness of most of the Regiment, we have been
remarkable healthy.
We have lad but little idle time since we
crossed the Potsmaa. AS though it were an
omen of our future experience, it rained on
rs all the afternoon we marched from Wash
ington across the chain Bridge and into our
first 5ivouae, for we did NOT camp the first
night. The reason Why, was, that it was
very dark and very wet, and wagon upset,
and our baggage train could not ind any
road to US. We built fires and stood around
them, or lay down with our feet to the fire
and waited, and growled at our luck, or
laughed at our misery till daylight. 1t was
interesting time, our first night ON this side
Of the river. We were right by an old
house in whi.h all, who could were crowded.
The floor of the second story was gone, but
a man eould lie with safety on the ceiling
though the few lathes he might stand on
would not support one. Our Adjutant is not a
small man, and he tried the endurance of
the ceiling to such an extent, that it dropped
him, and skinned his face. The scene was
interesting then. The boys was came out of
the house pretty fast, being under the i'm
preston that it was coming down, when it
was only the Adjutant. Our fires were large
and soon there was circle of shoes around
them, the owners thereof dreaming of their
homes, or perhaps the ''g,rls, they left behind
them" There were also those VINO had or
took. only privileges. But unfortunately for
the dreamers the old Stable "was all, and
the fire ceased to be SO hot, and circle
formed inside the shoes, of dreamers too, and
Of flo Of of tba
all bis pleasant visions dispelled, got up and
said he was chilly, and wanted to know why
they did not put more wood on the fire.
Morning came and we discovered, first where
we were, next, that,we had come the worst
road end, that we had wadsd through the
stream when we might have crossed over it.
Since this fsss night we have moved our
Camp twice. On both occasions We have
had to wait for our Commissary to follow us.
and have been denied The bountiful rations
Uncle Sam provides for the space of twenty.
four hours, and in the ease of those who go
ON Picket for forty-eight. all for want of
By the way We think it
strange that our Brigade has such limited
means of transportation when we hear that
the Government has more teams than it
needs.
We have been constantly On the advarce
Of the army until a few days since, when the
Reserve Corps passed us and went towards
Leesburg. Our duties at first were princi-
pally chopping dawr..the woods, building
bridges and making roads.
Our Picket duty has been heavy too, for
we had line of Pickets several miles long.
On one OCCASION all the men in the Regiment
we're out on duty but six. For the last two
weeks however we have not had so much to
10 and we have improved the time in drill
ing. Our Regiment has been complimented
by our Brigadier for its rapid improvement,
and when We remembered that we had no
opportunity TO drill before we have don't
we'll to learn what we know. We are learna
ng the skirmish drill. We drill with KNAPP
sacks on. and as we are kept at it nearly all
lay. beginning with forming line of Battle
1t dawn, and ending with Dress Parade at
Sunset the boys are tolerably tired sometimes
md "don't care if they do miss that KNAPP |
ack drill"
Perhaps you would like to know what
Picket is Ike. As your correspondent has
IL a.. Il