The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-06-26
nee Of lhe Republican.
"CAMP WILCOX" NEAR ALEXANDRIA, I
Tyns 1otL 1891


June 18th, 1851.
Mr.. EDITOR: - According to promise, l sit
down to drop YOU few lines-nOt now from the
Parsons Study representing the Church Militant,
fighting against the world the flesh ard the dew
i,-but from the Camp, arrayed against what IN
my opinion is worse than all these combined-
Secession, jeff. Davis and universal hopeless de-
mOralization, fast carrying the Southern Con-
thieperoey" by irresistible gravitalon, like their
ilustTous predecessor in sacred story, " to their
own place"
Here We are--our glorious " First Michigan
der Regiment--by common consent the 4" crack y
Regiment in the whole service-with its ''crack"
Commander, Col. Wilcox, brave, gentlemany,
slrewd and thorough disciplinarian; its ''crack"
soidiery valiant and daring, succsss-deserving
and successful; its " crack Band, pouring forth
strains which, had they been at Orpheus com
mand, would not only have set the woods, but
the rocks to damcng; its "crack Surgeon, Dir.
Brodie, and Assistant, Mr.. Cyrus Smith ut you
won't print III with its "crack " Chopfain, an
old acquaintance Of yours, whom, by what you
know of him, ,oa would expect to be, i'll. Camp
as in the Church, at home in the green grove
with old store box for his pulpit, as ever, plain
spoken aud earnest, and as generally rW happen
with such men, popular with Colonel, subaltern
and private.
Our campin.. ground is really one of the most
charming spots in Gods universe. Right on the
Heights above Alexandria, overlook ing the Poto
mac. in beautiful shady grove; our Colonies
headquarters and my own, in fine brick man
sion, with large garden and most delicious
strawberry bed, which, by the way, under our
persevering daily Arithmetical experiments has
" small by degrees and beautifully less;" back
of Us, on beautiful spot, the Episcopal Theo-
logical Seminary, the Professors and Students OF
which have anticipated their vacation and gone
into dispersion some of them being suspected
of secessionism, our Colonel took military poss-
esson aud demanded the keys, and at our feet
the rebel nest, Alexandria, likely To be famous
in all time To come, even without It's library and
its pyramids In the distance, AS if in solemn
| rebuke to privy conspiracy and rebellion, rises
witness the results Of stern Executive determine
ton and Senatorial wisdom in crushing out the
| viper brood Of treason, and doubtless in apply.
| ing in due time the old fashioned remedy for
treason-vulgarly called hemp" or as Doe
tors formula would put it, ar Cannabis hd;ea
f,mis, quaint, suf." Seriously, do think these
rebels are the most ungrateful of all ingrates;
why sir, with such paradise as this, Satan him-
self would be ashamed to try second expert
ment of SECESSION particularly as his first result
ted so dsastrously, whereby the "F. +. VS."
might learn profitable lesson. Some II miles
from here, at Manassas Gap. it is said, there are
some IL or 10000 Southerners, under Beaure-
gard and perchance our breastwoEks and bate
ries may soon have to treat them 10 hasiy
plate Of soup" A day or two ago our Outposts
captured some IS or 40 fine horses and their ri.
ders; the latter were set free on parole they
also seized mill with some AGO barrels Of fine
| -four and few scores Of sacks OF corn !; with
this God send, they sat to work, built an oven III
| camp and now We have bread enough and to
spare cit is an i'll wind that blows nobody any
| good"
! The general health of our REGIMENT is good
There are 4 number Of fever cases and few OF
dyscnterv, but under the supervision of our &C
complished Surgeon, DR.. Brodie, OF Detroit, and
his Assistant, DR.. CYRUS Smith, of jackson, they
are fast getting well.
And as regards religion and morals, when you
take it into account the inevitable drawbacks %
Camp life, the throwing together of all sorts o.
ages, characters and grades OF principles and ed
ucation, l suppose our sodery will compare ia
verably with any in the field. / generally preacf
t>ice on Sundays (once in English and once il
German, for We have large number Of German
in the Regiment; > and really, service in tn,
open air, in this beautiful shady grove, with on,
magnificent Episcopal Ritual (excuse this partial
ity, it is natural and then the splendid full Reg
mental Band of l4-l6 Instruments leading tn,
voices of the whole congregation in the soul stir
ring chorus of "Old Hundred" Coronation,
or Luther's Judgmen, Hymn" all these thing
combined, make these services really delightful
There are quite number of good christian mel
among our officers and privates, exemplifyin!
uho SOrhcHuS, thc StHtuiioH, Tue perfect pos
sibility OF being good soldier and at the SAM
time {" a devout man and one that f.areth Go,
and giveth aims 1t is indeed All interesting
but also most responsible position for minis
ter to be brought in contact with nearly 100
minds daily-nany of them imbued with chris
tan views and principles-others careless of thci
highest interests, and all of them more or les
exposed to the dangers and temptations of lif
in camp away from home, far from a father
counsel, mothers prayers, aud sisters neve
slumbering love. God grant that when thes
young men, and men of advanced years shall re
turn from the suppression of rebellion and lade
with the spoils Of victory, they may be able t
realize that he that ruleth his own spirit,
better than he that taketh city"
As all exemplifcation of the feeling of til
, people here, may say that when the firm All
conservative course of Col. Wilcox in protectin
private rights, and suppressing disorder, eve
under Martial Law, come to be fully understood
! confidence revived, our officers and men mingle
freely with the people and received many acts
kindness and attention. Almost every day th
Camp is full of visitors from the town, and ever
evening the streets ring viii. the sweet vocal {
!. instrumental strains of "Hsil Columbia"
yankee Doodle" The Star Spangled Bann.
floats in fun view now Of our Camp from ii
house where the traitor Jackson shot down 4.
y noble Ellsworth. l got to Washington just