The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-08-07
ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
BATTERY KNOB, VIRGINIA,
July 3lst, 1861.

Dear Spirit: "My foot is on my ma
tive heath" We are now quartered near
Grafton, Virginia, at the junction of the
North Western Virginia and Parkersburg
branches of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail.
road Oar regiment is employed in guard
ing the railroad from Cameron to Graf
ton, distance of about 60 or 65 miles.
Three companies of our regiment are
stationed here, Capt. Charlesworth's
Capt. Divers, and Capt. Williams.
Capt. Washburn's company is at the 9TH
er extremity of the line, at Cameron.
Capt. Moalcy is at Fetterman, about a
mile and half from MS
Oar camp is on The hill, just behind the
town OF Grafton, on a cool, airy aud sha-
dy ridge. We are living in muslin tents,
not quite SO comfortable as the board
shanties at Camp Chase. Altogether,
however, it is very agreeable place
The view from the hill is magnificent. 1t
oyerlooks the town of Grafton, which lies
almost beneath our feet, and we can see
long way up the valley of Taggart's Val
ley R;ver, and along its branches By
the way. the valley part of the name of
this stream is a mere joke, as the hills are
about as near together at the top as they
are at the bottom, and a stone can almost
be thrown from the top of one hill to the
top of another. in places.
The few days which have passed. since
| wrote you before, have been somewhat
eventful to our regiment. We left Camp
Chase on Saturday morning last. at S
O'Clock, and dragged along the Central
road until it was after dark, before we ar
rived at Barnesville. At that place cur
Monroe companies were Hjoiced to meet
q number of our relatives and friends.
The happy faces at meeting, and the sad
ones at ,parti-g, were In melancholy con.
trast.
AT Barnesvile we received an item of
intelligence which set the whole regiment
Che pioas men excepted) to swearing
worse than "our army iu Flanders" We
had been enjoying bright anticipations of
going to Washington City, and joining
the grand army under General Scott; but
our Colonel received dispatch ordering
US to Grafton, to guard railroad bridges
AT Bellair, also, we met number OF
our county folks. though the interviews
both at this point and at Barnesville were
100 short and amidst too much hustle and
confusion to be very satisfactory. -
We lay all night, or rather what was
left of the night, in the cars, at Benwood
Next morning we proceeded to Fetterman,
about a mile and half from this place,
where We remained until Tuesday morn
ing. At Fettermar Capt. Washburn lost
one of his men by drowning. His name
WAS r. Yin House. lie will be remem
bered by the citizens Of Woodsield as a
very large man. with o heavy, sandy mus
tache, somewhat addicted to drinking
lie was belived TO have heen intoxicated
and went into the liver, with some others,
10 battle. He attempted to swim across,
but when about two thirds of the distance,
sank to rise no more. All efforts to re
cover his body have thus far been una
Willing.
Felterman is literally a deserted vii
lage." OF 40 or SO houses, some of
them fine ones, and nearly oil compare
lively new, but 8 or 10 are inhabited
This, however, is not so much attributa
BILE to political troubles, as to the former
citizens having been thrown out of en-.
ployment by the burning of the machine
shops, and the removal of the railroad
station to Grafton. The houses have been
abandoned, as they could be neither sold
nor rented.
There is no kind Of doubt but that the
Union feeling along most of the route to
this point, is strong and steadfast. Almost
every man, woman and child we saw,
waved handkerchief, or shouted for the
Union. or in some other way manifested
sound patriotism. AT two or three places
a surly locking man could be seen, who
evidently viewed our troops with no
friendly eye, but they had the prudence
TO say nothing, and to make no unfriend-
ly demonstrations.
The head quarters Of General Hill and
OF Colonel Jones are at Grafton. The
town Is protected by battery OF tour SIX
poupders, cavalry company, and fivein-
fantry companies; two of the latter are
Virginia troops. Troops are stationed
along the line from here to Cumberland
though there are no troublesome seces-
sionisrs for many miles east of this place
At Oakland and beyond they are occa.
sionaly met with. No scouting parties
are sent out from his place, but they now
and then make foray from Cumberland,
and furnish themselves with "sccesh" pro.
visions. On day before yesterday, three
hundred fat cattle were captured in that
neighborhood by the Federals. We hear,
however, of very little being done by the
troops of either party.
Our duties here are somewhat different
from what they were at Camp Chase.