The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-05-06
LETTER FROM The SEVENTY. FIRST REdi-
MEsT.

WASHINGTON, April %, 1851.
me Dsg7eses Basss sosdis'is9 Of Hosas AID satsaas
Absead-rhs Way the Sevn.y a'.t R;ginss Esss0od .
CIT Along ia AmmopsisS-fAe Prospect . W.shissssm-
E,yeaed Eson,Rtes ottA lss Rsbei Forces &c.
DrAR MonWs--You will hagc TO forgive for net
writing TO you promaed Ever arrival At
Annapolis ftom which place last to you, hxvs
cot hsd moment OF time TO myself assure yos
that sold ering in New York nothing to DO compared to
tns duties required VI here. will enceavor 70 give
idea OF what they arc, and then yuu form yer
conclusion.
We !alded at Annapolis Wednesday at ten O'Clock
A. b., a. which place remained mti five A n tina
rext day The regiment then formed broke RIO coianM
took up Us line Of march to Washington junction
distance Of twenty eight miles, through The mise~a
bic country has ever been my tuJk TO pass through
lhc ROAD ran ia zig course. and. what WAS sta
wet, having raned all tho night previous skirmish
crs were th.own out ahead, and in that manner wo
marched for about eight miles, aud then hated to take
ratons, which CONSISTED 81 two crackers esca.
Alter remaining about two hours again oommance4
our march anu halted again IN the evening 60 partsks
OF usual crackers just before rs5Bming
mach again, Of the scouts 10 with report
that they had signal rockets thrown up in our
Eeighcorhood The drum souadad toaras, aud the reg
formed into equares receive tho enemy; nothing,
however, occurred. and remaining some time in taat
slou, the command agsIn gwen 10 forward. The
remaining portion OF the march was made without any
interruption.
IL was four O'Clock when we arrived at the ralrosa
the places Of course no accommodations, and
almost lead with hunger aud fat que We tore down tho
BAN and built ire 70 warm ourselves but could get
noshlg to eat until our DIVISION wagon arrived which
five or Elk miles behind and w0ud not be up unth
too O'Clock. and there we remained
At about ten O'Clock the wagon came Az soon
il arrived there WAS order issued to sand out
picket gurd, the road between the sta
ton and Washington a distance Intervening
Of sixteen miles 70 protect the road sn prevent the
pie from tearing up the track In sbe meantime this
regiment was to stop where 10 was tor twenty four
hours.
This WAS dargcreCs and important duty, and luck
would nave II, eighteen OF for The
third pest, about FIX miles from the encampmept. Is
was also necessary " have Sergeant relief and
WAS one Of them IL was dangerous post, e2veFiag
ac miles in length and Captain rraord Afterwards eld
that he never Ga pocted to again. We had very
ext day the train came along with the regiment aud
licked us UP and proceeded % Washington, where
trryed CO saturday at six O'Clock A. NJ myself anA
the rest OF the picket being without steep seyesy
two hours, with nothing 10 eat but four crackers
half loaf OF bead, marching nearly thirty
miles with thifty-two pounds en- Our backs be-
sides cur muskes, and doing the picket guard
been. As | have given you all tho particulars thus
far viii ais inform you that qgartered at tks
Navy Yard, he Hrst place that will be attacked IL Wash
ington "a attack I'd " oil The Seventh regiment Is at
the Capitol bot will BIO drafted 10 George Heihts
very soon, and now as have nothing of iropor.
lance 10 communicate, that in good health
spirits viii close with love to all remain yours,
duafauy, jos A. SMITH,
Sergeant Of Company b, Seventy first rcgimast.
for Additional War Neos see Eighth Pags.l