Weekly Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-11-01

their attention.
LETTER FROM FORTRESS MONROE.
Correspondence of the journal and Statesman.
LETTER No. o.
FoRTREss MONROE Va,
Tuesday night, October %.
FRiEEn EcKEL:
IL you could by some system of
transmogrifcation wake up some fine morning
and iind yourself much to your astOuishment,
brave soldier boy, AWAY down here in Dixie that
You have read so much about with mud ankle
deep oil around you, and weather SO Juicy, that
you can squeeze moisture enough out OF il Mt
any moment to inundate yOu,-when man
can't, in the'language o the immortal Squihob,
perpetrate dry joke, simply because II rains
all the time where India Rubber leggins and
coat of the same material are always ia play
where the wind from the Bay contiguous performs
multitude Of antics, rusling around the tent,
creeping under the walls, whistling through the
flap in front, eddying inside until the bnze of
the candle which l paid half dime for. is
fanned violently, making il necessary to pile
books and portfolio al about Il as II matter of
economy, the tallow running down, without
performing its functions, viz: feeding the wick;
say ii you could do all this, you might then
and not till then experience the comforts Of our
situation. Did | say anything about mud -
Well, since we have been here we have talked
about little else than mud and rau-ths has
been the engrossing theme, for il indicates The
necessity of cutting trenches around the teut,
large enough to float n small boat. and il means
splash, splash. We have talked litlc about
secession, for we felt n good deal of present
interest in the weather. Just moment ago,
heard n fellow exultnntly exclaim, "0h Bill
just come out here and see the stars, it will do
your eyes good" The sun and moon not having
made their appearance since we have been down
in this, us yet, unsectdcd district, we have no
ocular evidence that they ever shed their benig-
nnnt light upon this portion of the "sncrcl soil
whsre not Il corn-slalk or II wheat siubhe tests
the genial influence of the former luminary, nor
fence-not even Virginia worm fence shows
land mark to soil now cursed by that goddess
element secession. Yet we live in hopes Of see
ing the blessed light Of old Sol again, for we
shant feel at home, unless he occasionally fayors
us with his beams, We felt very much encour-
aged this afternoon, when we asked n man il it
rained all the time in this country; we rather
expected the reply of the Scotchman, that when
it didn't rain 1t sndiced, but instead Of that dis
oournging respOuse, he oheered US much by
informing us that he had been here o week, and
it had ouly rained fge days in That time So
| we may reasonably look for some sunshine soon.
The boys will doubtless hail il with as much Joy
as love stricken swain would the nppI oach OF
| the evening he was to visit his bonnie lassie
for their position has been an uncomfortable one.
| The ground on which we encamped has been
almost submerged, and this afternoon some Of
our companies were obliged to move their tents
TO another spot little more elevated. We have
dug almost enough bitches to-day to drain the
swamp lands of old Sussex, anl if it should
unfortunately continue to rain much longer, we
see no other alternative than 10 employ the sime
mode of progression that they do in lIolhnd.-
| wish you could peep in upon me at The present
writing; you would see me sitting at the table,
with my feet propped up on stool to keep them
out of the inevitable mud, my trunk Oh box
to prevent it getting wet, one box lid at the side
| OF my cot, just to remind me OF a floor, and q
| little straw which came out of some of my
parcels scattered about and very intimately mixed
with earth. But am quite Indifferent to all
this 50 long as my cot stands. am not exactly
ampnbous sufficiently to sleep with any degree
of comfort in mixture OF mud and wnier.
Methinks hear you say, "dry up, if the
weather won't, and give US some Of your i'm
pressions Of Fortress Monroe" | would but |
am not little like the uichin who ate SO much
dinner that he was too full for utterance.-
| Although not two days have elapsed since made
my advent on this shore, have experienced so
many novel sensations, that hardly know how
to descrihe them. The life here is so totally
| uihNIGuL AIuui lnul kHnMu III Uul pfcNiOuS en-
canpment, that 1t appears we are scarcely en-
gagged in the snmc business. There is SOME ex.
cilement about this. There are other regiments
about us and with whom we have already heen
exchanging cyities. Ever and anon We hear
the heavy barking Of some Of the immense war
dogs in the vicinity. moment ago | stepped
out Of my tent, and through The hnzy atmosph
were discernable the many lights Of the iieet in
the harbOr, telling Of something to 10 accDm-
/ niiehpl nt q distant data Ila pai.al lr,f,
kets are not more than two or three miles dis
tant from our camp, hut the probability is they
will not approach any nearer just Mt present -
Hampton the burnt village, is but twO miles
from here. Sewala Point is hut hort dis.
tance, Whenever tho regiments spoil for fight
they need not go far. We have been ding well
in the gastronomic line, though for us lmchelurs.
housekeeping is quite expensive he,e. Since
the State went oil the hnndle, the COWS have
failed to come up at nght and il is Inv delibe.
. rate conviction that the hens in the ueieLhor.
hood have ceased laying, for have YET 10 sec
the first egg here.
Being in Il state Of single hlessodness some.
times tnlk Hbout the ladies'. The only ouss have
seen here are ladies Oh color Uontralanda nrs
numerous The sable sons and daughters oI
Africa are about as thick as hlAckberrlcsiu June.
The men arc dressed in Uniform, they look ma
happy as an old hen with u score oC chickens.
They are ut work Oh the road that connects our
camping ground with the Island. You see then,
behind the counter in the variety stores. You
see them everywhere. How polite they are =
They feel grateful for their liberty. Thev visit
the camps with their baskets on their arms.
selling apples and pies
There are few or no private families residing
on the Island, all have moved away. The resi-.
dences present partial picture of what war
results in. Every fence as fur as the eve can
rcaeh has been consumed by The camps for fire
wood. The yard and garden paings have been
torn up; most Of the houses nre in military
tenure, either for hospitals barracks or quar-
ters, and Old Point Comfort does not wear the
aspect of a fashionable watering place.
Our regiment, am pleased to say, has made
quite favorable impression. A number oil
| army officers came out expressly this evening,
| to see il on parade. As it was passing through
the streets yesterday, several very fiattering
remarks were heard about the character of the
men, their appearance, size and number The
belief prevails here that ii is a crack Regiment
An officer stationed here said to me, " believe
you have a splendid regiment" l like to hear
such, for it makes one proud to think that little
Delaware sent out such body Of men l trust
the Blue Hens Chickens will not lisappoiut
their friends. Some of the soldiers as our men
were passing yesterday, observed that those were
the boys that would fight.
| Our Chaplain few minutes ago brought into
my tent beautiful modest little flower, strong
ly characterized by delightful tints of red, white
and blue. We inspected and admired IT, We
thought that though the secessonists might tear
those colors from their flags, ignoring thom al
onalt, In al Cos