Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-12-17

where there is moderate work, plenty of Tations, i
kind overseers and warm suns-the sum of their h
earthly happiness; where they can haul dirt, q
sell half-dime apples, baked possum and pig !
aud Indian cakes before their doors, dredge for !
bivayes, cry ''here's the Herald, Times and Iu-
quirer;" balance baskets of cakes and peculiar
kind of potato pudding on the top of the head,
about the camps roll their squenking, rickety,
shambling wheelbarrows two miles with their
mercantile contents, during the day; and at night
cOngregate in their warm buildings crnck jokes
aud one anOther's heads, if necessary have
true "Virgnia hoe down." sleep in warm hunks
or beds, and on Sunday afternoon attend preach
ing in one of the outhouses near the Seminary
lie soon passes by the arsenal, and if he has
any curiosity or desires to learn, steps in, un-
deferred by the repclling words, "No admit
tarce,' and discovers what is meant by the pro-
cess Of rifng cannon, for there the operation is
going on vigorously; as he sees one of those
hlack, deficient engines Of destruction brought
out to the door, with those beautiful spiral
groves in its interior, making il look like q
sharp set of teeth in huge mouth, and thinks
what load Of iron gets down that rapacious
h'tNf AHN Nlsh N'We i"Aeu HhA fulNblt1 ~ Nhh Nv
yomitcd out again, he almost invountarily rubs
his shins, imagining the sensation of having his
legs shot off, and thanks his stars that his head
is yet snie and that one of those enormous
cbalybeate pills for the strengthening of the
body polite has not been introduced into his
system.
Quite satisfied with his inspection of the ar
senal, and persuaded in his own mind that he
will not enlist yet, he saunters on, thinking the
lslaud must be very prosperous, enterprsing
place, as some new houses are going up beyond
the establishment of Mars; but he finds that
Uncle Sam is the enterprsing persOnage, and
that those houses are being erected for the con-
trabands; he goes in and inspects the long rows
of hunks and the tables every negro about Civ
ing him the military salute, and determines that
the sable race here is well provided for.
He cmerges from this dark abode, and starts
for Camp Hamilton nearly three fOurths Of a
mile rcmote the road is along very narrow
neck of land which is graded and grayeled the
water is at either side of him. and if the weather
s as cold as il is at present. he wraps hi9 cloak
j closely around him, as the wind has free sweep
at lis chilled person he thinks he must be in
: the neighborhood of Aeous' cave, the breeze
comes with such puiTs. lie plods on, feeling
II sense Of singulariy, as yet he has scarce aeen
b man in citizens olothes some Of the negroes
c even donning II species Of uniform, which isn't
o uniform, till he gets to the bridge, when one Of
4 the ubiquitous sentinels brings him up all of a
T. sudden with the inquiry shave you pass, sir ?'
o Ii he has, he passes on hundred yards will
, bring him on the field, where he is strongly i'm
y pressed by certain circumstances, viz: thai
b. tents are very fashionable mode Of abode dowI
Il this way that people don't fence any, hut tina
& some one builds monster stables, and he think!
T. right, for there is quite commendabc passion
e for that kind of architecture here. We never
saw the augean stables, mud consequently hay,
l. forgotten, il we ever knew, from history, how
lg caplcious they we're; but we are of the opinion
Of that we can boast of some stables on this fell
Y which will compare favorably in size, and nc
u commodotc MS many quadrupeds
" lie thinks goodness gracious, how liable thi
~ men must be to contract colds, sleeping in thos
Or tents with no fence around the field and no gate
VI or old fashioned spt-rail bars to shut Ill
10 would be surprised probably if a soldier woult
"a tell him that he should feel us though he wa.
d affected with the asthma if he were to sleep il
l- house.
le He imngnes tue farmers must be very in
" doent class Of men, MS there is not n recently
y ploughel lurrow apparent anywhere the land.
!" lie Idle and hogs and COWS gather the crops; lit
w dou't approve Of Virginia agriculture. If he
- travels couple of miles into the interior. h,
- finds that the corn has not yet been gathered
~ and that the ewcet potatoes haven't been dug
81 But the man has travelled far enough for on,
day he is doubtless becoming slightly fatgued
We will leave him in the corn fields and potat,
u patches to find his way back the hest he can.
'o The other night at a late hour, though aceus-
~ toned to the almost daily booming of the cannon
!" here, Mt Newport News or sewalls Point, WI
~ were somewhat startled by terrific noise whicl
e Jared the house like a moderate toned earth
quake; it was 70 severe It nearly tumbled III
out Of bed we did not earn the oause, but ar,
hoping to when some Of the New York or Phila
81 dolphin dailos come down. Most of the inteli
gcncc that we receive about affairs here we de
rive from those papers you know they tell III
many things about matters here that is news t.
us But correspondents must mike u sensation
In little article in your last Journal, we Oh.
served something about soldiers vocabulary
We can add to the list slightly. Some Of thi
y phrases employed in camp here are very ex-
prcssiye; for instance that much employee
=" term "Bully" conveys a deep sguifcauce i
means some one or something par cTeelleace fol
~ soldier to say of some particular person sle /.
. Il bully man. is one of the most 1attering EN-
" comiums that could be bestowed the sodier'i
L lexicon contains no word half as strong Wher
lie remarks he has had a ''buly time, be mean.
" his hearers to understand that he had attainet
- the maximum Of human happiness When ont
tells another "you are going in on me-" he
means that in nautical parlance, his friend i.
III trying to get to the windward of him. or in other
:" words is endeavOriug to obtain the advantage Of
's him. The Captain says of one of his men who
IL is pretending to be sick, che is trying TO play
olI, and when the would be i'll one comes up at
u sick call, the Surgeon tells him he is cndeavor-
u ing to ''shyst." When man wishes to express
L the idea that anything is made nicely, tent
II looks well, or II meal cooked in the highest
VI style cf cIlinary art, he says ait is got up
IN smooth;n but ii he has to stand guard on a
u rainy night, or il the weather is very nclcmeni
p he declares that the affair els got up rough"
u You remark that there must be some Lappi-
u ness in camp Certainly Who doubts it? II
Is is true that soldiers don't always have their cuE
'e of joy brimful and running over, but there is
- commonly a small portion in the cup which pre-.
y vents the dregs from being seen, Why, they