Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-08-10
A Letter from the Army.

W
Letter from the Army.
The following letter take entire, from the
Wilmington Journal on account of several impor-
tant suggestions contained in it. 1t will be read
with interest:
CANT CLARKE, (nenr the Potomac) !
Stafford Co., Va, July 80, 81.
MEssRs. EDIToRs: Before leaving home l prom
sed you that would, now and then, write you
to keep you advised of the movements of our Regi-
ment-3d n c. State Troops-but, up to this time,
| have been unable to make even a beginning to-
wards the fulflment of my promise
Col. Meares allows his men but little time for
pleasure Company drill from to o'clock, A. NJ,
Guard mounting, A. M-Company drill from 0 to
IL A. Mothers drill, from / A. NJ, to P. NJ
Officers recitation, from 2 to 4 P. M-BattaliOn
drill from 4! to Ct P. NJ, ending in Dress Parade.
These hours of duty will show you that we have
scarcely time to write to our wives and sweethears
You advised of the movement Of the Rcgi-
ment from Garysburg The first detachment under
Lieut. Col. Cowan left on Tuesday July l6th--thc
second, under Col. MeareS, Saturday, July Goth.
These two detachmentS-SiX companeS--were sent
from Richmond to this place Wednesday, July
oath, and joined by the remainder of the regi
ment under Maj. DeRoSsett on Sunday, July 2Sth.
We are now encamped in fine oak grove, with
an abundance of good water, apparently healthy
only three miles from the Potomac-twenty five
miles from the grand army at Manassas, and within
two days easy march of any point at which the
Yankees can possibly make an attack. So that you
may certainly "cOunt US i'll" the next big fight
In the meantime, this whole country is ovcrrun
with spies; and we compelled to keep our eyes
open. They have been providing around our camp,
and have been fired upon by sentinelS. Several
of them have been captured by the pickets the
Potomac; and for several days past we have had
one of them in our guard-tent, sent to US by Gen.
for cofa Ann thorr
yesterday afternoon-a live Yankee-who confrsses
his sins, ard will probably be hung
As matter of course we belong to Gen. Holmes
department. He has fine command here. Three
Virginia Regiments-one from Arkansas-one from
TcnnesSee-two from North Carolina (CO. TewS
and Col. Meares)-a battalion of cavalry, and three
batteries of Light Artillery. If they will put us
across the Potomac, we will, Horse Shoe Rob-
inson' used to say, obgate ourselves 10 march to
Baltimore The old General was strongly in favor
of an advance movement after the battle of Manas-
Sas So we understand, was Gen. Beauregard but
Gen. Johnston forbid It, Events proved that they
were right The march Of the army would have
been trumphal march through Washington to
Baltimore terrible the panic among the
6rare men who came to whip us with corn-Stalks
Never mind! we will have another chance yet
Old ScottS pride is aroused and the next battle will
be the bloodest on record. II this Regiment does
not make its mark, then your correspondent will
confess himself greatly disappointed, not only in
the officer who commands, but in the men who COM
pose his command There are ten fine looking
companies, altogether about nine hundred quiet,
determined men, who have perfect confidence in
their Colonel, who have engaged in this war as a
matter of stern duty, and who will fight all the bet
ter because principle and not passion controls their
action.
The health of the Regiment is only tolerable-
We have, as yet never lost man-we have no Sc
SIal h,,f nod loo1 &c
measles, colds and such like diseases. presume
those diseases will 60 through the whole camp, and
then we may look for a full turn out of our regi-
ment
Our men are comparatively well equipped but
the material of which their clothing is made is poor
and cannot last long. 1t is too thin for cold wealth
er, and we shall look to the noble women of re-
spectve counties for fresh supply. We must agi
tate this matter and that the are not left to
suffer. The Southern Confederacy, to whom we
now belong, will find it impossible with the best
intentions in the world to provide for the large
army now in Virginia. We must suffer unless our
counties take care of US. annex list of the COM
panies composing this regiment and | trust they
will begin at once and unite their action to take
care of their people Let me make suggestion.
The Government allows twenty-one dollars to each
man every six months for clothing 1t is paid in
advance Uhen they hare the money. Let the diff
ferent counties from which our regiment comes,
W lndhe SOile arrangement ny WHICH Iuey
can draw this money and expend it for the soldiers
There may be small deficiency, but the counties
will not hesitate to supply it. Let me make anoth-
er suggestion. The first thing we want is stout
flannel shirts and ogercoats. Let me make a third
suggestion. Don't let the counties undertake this
thing unless they commit it to the hands of men
aoho a0iH attend to it,
mentioned above that spies providing around
our camp had been fired upon by our sentinels. 1t
proved quite lively time, and showed the stuff of
which our men are made 1t was about l o'clock
at night. Except the guard the whole camp was
asleep. The officer of the day discovered them
while going his rounds. He challenged and they
ran He let off four barrels of his Colts repeatlr
and one of the sentinels let off his musket but in
the darkness ofthe night and the thick woods they
escaped unhurt, so far as we know. The long-roli
was beat and in fire minutes the aohoLe Regiment
under arms draWn up IN line of battle. Being
almost upon the banks of the Potomac, which is in
possession of the enemy our Colonel has instructed
his men to keep continually on the alert and defy
any officer of any army to form his line Of battle
with more promptness and more exactness than he
did upon that occasion.
wish to do an act of justice to old Virginia She
is vely slandered when it is asserted that she is
not alive to the occasion 1t is no more her battle
than it is She is particularly unfortunate in
being made the battle-ground; and, for this reason
would suffer more Immediately the consequences of
any disaster to army. But we have no right to
say that we are fighting her battles and we are