Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-09-18
WHOLE NO. 1853.
For the Daily State Sentinel
Our Army Correspondence.
caIlr MOrsrAn PA.., s.A. Hrrroxyn1., Va. i,


j. J. BINGHAM, Esq.-Deor SIR: Some time
has elapsed since had any time to spare to write
to you; am at this pass and have been here
some days, and Of course have seen the General
and his staff, or most of them at least. / find
many Indiana boys at this point, all wide awake
for Ga tilt at what are called "seceshers."
Well, am inclined TO think the boys will get a
chance some of these days to try their grit. 7
hope they will come out all right If they should
get into brush. will not give you many par
ticulars about things in this region, we think we
know the positions and intentions of the enemy,
and of course we will watch him well, we have
the material to do that little job if necessary-i
mean watch them little and fog them well.
We belong % the lst Brigade Of the army Of oc-
cupaton in Western Virginia. The State of In
diana, the gallant old "Hoosier State" is well
represented here, and will re-wipe out that Buena
Vista matter if good chance presents itself /
will give you the names of those or a part Of
those from Indiana here, TO wit: Brigadier Gen
eral Joseph j. Reynolds, of Lafayette; ABIDE
Camp Isaiah B. Mcdonald, Of Columbia City;
Assistant Adiutant General George s. Rose, of
Lafayette; Brigade Quartermaster Ohm Levering.
of Lafayette; Brigade Commissary VIM. G.
Tarkington, Of Bloomington
There are four full regiments here from Indi-
ana, with the following numbers and Colonels,
to- wit: The 18th Regiment, Col. Milo s. Has
call; 18th Regiment, Col. G. ID. Wagner; l4th
Regiment Col Nathan Kmball: 18th Regiment,
Col. Jerry Sullivan.
here desire to say, that there appears to be
no difference between our BOYS, all are ready to
do their whole duty. In the main the men like
their officers well, and doubt will render repu-
table service to their countrys cause under their
command. Captain Bracken is also here with a
party of his Rangers. This cavalry company
is quite efficient, and will render much service
a credit to the State from whence it came; the
grey haired, sharp-eyed Captain is the man for
the place. There are a fetc other tOgs here than
IRdi0niaRs, few to help US little, but you see
/ don't please to give you any facts in detail.
Now, what want to call your attention 10 more
particularly is that all letters and papers sent TO
any of the boys from your State, belonging to
the 18th, 18th, 18th OF 18th Indiana Regiments,
under Colonels Sullivan, Kimball, Wagner and
Hascall, must, or should be directed to Hutton
vile p. o., Randolph county, Virginia. Let the
friends of the noble volunteers constituting these
four regiments be careful and direct letters, writ
ing names plainly, giving the letter OF the CON-
pany and number of the regiment, to-wit:
JOHN BROWN,
Co. E, 18th Reg't Ind. Vols,
HUTToNsvILLE,
Virginia.
Letters thus directed cannot fail reaching their
proper destination. Many hundreds Of soldiers
letters never reach them, because Of being so
bunglingly directed by friends at home. No wonder
the soldiers say, 1--WE never get our letters" Now
the only wonder is that many get them at all.
The most particular part Of the address is the let
ter of the company, the number of the regiment,
and the State from whence the volunteer came
need not be particular about giving the captain,
for there many captains of the same name
hence the necessity of giving the letter of COM
pany, number of regiment and State from whence
the volunteer came. All mail matter for this post
should be sent by Wheeling, Virginia; there are
good mail facilities from Wheeling to this point
The State Sentinel is received here three days
after day of publication, and, by the way, is a
welcome visitor here, for we all want TO know
what is going on in your State and city. Can't
you send us a bunch downf one or two does but
little good for they are worn out by being read,
before getting quarter the way round. by the
boys-we don't care for politics, but We want tC
read the news, especially the local items.
We came down here to make the "seceshers'
be still, when we get through here we will com,
and clean out the Abolitionists, who-you anc
everybody else knows-have, together viii
Southern disunionists South got us all into thi
great trouble. 1t would do me as much good Il
clean out disunion Aboltionist to whip
a Southern "secesh," one is as bad as the other
only the Abolitionist is the worst. But then w,
will settle this when we get home; all we wan
is our letters and plenty Of good papers, gOOC
health and a good chance to thrash the "secesh'
into the traces which Washington, Adams. JEFF
ferson and Others fixed up for US all TO pull by.
Now, as l am not much used to writing for
newspapers, guess had better quit till Sc,
how this letter looks in type. We are nearly all
WELL few die. All like our plain, practical gen
eral, j. j, Reynolds; just wait awhiIe-don't get
impatient-and you will all hear good repor
from "the man in blue;;" and the other Indianap
oils boys all right.
Send me copy Of your paper containing this
letter, and you will much obige Me, SrR.