Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-07-05
x.etter from western Virginia.
Correspondence of the Delaware Gazette.l

4
/ We left there Friday evening. travelled al
night, reaching Columbus Saturday morning
/ took a lunch, which had been prepared for u
at the depot, and proceeded on our journey, az
irving at Belle Air Saturday evening, W,
| had intended to pursue our journey Saturda,
night, but were compelled TO stay over a
I Belle Air for the reason that the rolling s.Ocl
on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was insuf-
| fcient TO take us ell chat night, (the Sd anC
4th Regiments being togeiber), and, conse-
Quently, we waited until Sabbath morning
The Third crossed the river Saturday evening
and got on beard their train, where they slept
| till morning. We camPed on the Ohio side
some Of our regiment slept in an old depot house
which bad been converted into barracks; oul
company, however, preferred the green sod, up
on which we spread our blankets. and with our
hayersacks for pillows we enjoyed a pleasant
nights rest
Early on Sabbath morning we crossed the
Ohio and took the cars for Grafton, where we
arrived after dark last evening. Our orders
were to sleep in the train or as near it as might
suit our convenience; the train, however, was
composed of stock cars, and cattle men per
why we should prefer the lap Of mother earth,
With no other covering than the blue sky above
Us, where we enjoyed 'quiet sleep and gentle
slumber'' on the shelly bank of the river.
We have not yet gone into camp, but are
awaiting further orders from General Ne
Clellan, who has arrived. l believe he expects
to make his he0d quarters at this place, We
did not expect TO reach here without fight
All kinds Of rumors were afoat in Belle Air
on Saturday evening. There had been fight
the day before near a little town called Com
merce, and a soldier was brought into Belle
Air wounded. He was snot through the body
and viii undoubtedly die. There was another
fight further down the road, and the report
was that the secessionists had surrounded our
men. You will not be surprised, Therefore, that
Oh Sabbath morning early, before starting, in-
stead Of being called out 10y the bells for Sab
bath School We went out on a hillside to see
whether we would be able draw a bead on
secessionist with our new rifles, which we re-
ceived just before we ST artcd and had not had
an opportunity TO Try. The experiment was
highly satisfactory, and we proceeded cautions
ly down the read, determined five were called
u
train, TO give them ii soldiers welcome. We
were not disturbed, bnt, on the contrary, met
with quite hattering receptions at every little
village through which we passed. Fhe Stars
and Stripes were waving and the ladies were
huttering their white signal with as much en-
thusiasm as did Ohios daughters. am told,
however, that the women here are decidedly
the most loyal. This might naturally be ex
I,ected; womans heart, always being the frsl
10 espouse good cause, is last 10 Iorsake it,
We saw, as we passed along the railroad |
where several brid res had been burned, bui |
are now rebuilt and guarded by United States
soldiers. We passed house, that looked as
though it had been used for a meeting house, |!
which was literally riddled with bullets; it had |
been fired upon by secessionists. l was told by !
the soldiers. No one was killed. The boys !
who were stationed along the road and VIM |
lad had skirmshed with the rebels, were per
ectly wild with enthusiasm. The way the
lighting that has been done along the road /
lere has occurred has been either when they
we're first stationed, by their making short
marches off the road. They hear of band of
ecessionists some ten or fifteen miles distant.
company of them take up the liue Of mIrch,
ueet them, kill three or four of them, make
en- or fifteen prisoners, bring them in, make
hem take the oath Of allie giancc and let them
70 again. But this le Iient policy will soon be
stopped. The United States If ,ops positively
will not stand ii; they som ,tirneS loose two or
hree of their comrades. in these cxpeditio Is.
md as they bear them to Il soldiers grave they
10 not feel like seeing the rebe.s who caused
t discharged upon sucil easy terms, AMI that
90, when they know the rebels VIII pay no re
eard whatever to the obligation tt y nave ia
zen. Thc thing will have To b. 81 ,Pp:l or
,ur soldiers will show the reb Is ~ q Iarters
Through the PIIiten.sS of CipI. McCnIn.
'ad All opportunity Of seeing 5.n', wa sh II
JOl Kelley, an | G1'. Wiley. wl) was clp.af-
d, and is charged with th3 barning of SrverI
,FsAges. They are kept under strict guard
r the thrl story of large three story bull
ling, over the Generals head quarters. There
re quite number of other prisoners there.
Sims is an ugly looking customer. l should
hiuk he would weigh over two hundred
pounds. be is strongly built, little inclined
o corpnlency, about six feet high, large full ;
ace, which is almost as dark Il mullatoe's,
n ugly looking mustache, heavy eye brOws. |
nd large head, which looks as though it was
s hard as a boulder, without the slightest ap- :
earanee of intellectually. covered with hair !
iack as charcoal, aud being closely trimmed
ticks out from the skin like the quils Of por- {
upine, and it seems to me that no one can
BOX upon him aud not feel as ihough it would J
e great service to humanity if he were Ell /
leF shot or hung. even il were not u secession |
Il. t
Col. Wiley is very low with typhoid fever, c
e is quite an old man, has rather an inteIlec- G
lal appearance, and is doubtless man of in |
lence among the rebels But he will never 1
g of any more service to them, or an injury c
, his coHntFy. The disease under which he a
now laboring will soon end his earthly ca i
.er, and | could but shed tear of pity as t
ood by his bed side and looked at his gray a
airs his sunElen eyes and his emaciatcd coun- II
nance. as lie said to me, kind sir, l shall h
ION die. my constitution is too weak to throw P
F this disease; l am fast wasting away L
fhethor he will recover OF not. | cannot tell, b
1T it is ceptaiR that he himself expects soon e
meet his final reward il
As we turned to leave the Foom the Cap 0
in introduced me 10 another specimen Of u II
bel, of quite different character. He was Il
young man, l should think single, for he pu,
entirely too many airs to be married mlu;
Ould undoubtedly be at home in what somo
,ople would call refined society; but would T,
, called by the plain, practical common sense t,
lrt of most any community lop, squirt, pop
jay, or some other such name, by which thai o.
yle of character is usually designated. He 4
IS was very talkative, and did not act as tc
ough he thought there was any thing wrong. "
e expects to be released, undoubtedly by r
king the oath of allegiance. Poor, mis- ~
ded man; if he had paid as much regard, to u,
mmon honesty as he has to powdering his p'