The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-10-31
ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
From the seventeenth Regiment.
HUTroSsvILLE, RANDOLPH Co., IND.
Octnher. 9th. 1861.


HUTrossv1LLE, RANDOLPH Co., IND.
October, oath, 1861. !
EDIroRs JoURSAL:-We are now in camp
at Huttonsville, between Elk Water and
Cheat Mountain Pass-the location Of our
last two camps We are still in the same
valley, but it has changed much since we
came here-two months ago. Linen it was
summer, and our cloth houses were comfort /
able. Now autumn is upon US, when warm
rooms and cheerful fires are more welcome
than the tent with log fire outside.
The days here, now are warm, and pleas
ant breezes, laden with the fragrance of
falling leaves and decaying flowers, are
blowing continually, rendering the air de-
lightfully agreeable; but then, when the
sun goes down, it generally turns cold
so cold, that at times, it has showed even
in the valley-and the soldiers have to
spend the evenings around their huge log
fires in front of their tents, finally going to
bed cold, sleep cold, and in the morning they
can again be seen around the fires, almost
burning their feet and hands in their efforts
to raise the blood to its proper temperature.
I We all see the need Of being IN winter quar-
ters aud were it not that military neces-
sity keeps us here, we would had marching
orders before this.
Although we are now located ia the
valley, we still are upon very elevated
ground. The back bone Of the Alleghanies
Is only twenty miles East Of US, and we
have rivers flowing to each of the other
! IF rJ,e ram r,aS5 Within fhirfv miles
/ of where we are now in camp, the following
rivers take their rise Gauley river, Green
brier river, James river, Little Kanawha,
East Fork Monongahela, and Cheat river.
Though not so high up in the world as
| when at Oakland, we are nevertheless
pretty well elevated, even here.
TIE great amount of ignorance among
the people here is remarkable. 1t is true,
there are many wealthy, refined, and intelli-
gent people, but the great mass of them are
poor and ignorant The country being
| rocky and the population sparce, schools
and churches are scarcely SEEN and the
refining Influences of good society are
neither appreciated or enjoyed. The cen
sus of 1850 gave 0,00O as the number of
Firginians who could neither read nor
write, and as the oldest settlements are in,
Eastern Virginia, greater proportion Of
ignorance than that even is found here.
One of our officers declares that on one oc-
casion, when our regiment was on the march,
he went in advance and halted at a farm
house until we would come up.
In conversation with the family, he told
them that orr troops, bearing the A merIcan
flag, would in few moments pass their
house. The old lady appeared pleased, said
she had never seen the American flag and
asked him what it was like. He described
4 4 1 -
the good old flag that Washington had
marched under. She again appeared de-
lighted and asked him if our troops had
Washington along
On another occasion, our men asked q
woman if her folks were for secession or for
the Union. She said her husband was a
Baptist and belongs to that meeting house.
pointing to a church near by. These are
but few Of the many instances of the gross
Ignorance, prevalent in the Western portion
of the OLD Dominion
We are now receiving onr supplies of
winter cloting, much of which should have
been here two months ago. Our men fer
the last six or eight weeks, have had to go
so naked that one of the Captains, remark
able for bis modesty, was about sending for
indigo to color the hides Of his men where
their clothes failed TO cover them.
The Commissary is more efficient than
the Quartermaster Department. We have
been getting the usual army ration, gener-
ally of a good quality. Some weeks ago
we got, for short time, very poor crack
ers. They were monldy, musty and bitter
and were called by the sboys sheet iron
crackers. They We're, no doubt, baked for
the Florida or Mexican war. Ne saw one
morning, several of the boys wearing rings
made of these crackers, and so hard were
they that rings could be cut out of them
not larger than horn riggs They conid
scarcely be cut with knife and were taste
less and afforded bitter nourisnment They
soon happily gave cut and before and since
we have had good article of pilot or hard
bread.
did not give you an account of the late
battle at GreenbrieF | was sick at the time
and as reporters for the Cincinnati Com
merciaI and Times were present and sent
full reports by special messenger, knew
it would ell be recopied in the Journal be-
fore INSTRUMENTATION could reach you
The rules are 50 strict here, that am I'M
able TO give you the number situation or
movement of our forces. This rule is neces-
sary. for when we killed Col. Washington we
found upon bis body the State Sentinel and
other papers containing descriptions of our
camp and movements. We have now an
efficient Post Office; ]. B. Mcdonald, P NJ,
and c. T, Kendall and G. A. Smith Assis-
tant, handle from 20, 600 to $4,000 letters
weekly More anon. n. B. RIsINGER.
PlLor KNOB, October "a, 1861.
EDs. IouRyAL.-I have mat ratnrne5 t.