Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-04

We are permitted to publish the following
private letter, written by a member of the
Guthrie Gray Regiment;
CAMP AT ELKwATER, September %, '6l.
My DEAR PARENTS; received letter from
you few days since; also papers. l need
not tell you how glad | am TO get a letter
from any one. The mail.bags are eagerly
looked for by all. When the mail arrives the
Postmsster's tent is surrounded by hundreds,
all anxiously waiting to hear from home I;
some are reading, some talking, many play
ing "poker." After waiting patiently about
| an hour, the mail is received by an officer
from each company. Many Of the boys get
several letters, others get none. receive
many papers from you, but some one always
gets them several days later in date than l
do. am always glad to receive illustrated
papers.
see in paper of the 18th, an account of
the rebel advance on this place. Company
b was fired at by the enemy; the shell passed
several feet over them. l am still on picket,
my post is in farm yard; we do not allow
the inhabitants to leave the yard without
guard. The farmer is aSecessionist; he was
against Secession until Virginia seeded, and
now thinks it his duty as patriot to stand
by his State. Although he voted the Seces-
sion ticket, he is heartily sick of this war
and hopes for peace. Well may he be sick
of it, when he looks at his farm and those of
two brothers joining his. His meadows are
full of soldiers, bis hay is consumed by horses,
bis corn-felds are not as they were when he
plowed them last Spring furrows ten feet
deep are in them. He looks constantly from
his yard on the hill at the grand panorama
around him; all he can see is white tents,
men drilling and artillery psrading, while
every day he sees new regiment come in,
drive their wagons into new field, build
N1.as, s,v, e. Al. L. IL. e
His cattle are used by the army, his fruit is
taken before his eyes.
He often talks to US about his loss; says he
1uined-his farm spoiled. All the answer
he gets, is "You voted the Secesh ticket
you know those who dance have to pay the
fiddler" or, "Your loss is nothing compared
with the losses Of thousands in the North by
this curse of Secession" He keeps his but
ter locked up in log house; no one can en-
pickets get his butter. Any woman in the
North would know it was done simply by
taking chunk from between the logs and
dipping it out of the crooks with a spoon
from the outside. | will say l have not had
dip at his butter yet. do not blame the
boys for doing as they do here on picket.
Staying out here for over three weeks stand
ing guard out in the fields, though it rains,
or is ss Geld as thunder, with nothing to
eat but crackers and pork; with coffee some
times without sugar, while we stand guard
over his property allday; and the old woman
muttering, "The day of judgment is coming,
end the devil will have feastp
By George, l have mind TO take crock
of her milk tonight, as l am out of crackers
since last night and am awfully hungry; be-
sides, 1 am sure l will nearly freeze to-
night, if it is as cold as it was last night;
and they might as we'll let US drink the milk
as the internal niggers who stand and grin
at us when we eat salt pork raw, and such
pork! it won't hold together when we hold
it up. Yes, l guess | will take crock OF
milk in the name of the United States, for
the rent of q United States gun which their
son uses in the Southern army.
The report here is that our regiment is
going to Cincinnati to Join Anderson's
Brigade. hope it is true, R.