Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-21
EIKwArEn. VA. October Ia. 1881


the regiment and the boys now have money
in their pockets-something they have been
| strangers TO for many months. They had
been so long unused to the "root Of all evir'
that they scarcely knew what to do with it
when they got it, They could purchase
nothing with There so Messrs. Swartz and
Marsh, who had been appointed for that Dur-
pose, carried away the greatest portion of it
this morning, consigned to friends at home
/ for safe. keeping. When the wars are over
and they return again to "Home, sweet
home," the little money they have so dearly
earned will afford them the means Of OBJ
tanning that relaxation they so richly deserve
and will so heartily enjoy.
Lieutenant Colonel n l.. Anderson yester-
day received letter from Captain James
Bense, of Company l, of our regiment, who
| was taken prisoner, with portion of his
command, on the 18th ult., near this place,
the particulars of which You are acquainted
with. 1t came by way Of Fortress Monroe,
through which channel communications can
reach him and his fellow prisoners. The
following is copy of the letter, and, though
| meager, will of course be interesting to his
many friends in Cincinnati:
"RIoHMoND, October l, 1861.
"Colonel Anderson-Dear Sir: l was taken
prisoner on the llth of September and am
now at Richmond prison. You will be kind
enough to see to my things and send them
/
clothes left there to be washed. We are all
in good spirits. Give my respects to all the
regiment. We have seen little of life since
we have been away from our camp and ex-
pect to see more.
From your friend,
JAMES BENSE."
up. S.-You will see that my wife gets
money, as she has not one dollar, and will
repay with interest
"Lieutenant Schaeffer sends his respects to
Captain Brutton, and wishes to know if he
will be kind enough to send his chest home.
Write soon and tell me how you are. Direct
your letter by the way of Fortress Monroe,
as prisoner of war.
"Lieutenant Gilman wishes you to see
Captain Wilmington and give him his re-
spects, and request him to send his things
| home. j. b."
Poor Bensel how he must have yearned to
have said more, but as he was under strict
! surveillance it was impossible. He was en-
D Enthusiastically attached to the cause he had
/ espoused, and it is pity that the service
: should be deprived of SO good soldier.
i The warnews in thisilocality is Of an unin-
Q teresting character. The rebelsSat the ig
!. Springs are gone, and! we know not where
. to look for an enemy. Wonder ifthey could
8 not be found in kentucky We wish the
J. War Department would send us there to see
= A considerable force is at or near Monterey
l learn, and is composed, probably, of all the
rebel troops in this part of Virginia. Gen.
eral Reynolds has sent for more heavy artil.
! cry, and when it arrives will no doubt make
= an advance movement from Cheat Mountain
= If the rebels can be routed in that direction
y Western Virginia will be q sealed book to
y them for the next six months, even if ouI
: army is entirely withdrawn. Transportation
!. for any considerable number of troops is
% 3 every day getting more difficult and will
>, soon be an impossibility, even with all the
. facilities, in the shape of wagons and horses
one could ask. The roads are very bad, and
: in some places it is difficult for an empty
! wagon to get over them. Our horses have
: been over-worked and poorly fed, and pre-.
= :, sent a most pitiable sight. Numbers
have died, and unless they get an easier field
! of labor, and more rest not one will be alive
= in two months from this time.
i We have not had march now for week
- - and feel very much rested. We are mo-
:, y anxious for another one soon, unless it bt
: toward some other field of operations, OF
4 right into the enemy s camp. The Guthrie
Gray Regiment has done more hard service
i than any other regiment in Virginia. When
= ever an expedition has been contemplated
. and fight, ''sure thing" anticipated, if we
. were not ordered out, our officers have
y always solicited the privilege of going, ant
!, the men have freely seconded them. Disap
~ pointment cools ones ardor considerably
! When we first came to Virginia we weTt
- - constantly looking out for "mssked bat
- teries.' We are too "old soldiers" for tina
u now. There is no such thing in existence
Ia War is not a dangerous business, either bu
~ it is very hard work. To be sure, men pc
. killed sometimes accidentally; but accident
y will happen in the best regulated armies
- The lndianians several weeks ago, up OF
Cheat Mountain, used to average a man
'' week of their own number, but believe theJ
have reduced that rate somewhat recently
i They "keep their hands, in,' however, and fir,
. their guns with the most perfect indifference
as to consequences. "Save me from my friend
- and will take care of my enemies"
10 We have suffered considerably recently 70
x want of proper clothing. Every effort hs
been made by the proper officers to obtai
i them, but without success. Whose fault
i it? Our Commisssry has tried requisition
~ until be has found that it does no good, an
~ has gone in person to seek that which we 8
~ =. much need. '1f kind words and gent
=, means will not prevail" he should "try whs
~ virtue there is in stones" The boys are dc
r. cidedly in undress uniform. They Nigh
a. present q "solid front" TO the enemy, but
a, compelled to retreat would surely expose a
n "open rear" If something is not done fo
va us soon you may expect TO hear Of bi
n. graveyard in this vicinity, and then hav
'ir no doubt we will be appropriately mourne
-. by "grateful people" Will some kin
ra friend inscribe upon our monument, "The
s9 ,s9 died Of too much patriotism and not enoug
sp clothing"
Hi We have had some hard trials and haV
nf felt sometimes that "Republics were migrate
n o full" yet there has been but little grumblinI
NJ Whatever we may suffer through the incon
q ~ potency or negligence of officials, does nj
~ impair the sacredness of the cause for whic
y | we are battling, and this ever before Ou
"a eyes, we learn to ''suffer and be strong"
0U The weather for few days has been dr.
M, and pleasant with cold nights and morning
n The little grove OF maple in which our cam
~ is situated, and which looked 80 fresh an
green when we first came here, now display
a the 'sere and yellow leaf" The winds al
Gu so despoiling them of their foliage, and the
uj begin to look dreary and desolate. The su
Nu rounding hills have put on the variegate
Il garb of autumn, and, when disassociated fro
"a the remembrance of our marches, look Deal
- - tiful. The brown nuts are dropping fro
,ne the trees, and the wild grapes hang ripe upC
in the vines.
oh tThe melancholy DAYS are come,
~ ~ The saddest Of the year
&C. OF weeping winds, and wailiug woods,
And meadows brown and sere."
Soon the Wlnter will be here, with ha
lbe snow and slGet, and what are we to do du
a ing the long days to come that will be mo
ty- painful than melancholy Freeze, perhaI
vas so, carry me back from old Virginia,
the From old Virginias shore"
ast II has rained here 80 much that the cit