Daily national Democrat., 1861-10-04
Camp Life at Los AngeIes--Letter from a
Private.

The following letter was written TO a gen
tleman in San Francisco. by friend who is a
| private in the volunteer force now stationed
at Los Angeles:
CAMP LATHAM, Los Angeles co,
September 26th, 1861.
/ We have at last reached our permanent
camping ground. We are calnped some six
miles west from Los Angeles There are six
companies of infantry and two OF cavalry on
the ground, and we expect the balance to be
here on the last of this month. We are pro-
gressing finely with eur drill, and, as mat
ter of course. 'our company are second to
| none" We commenced to dill as regiment
to- day, and did exceedingly well so say the
cavalry, they being The only observe ers that
can turn out any thing of "house" in this
section Of country. We had gay time of it
coming down; but very few of our men were
sea sick | was one of The few, and daring
my sick spell | felt "sorry | came;" bat so
soon as got ashore, ray patriotic enthusiasm
ditfused Itself in copious quantities through
my weak frame, and | would not have sold
out for the wealth of the Indies w camped
the first night at New San Pedro, place not
worthy of note on county map, even if it
did give Stanford 100 majority. There we
staid for one day and two nights, and then
moved some nine miles on our way for this
place We passed over a rolling prairie, not
tillable, but good for grazing, meeting water
only where we camped, and that was any
thing but good. We here baked our bread
with the celebrated buffalo chips The next
day we Travelled to this point distance of
. miles over the same kind OF country until
we came within mile of La Santiago creek,
or Los Angeles river, where the rolling hills
came in full view.
No doubt you would like to know how we
like our officers. Col. West, who has com
mand of the camp, we all love. and the more
we become acquainted with him, the better
we love him. Our company officers we are
all willing to fight and if need be die for
1t. Col. Davis of the Cavalry arrived yes
terday, and we of the Infantry as yet know
hut little of him, but his men speak very well
of him, indeed
We had an old-hshoned rain day before
yeste day, not heavy, but steady and soak
ing, the cavalry marching through it for ten
long miles-at least they say the miles were
twice their coRlmon length. 1t rained por-
tion of Sunday and let up on Tuesday morn
ing.
Grapes, pears, apples and melons are bro't
to the camp 10y wagon loads, for sale daily,
ard as soldiers lhink money an article Of no
use but in ciies-they having left theirs in
Oakland and San Francsco-the pedcrs Of
fruit do but small business Our ratons
are No. i, and plenty We are allowed %
OF of -four per diem, 7 of ii pound of pork, in
lieu Of which we get in seven out Of ten ra-
tions is OF. Of beef per diem 1t wouid have
done you good to have seen my first batch of
bread two pounds of it would have weighed
ton, and no one to suffer the loss OF the
-four but myself Most of the boys did well
in their baking but a number suffered like
myself In fay next | will give you the
routine Of a soldiers life, daily duty, &c., DC
Remember me to the boys OF old St Francis,
and tell them that when we get our alarn we
will try to get the first ldddeT up, and that
we only destroy to save'-and we are ready
to roll at the first alarm-"you bet"-"or
any other man. WYMAN ). Crow.