Litchfield enquirer., 1861-05-16
Our New Haven Correspondence

NEW HAVEN, May l4th. DEAR ENQUIRER :-The great event of the past week was the departure of the lst and 2nd Regi ments c. V. from this city, as is supposed for Washington. Last Tuesday urgent orders were received to send them off as quickly as pos sible, and the utmost activity immediately pre- vailed in preparing them for service. It is almost l impossible for any but military men to realize the vast number and extent of the preparations required to fit out large body of men with every Consider first the number of things requisite for the personal comfort of the men the numerous articles of dress of peculiar patterns and mater- als, the camp equipage with its nu merous ap- purtenances, the Commissary department with its various supplies, the culinary department with its special imp's nelts, the surgical department with all its appliances, of delicate instruments and innumerable materia anetlica. Then consid- CT the number and importauce of the things es- sential to their e6iciency as military force; weapons of complex device, numerous appurte- nances, and the utmost nicety of manufacture ammunition of all sorts, wagons and horses to convey stores, ambulances for the wounded, casks to contain water, blacksmith's tools to make re- pairs, and numberless other articles less obvious but hardly less necessary.
 | Then think of the difficulties attendant upon initiating raw volunteers into the perplexing mysteries of drill and discipline; such as teach ing them to perform complicated evolutions with promptness and precision, to understand perfect ly and use effectively their weapons, to perform correctly the important duties of sentinel ard guard, to take care of their own health, and espe- cially to treat respectfully and obey implicitly their officers, and submit cheerfuy to the re- strictions and hardships incident to soldiers life
 When it is considered that all these prepara tiont were to be made at time when every thing relating to war is scarce and expensive, among a people ignorant of military life and it's neces sites, and having no special means of providing for them,- ,-the rapid equipment of the two Con- ! necticut Regiments seems almost miraculous. 1 The First had weeks start of the Second, and so was able to fix its departure for Thursday. On Wednesday afternoon Lieut.. Gov. Catlin pre- scented the First with stand of colors with an eloquent speech; on Thursday afternoon Gov. Buckingham reviewed them and delivered brief but impressive address, after which they marched to, the wharf and embarked on the BienrMe for Washington.
 Thesecond had only three days notice. Tues day morning after encamping all night in ter rible storm and suffering greatly for want of suf ficient accommodations, 1t was decided to go, on Friday. At that time most of the Companies equipments of any kind ,-the First Regiment had exhausted almost all that had hitherto been supplied, and nothing but the tireless energy of Col, Terry could have carried out the plan for so early departure. Indeed, up to Friday noon two companies were without muskets, and there was not cartridge in the Regiment. The same afternoon at five o'clock after day of unremit- ting toll they started from their camp ground at Brewster Park and marched into town to en- bark. An immense crowd had collected on the Green to witness the presentation to them of a set of colors given by the ladies of New Haven. At six o'clock they arrived amid the roar of can non, and were hailed by the enthusiastic acclam- ations of the multitude. A hollow square was formed on three sides by the police and several military companies, on the fourth by the long line of the Regiment extending entirely across the enclosure. In the center of the Square un- der the Liberty Pole on platform stood two young ladies with the splendid banners. and be- tween them Judge Foster took his stand and in a
 speech of thrilling eloquence presented on behalf
 of the ladies first the Regimental, and then the
 National Flag. Col. Terry replied on behalf of the Regiment briefly and feelingly, after which Dr. Bacon read the twentieth Psalm and offered
 mp a fervent prayer. It was most impressive
 occasion and will not soon be forgotten by any
 who witnessed it. The fine appearance of the soldiers and their digni6ed demeanor, the enthu- siasm of the people, the eloquence of the orator the fervor of the prayer, the visible emotion o many whose friends were in the Regiment, and especially of the Colonel in receiving the colors must have impressed every thoughtful mind And those who had an eye for beauty must have been struck with the magnifcence oe the elegant and costly banners; one of which was handsome ly embroidered with the simple but significant de vice of our State, and the other was "The sta1 and Stripes'' of very beautiful combination O colors, with the name of the Regiment in silver along the middle stripe. If the soldiers were no
 struck with the beauty of these, and still more | with that of the ladies within the Square, they ], must have tougher hearts than the civilians ane , it may fairly be presumed, can stand any sort o
 fire.
 j. After the presentation the march was resumed t to the steamship through enthusiastic cro"o + lining the whole way, whose applause seemed
 chiefly directed to the New-Haven Grays,-th' E- crack company of the city and of the Regiment e At II o'clock P. M. the Cahawba left the dock so suddenly as to leave behind some of the store belonging to, the troops, and to compel some o