Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1862-09-03

have bid it farewell forever A nice lot Of
tired and dirty soldiers we were this day /;
it was very warm and dusty, besides we
had marched about 20 miles. On Mon
day, 18th, we marched through Williams
burg and our own old battle ground We
halted this day little after noon, and as
property was not so strictly guarded as it
was when We went up the peninsula, we
foraged little in cornfelds and orchards
without any fear of being put under arrest
for it. TIE corn6elds were pretty we'll
plucked near where we camped on our
march. On Tuesday, 10Th, we made Y York-
town; here we had the luxury of bath in
the York river. On the Goth we started
early, with the expectation of reaching
Hampton that night, but on reaching Big
Bethel, we camped for the night on the
old battle ground there. On Thursday,
2lst, we had short march to Hampton
here we lay until next day noon, when we
marched to Fortress Monroe. Here we were
put on board the steamer Montreal, which
brought us to Alexandria, were we Ian ed
on Sunday, 9th, just five months from the
time we embarked for the peninsula We
are now encamped about two miles out of
Alexandria. 1t was two weeks yesterday
since we saw our knapsacks; where they
are we do not know-perhaps they have
gone to hunt a new 'base of operations"
We have marched up the peninsula on
one side and down on the other. The mud
we marched through on our way up had
all apparently turned to dust on our march
down, for such dust as we had to come
through was enough to kill almost anybody
but a soldier of the grand army of the Pc
tomac Where next, is what interests US.
To Pope, though, appears to be our dest;-
nation. There is one thing we would like
some one to figure out for US. 1t is this:
When we started up the peninsula, our Of
fcers told US every day brought US nearer
Richmond, Well, we went on until we
could see the city by climbing tree; after
we got to Harrison 5 they told Us we were
nearer then than We were when we were
only four miles off; and now, at the dis
tancc we are from Richmond, we are told
we are getting nearer every day. How it
Is that at liarris0n'S We we're nearer than
We were when in front of it, and here at
Alexandria we are nearer than at II ,fri-
sons, we CO not know, but it appears the
further we get away from it, the nearer we
are to it. We cannot see how it is, but
we are bound to believe it, because our su-
periors say so. Since our arrival here we
have seen a good many Of the new soldiers
who lately came into the field They look
very nice, good deal ike Sunday soldiers.
We have told some Of them by the time
they lay in something like the Chickahon.-
my swamps for five months they would not
look quite SO pretty. The health Of our
regiment is still improving. Even on the
march, the men who were sick at Harrison's,
got pretty we'll by the time we got here
We have been about one year in the ser
vice now, and are within five or six miles
Of our first camp. We hope the next move
We make will be more successful than our
last-at least we trust so. We cannot
promise to do more than we have done
The 49th has never shown the white feath
er yet. Give US a fair show, fill up our
ranks, and we will try and do our whole
duty. | am yours truly,