The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-01-07
REGULATIONS FOR 1862.
ARMY CORRESPONDENCE
CAMP BENTON, January 2, 1862.

Tho l neither lend nor borrow,
Yet, TO relieve the wants of friend,

Yet, TO relieve the wants of friend,
IL break custom. lSHAKEPEARE.
The 25th Regiment send their New
Years compliments to their friends at home,
and heartily hope that they enjoyed them
selves as they have done on SIMILAR occa-
sions heretofore. 1t has no doubt been the
case that the gaps in the family circle,
caused by the absesce of some loved brother
father or son, have been, on this yearly fes-
tivaL painfully perceived, and that this
circumstance may have marred the joyous
hilarity with which, in ordinary times, the
Old Year is usually ushered out and the
New Year welcomed in. But we do sim
cerely hope that the old sports were en-
Dyed, that the gUod dinners were appetized,
and that Welf wishes for future happiness
were cordially exchanged Our boys, on
Christmas, were on duty guarding the Sc
cesh at the Mcdowell Institute, and conse-
quently Bere not circumstanced so as to
prepare fo" any astonishing culinary dis
play. 1t must not be supposed, however,
that we had no Christmas. We were very
sensible of the obligations we were under
fore had our fun, which was heightened by
the consciousness that we had under our
charge lot of raseals whom we had assist
ed to capture, and whieh we gave to the
government as a Christmas present. On
New \ ears day we made up for any draw
back which duty imposed on our Christmas
celebration, and warm quarters, good i'd
dies and good fddlers, and plenty of good
eatables and drinkables, conduced to make
the occasion memorable day in the cam
paign. Fl
But your readers will wonder what con-
nection the quotation at the head of this
| communication has with the account of our
holiday recreations. That is the best of
the affair; and if your readers will exercise
but a very infnitesimal amount of patience,
| will let them into the secret
This morning, the day after New Years,
got box; aye, veritable box genuine
Christmas box, from headquarters. This
box was examined by the "boys" with
much curiosity. It was turned over and
over, and many were the conjectures made
| by the " boys as to it's character. First,
one remarked it was sent to us by the Mis-
souri, rebels, and was filed with innumera-
BILE death-dealing explosives, designed to
avenge the humiliation of the capture of the
Infamous thirteen hundred; then, another,
not having the fear of the penalties pre-
| scribed by the Articles of War;" made
and provided for introducing articles for
hidden, remarked that it contained sundry
bottles of fluid designed to make drunk
come" and that it had been procured by
some of the boys elected as a Committee of
| Comfort, and sent by express into camp as
| a charitable contribution" This idea
| was not very VIGOROUSLY combatted by an
/ ,,F oIsrysfT h.
| meekly suggested that Chaplain Huring had
procured us a box of tracts on the " Beau
| ties of Patience and Perseverance as Exem.
plifed in the Life of Soldier" and that
these wholesome pamphlets were intended
to be rehearsed by all sentinels on picket
| guard when the thermometer was twenty
! degrees below zero, and also by guards in
charge of seeesh, when in fits of impatience
at sanitary restraints these same secesh
| wish the Union, its aiders and abettors, in
extremely warm quarters. Another busy
| Sc !" drew down his conntenance to the
necessary longitude, and gravely gave it as
his opinion, that Mason and, ,Slidell were in
| the box, and were sent to US in this novel
way by Secretary Seward in order to steal
| a march on the British lion, and to avoid
| surrenderIng them to British authority.
| This solution made much fun, and then it
! vas voted to open it. This box soGs opened,
anu TUUuu; Uur ucTIgITj TuaE III our
con1ectures were erroneous. We fonnd
| what was indeed acceptable, and we found,
| tkat though absent and enduring toll, under
going privatien and bardships, and facing
| peril, that we are still remembered by our
| good friends at home. This box, as simple
and rough as was its exterior, is priced in
couceivably from its connection with home
and its I" fond recollections," and the evil
dence it contained of our being still thought
| of, still loved, and still known by those
| who rejoice when we rejoice, and sorrow
| with us when we sorrow. The ladies who
| were kind enough to get up this surprise,
may rest assured that Company B will ever
remember their kindness, and through what
ever Providence may have in store for
| them, they will ever send them their good
! wishes, recognizing them as verify daughters
of the Union, and worthy of soldiers
honorable mention. The only drawback
was that the mitts " did not go round;
but let that pass. If it had been that but
one pair came; had it but been the ex-
preston of the ladies in our remembrance,
the boys would still have rendered a SOL
dier,s gratitude. May the Evansville ladies
have every blessing attending them through
life. May they live to see this Union once
more at peace and unity, and may their
memories never become so treacherous as
to forget the soldier, is the hope of Com
pany B.
JOHN RHENLANDER, Capt. Co. B.
P. s. German paper please copy.
| Ovar tbraa bundrad first class seameu