Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-02-06
ARMY yCoRREspoNDENCE.
Letter from Capt. spcigcI.
CAMr LANDER, NEw CREtK !

Ny DEAR FRIEND JIa I'll have made up my
mind to say something In writing in relation
TO the gallant and noble color company of tho
9TH Reg't, o. V. u. S. A., although would
not like to be held responsible for this letter,
in grammatical or photographed point Of
view, yet may say something Of interest 10
your numerous readers, and besides this ii
would do me good TO see a letter Of mine in
print once in my life
/ ] will not attempt to give you a long snd
tedious history Of how we came here and all
the incidents Of our journey, nor do ! intend
making long history Of the fact, that al.
though We were urgently called to The relief
Of the 1st Va. Calalry and its noble Band, bv
Gen' Landers, we had to lay over for days
near Benwood, Va, on account of the wa
ter being too high and some Of the railroad
bridges being torn up. At Benwood we were
Ia the first place quartcred in very comfort able
stock carg. They had to run our train one
mile out of town else the Ohio river would
have soaked in our overco ats and thcn allow
cd to pitch our tents on high pil &c ofground
| beautifully located on the banks Of the Ohio.
! AS soon as the damage on the Railroad was
repaired We embarked mot as Gibson said in
the legal dccp) but in the cattle cars, aud af
ter a slow and tedious ride we were allowed
to draw fresh air at Grafton, Va. / might as
well here state that as soon as troops cross the
Ohio river they are transported in freight cars.
! passenger car to each train for the officers.
Lieutenant Chapman and myself, however,
stayed with the boys, leaving our 2nd Lieut..
to represent us in officers car.
From Grafton we went on faster and were
/ anything Of a sentimental writer | would
give you glowing description of the Baiti-
more g. Ohio Railroad line but since it is
admitted that my cloquencc is best displayed
when judging good Lager, you would not asl;
! me to spread on rocks, creeks, laurels, &c
Our train stopped at 2 O'Clock A. NJ Friday
night. Being tired lying on the soft side o
a board Lieutenant Chapman and myself go
out OF the cars and walked along, and afte
walking while we were halted by Picke
Guard whom | tried to pass with the counter
sign, "castlc moro,'i but he would not take
70 We however learned there that we were a
New Creek and within hundred yards Of The
lst Va. Cavalry Band. You may, possibly
, imagine how we felt when we knew that tn,
fellow and his friends would not let us "com,
in." We did not swear, oh no, that woult
be "wicked !" we did not think the hour.
we had to wait were very long, neither; We
only thought daylight was so devilish slow
coming, that S all. But as soon as VIC coult
We broke, found the boys all in bed exc cp
Larimer, and really don't think, to be hon
est, it took them long to get out of thei
hunks to say, hello, how are youi &C., &C.
and | don't know but | might as well say it
there never vas meeting more cordial and
happy all around than that. | shall never
forget it. In less than no time they had
bully good breakfast the best you ever saw
and almost as quick did the Band boys detail
themselves into squads to arrest and bring uI
all of our boys they could find and bring tC
their quarters and embrace them; yes, sir
embrace them. 1t was q nice time If any
man in Miersburg says to you that mothe
Tescher's apple butter ever tasted better, OF
was more duly appreciated than on that oc-
caSon you will oblige me by telling him, "h,
lies"
: The boys we found we'll except Sam. Lem
, mon who was little under the weather, bu
he is all right again.
Leaders Kol6e & Yates do the thing III
brown Professor Irvine never was so gay il
his life Major Morris has his ever winning
smile; Smales, Richards, Hall, Parkison
Drake, Lennon are all fat and saucy Lari
mcr is us dignifed and pleasant as though Ii
n was newly married John Foutz looks a
+ learned as a Philadelphia lawyer, in fact a
are bully good boys. God bless them.
will say that was l was introd uced to Co
> AniSansill, of the 1st Va. Cavalry and tn
). friend of our Band boys, and never in my lif
| was so favorably impressed with man, o.
= so short acquaintance as with him. He Il
o"NS ShO"o you NV ScutIChuHs oShoIai du
= soldier; and every man who sees him wi
Is soon feel satisfied that he justly deserves tn
. Repatriation he has earned in this part of I'll
- country OF being the most efficient command
- er Of cavalry in the country. May his shade
S never grow less. / am not quite through wit
s the Band this afternoon they came over il
Il full uniform, mounted, and serenaded Lieut.
. Col. Nors, our Adjutant and myself, and
II friend Estill, it would have done your sol
30, h,,, 81 I
n say. that in contest between the LELAND
Doddsworth, Marine Band, or the lst Va
Cavalry Band, would go my pile on the lat
Is ter. They are the pride of all the soldier
II around here.
n Now, sir, about the 9th Regiment. On
~ tents are pitched near the banks of the north
y western wing of the Potomac, say so yard.
IS All around us are romantic hills. We hav
d here the 9th Ohio, 39th H., odd, Goth an
C 9th Ohio Infantry, some Artillery and tn
q lSt Va. Cavalry. All but tile Artillery an
c Cavalry came within few days. Eightee
C miles from here is Patterson creek, whcl
l some 10000 Union troops are stationed
c Three days ago we expected battle, but to
y day it is reported that the enemy are iallin
e back from Romney and going towards VIII
n chester, at which place they are strongly TO
IS titled and expect to give us battle, and thin
r the basis Of operation OF our commanders
& TO that place now. Our men brought in tw
}. of the cnemy's pickets and one Major fe
$ few days ago. (That is Col. AnisansIl'
/ scouts.) Besides daily drill, practice of II
c troops, outposts and pickets, there is N
~ much sign that we are in an enemies countr
My boys (with the exception Of Jacob Grae
ley and two others whom had to leave in II
Wheeling hospital) are all well and ''bili ng
for fight. They are gay and lively. "
have nothing to complain of only that tn,