The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1862-01-04
The Camps at Annapoiis-A sketch Of
Camp Scenes mud Camp Life.

Especial Correspo"denoc o( ne Sun.)
ASNAroLrs, Dec. ~, 1861.
In former letter gave you ny first impress.
sions Of Annapolis, and in this wi attempt a
description Il tho military eucampmonts in its
vicitity.
The c4mps commence about milo back OF
Annapolia and extend to- distance of nearly
three miles. The land Is but partially cleared
and cultivated, ard patches o. wood sAirt the
largo corn fields in which tho fonts arc pitched.
Tho SOLDIERS sometimes avail themselves OF this
proximity to timber and brush ~ood u procure
materials for shclieling thoir cooking fires and
utensils, but there ID no wanton obstruction Of
property The sol reminds you e that Uf psrts
ti New Jency, bL. whom III ntd up and dry Is
OC n more ycllo~ish col I. Nor IL tho mud, az.
| ter ibiu, ~ fUd ~ the Jefbey mud.
From III u point you cln have a near view
| Of the ct,.mpnrLt Of live different r,gimcnts,
| and upon bright sunny day, whom the rogi-
mcnt5 are out for drill and the glistoning Of
bGyonois above tho rows Of white tents tho
rattle e tho drum, tho loud commands Oi officers
| and the rapid NOV, nevis Of ITO mon, give the
greatest animation 10 the sCotC the sight In ono
Of tho most stirring and picturesque. B,tOro
the mon lug, and a. tho close Of the afternoon
drills, the bands generally play TOW airs, and
tho ono,t q the music a, II rolls along tho plain
aud it, eClIoc8 IisO hnsng the adl lCbnt woods
and hills, 10 grand and celebrating The tents
are pitched IN double OF single rOSs, in Straight
lines, according 20 their si1a or form The cid
fashioned small TENT, for four men each, are
placed in close dOuhl, rowd with ,pia OF from
fifteen TO tw. nty foot boswec them.
These ansvcr the purpose Of stroets, aud
in most Of the camps age linoi with BRANCHES
oi piio stuck into tho ground to- resemble small
trees growing. The streets are swept rogul ,rly
and kept ~ clean IA possible. Tue uilicoTs tcns
run acfo,, the head O' the camp slr, cts, and IN
tINeninl, arc the pits ard sheds for tho camp
fires on which tho food is cooked. Most OF the
regiments h,Te employ cooks, Who have special
chaTg, OF the cooking department and arc eN-
emp. from other duty. The men have three
meals day, fresh meat generally once "A day
and meat at some Kind at almost every meal.
There N TO lack IN tue qulntity Of food, how
| ever little Of nceLcss there may 30 in its pre-
J LaTatiOn. Cooking seems to 20 on inces,ynuy
during the day time, and the camp kettles, one
/ would suppose, would soon bo burned out 10y
/ their constant Use.
| Each camp is laid within what is called
| Zines tho lin ita Of tho space coupled by
| the regiment. On those lines guards are placed
| to prevent the soldiers passing thom without
leave, or urSuiheriz,d persons Offering tho
/ camp. Ills il called doing guard duty. Usual
| ly, tho men are det0od in regular order to do
| this duty, but often slight inirIctions Of disc
| plne ara punished by placing tho Offenders ON
| guard for AN extra unber u hours. To be on
| guard twenty. four hCuis in cold or rainy wealth
/ or, ~ no lkul luhlNffs Aul ue'N may Nhou'
lion some Of the o,bor punahmcnts for light
| ufiensof, introduced in somo regiments. For
| emu lpl,ug liquor into camp, or getting uu o
| steady FROM its use, standing IN a barrel seven
| TO Dine hours, under guard, Is prescribed as a
| cure. Carving ON the shoulders "A barrel with
tho top and bottom knocked out; marching
through the camp with a large placari on tho
back, AID drilling and para ing with a log Of
wood on VIC shoulder instead If musket, are
with olcr pun ishmOnts frequently made use Of
In walking among the tentf, you find tho
| men, when Cn duty, NatioWlN occupied. Some
| are collected in groups around tho camp fires
| chatting. j. kng-somutimes grumllng Or dis
cUgsng the m, Tits and conduct Of their oiliJor ;
watching the kettl boil, or displtchlng their
rations If it happeEs TO bc mealiimc. Other'
are cleaning The spaces between the tentS,
huthiI e thor clothes, or washing undorshirts.
r | Down by tue suffers tent you almost always
lind crowd Sho, rot CONTEXT with their regular
fare, are running bill against their next
monthly psy' Tor cheese, mol uses cakes anI
other edihles not included in tho Government
rations. Out hy the " lii es'' YOU may at tna'
see those who have money buyinR up the pics
| the mutton steW., legs "A d wings OF tuIkos
np, lies and candies &c, brought ont from the
| City in tin cars ami baskets 10y entcrprl-nf
dArkies- and who, by the way, in this matter
display about all tho enterprise visible IN An
nap,lis. Won Oh md little girls do mos
of tho pic and apple trade, but th'
| want Of ready funds limits It TO
few. Occasionally, you pass II stout iello will
u stock Of saeables on wheel6arrow, and
| have seen one ar two Uf these colo eel merchant
Who had increased their trar sportation resource
| to the oXl nj Of an Cd cart ana IN older hors'
| which look ed as If he might have been bou gh
of Government Horse Contractor. Let u
| pas back again to the tents and take poop int
some. In this ono ia soldier cleaning mu'k Ike
| and comrade has copy OF uardce's Tactics
| wi ich he il examining TO solys doubt abol
, | an order which his officer had given.
, In his tent little tailoring IL bong done
, in the IeXt, there II n cad playing pMty, an
y you hear one OF them cliinitS high, low, 40,
y the game" In the next, tired or sleepy 81
der is taking nap, rlled up in his thick, gra
blanket, his knsp,Aok 'or a pillow. AMI I'll
Z | Gound with "a very slight spunliling OF strn'
= on it, for a couch but he sleeps souEdly. Hor
isa tent with plank flooring. The occupant
must be men OF IN, ans and taste They arc NJ
IN.
The 9th Massachusetts, troops src comiortAbl
Il | cncamp'd They have the large Sibley tenti
- I five OF which hold a con pany. In each toni
, a stove, which with llSs pipe, Is attached to n
n | centre polo Of tho tent Tho 18th Como ,t'cu
M have slso tho Ia 80 tents but in them the col
!, ire POLE is a hollow tube Of east iron and serve
n the double purpose Of supporting tho tent an
, | perform ing the iunCi ions of "A stove pipe. Bot
II these rcgin ents have made FREQ use Of tho tin
a., bor Of neighboring wood, in building log hui
for storage and kitchen purposes. Gilmore
~ celebrated Boston baud is with the 2lth, and
4 is said that the regiment has agreed 10 pa
h them ~ coo month in ADDITION to tho govern
a mtnt allowance Tor music.
Is nee. 29.-Wo do. not YET know whom the "a
i. petition will d,pnrt Since the rain storm Of
D. week ago, we have had light frosts and clld'
=, weather The health Of the men in the caml
" Is scarcely 50 good The men in ermps are a
T. anxious 20 got away as soon AS possible an
M this week may bring tho desired orders.
or THE Nav lunh LEApFR has added 10 /
~ contributors, the popular Howard of Il
On NEw YORK TnEs, whose spighty sketch
at be J,TerdS trial, in the paper of last week, ar
on the ore on New Years Eye, in the LEApE
m q this Weel. arc err Sipg new demard Tor th
"a. fayOgits weekly.