The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-09-12
Letter from Illinois.
ROCKFORD, ILL.,, Sep. 1, 1862.

thousand volunteers. Nearly TWO regiments
came in yesterday, one from the East, the
other from the West. 1t is located in beau
tiful open oak grove on the West bank OF
Rock river, about mile above the centre of
the city.
As might be expected, it is great place
of resort for our people Of both sexes and all
ages. Seeing in the papers Of Saturday last
rotice that there would be preaching at the
camp on Sunday afternoon, by the Rev Capt
Taylor, captain of one of the companies of
the 18th regiment, recruited mostly in this
county, had the curiosity, with many 9TH
ers, to attend. There were present twenty
one companies, about 1000 troops, and per-
haps half as many civilians. The Rev Cap
tain was dressed in his military suit, and held
forth for an hour or SO in very animated
and apparently unprecedented discourse,
which was well received by his numerous au-
dience. 1t was delivered in the open air. 1t
had none Of the characteristics of sermon,
not even Bible text but it had texture of
sound, ardent patriotism, not to be mistaken.
The captain is a methodist clergyman in one
of the towns in this county, and is very
good representative Of the church-miluant.
Peter the Hermit was not more ardent in
preaching up crusade against the Turkish
infidels than our captain was in preaching up
military and legal crusade against that sum
of all villanies Slavery. He was for utter
ly destroying it, root and branch. Yet,strange
as it may seem, the speaker declared that he
was born and educated in Virginia, and had
lived all his life there until the last four or
five years.
We have parallel case in one of the cler
gymen of this city-the Rev Mr. Walton, of
the I'd Cong. church, truly able and elo-
quent preacher. He has on two or three oc-
casions delivered war sermons here, replete
with the most fervent denunciatisns of the
abomlnation, and all who worship at its
bloody shrine. lie is Nirginian born and
bred.
! If, as has too often been shown, the most
bitter and unmitigated traitors and disunion-
lists at the South were originally natives of
the North, and even of New England, the a.
bove cases seem to show that the converse of
the rule holds good, and that the most I'M
tlinching opponents of slavery are found a.
mong Southelners who have settled in the
North.
A word or two more respecting the troops
who are encamped here. The nth, as have
above stated, was mostly raised in this coun-
ty, and large share of it in this city. The
colonel is Jason Marsh, prominent LAWYER
here. 1t is composed of excellent material.
Our best young men, many OF them in good
business situations, have volunteered with a.
iacrity. One company raised here is called
the y. NJ. Christian Association company, as
large portion of its officers and men belong
to that association. They will no doubt af-
ford an excellent example of high moral
character, and correct as well as Solderly de-
pertinent. 1t is pretty safe to say that there
will be no card-playing, dranl-drinking or pro-
family in that company.
will add that am informed that within
few hours Col Marsh has received tele-
graphic despatch from the executive office at
! Springfield, ordering him to hold the troops
at this encampment read y to march at mo-
ment's warning to Cincinnati, which is now
threatened by strong rebel force, who have
captured Lexington, Ky.
/ notice that some nameless correspondent
from Baton Rouge, said to be surgeon, in
giving an account of the attack on that CITY
by Breckenridge, and the severe battle that
ensued, stated that the Vermont eth, which
took part in the action, behaved badly, except
the officers. Now this. have no doubt, is
gross SANDER. Tie official statements that
have seen intimate nothing of the kind
True, that regiment, with one from Indiana.
and | Think one or two others, were driven
temporarily from their camps, by superior
numbers; but | hear from no other source
than the one above named, the slightest init
nation that there was any misconduct in Ell
Their regiment, | cannot stand by and see the
honor of Vermont troops wantonly assailed
/ This city has been somewhat MOTEL for the
number. if not for the excellence, of its news
papers. In 1850 it had four weekly papers.
three Republican and one Douglas Democrat
&c, and one of the number ran daily also
The three others kept on the even tenor of
their way till few days ago, when one Of
them, the Rockford Republican, sold out its
subscription list, type, and everything but
two presses, to the Rockford Register, pa
per which had become well established. The
Republican, with which editorially your cor
respondent has had at times something to do,
was owned and published by two brothers by
the name of Blaisdell, formerly from Yer
gennes Vt, where they, or one of them, pub
lished The Nermonter. One of them has
gone into the practice of the law here, and
the other has entered the volunteer army. BY
the way, our volunteer army of Illinois is a
pretty numerous one, having already reached
In the Enumeration of its regiments No. l24.
they are not all full however, and presume
there will eventually be some consolidation.