The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1862-04-02
CAMP Of FlFTY-THIRD REGlM'T AT MANASSAS
MANASSAS JUNCTION, Mch


FRIEND MAC: Having a leisure moment
Propose TO improve it in writing to you ofouE
present whereabouts, of our occupation &C.
and Judge it will be of some interest, as from
the great scarcity of writing material there
must necessarily be great dearh of letters
from the boys at present with us. am
using a leaf cut from time book which
was fortunate enough to confscate upon our
first arrival at Bulls Run. 1t is now two
weeks since first we started from old Scamp
California" During that short time much
has been accomplished The great Rebel
stronghold has fallen nto our hands, and that
without the loss of q man. You are (what In
this fast age where events OF the highest mo-
ment succeed each other with almost light
ming like rapidity) long since made aware OF
this important capture and the attending
events, all of which have been portrayed by
far more able pens than that which your
present humble correspondent wieldS, not
withstanding which | trust you will kindly
bear with me while give to you some details
which YOU can not now be acquainted with,
many OF them coming under my own personal
observation they may serve to throw some
light on the feelings of JetfS subjects, as well
aS TO his probable chance of perpetuating his
kingdom. Among the things which have
presented themselves TO our casual observa-
tion is, first; The preponderating natural ad-
vantages of this locality for the carrying on
of defensive warfare are far ahead Of anything
which ever presented themselves to our view.
The strategy which has compelled the rebels
&c abandon this chain of fortications without
the loss of life would seem to be of no mean
order. We think it must be admitted thatat
last "Scottie and are getting EN-" In our
I. L.,
since we mentioned the wholesale destruction
of stores consummated by the rebels as they
were about fleeing from the "cowardly Hes
sian hirelings Of old Abe" We notice on a
more careful investigation that said destruc
ZION was far mole extensive than we had at
first supposed. Apparently there was heavy
stores of nearly everything needed by an army.
Passing carelessly over the charred and
blaukened ruins Of what was aforetime the
Rebel Commissary Department we noticed All
immcnse supply of utensils belonging to the
culinary department, piles upon piles of ket-
Ties, knives and forks. or rather the remains
Of them, spoons and hundred d-andone other
things were scattered in every direction-in
ore corner was an outrageous pile Of horse
shoes sufficient to last the rebel cavalry fully
as long as they seem likely to remain in the
field. They were supplied too, judging from
the piles OF spades, picks axes, &c, with all
tools necessary TO the erection of earthworKs.
In one place was large pile of bottles and
other glass vessels, more or less broken
up, which, Judging from the disagree
a0le scent which saluted our nostrils,
might have been the medical stores. Among
this miscellaneous gathering we saw a large
number of bayonets, gun barrels, locks. &c.
One ractallic coffin greeted our view. A little
un one side was some workshops which were
left uuharmed, their principal use seems to
have been the construction OF collins, num-
Der of which were still remaining in the shops
Here let me give you an item or two bearing
On the sanitary condition of the army former
ly here. Intelligent negroes coming into our
camps state that there was IAuch sickness
among the rebel forces stationed at and about
The junction. One old gentleman (white)
coming into our camp with articles OF luxury
for the tables of the officers, informs US that
being on Il time in the rebel camp he learned
from a sentinel on post at the dead house,
that during a period of time from twilight till
midnight, no less than ten bodies were trans
terrcd from the Hospitals to the dead House y
This is a most significant fact when we take
into consideration the number of troops lying
at this point. This number has been eSti-
mated at from thirty TO forty thousand. We
have been informed that nearly every after
noon was devoted to burying the dead.
1t was on Monday morning that we COM
menced our advance, the distance at the
nearest point somewhere between twenty and
thirty miles, and by the circuitouS route which
we pursued, much farther, making it impos-
sible for us 10 accomplish the journey IN q
shorter period than two days in the muddy
state Of the road All this the rebels were
we'll aware of, and as they knew the exact
time of our departure, and yet, such repug
nance had the "chiralry" to probable chance
of an association with '.mud-sillS" of the
north that they too commenced on the same
morning evacuating their works, leaving in
such haste that they left behind them, un-
buried, four of their companions in arms who
had 'shuiied off this mortal coil" These
bodies were discovered short distance from
the head quarters of Gen. French, and were
decently inferred, three of them by detach
ment from the 50 Pa. Volunteers, the fourth
by the 9th n. Y. They were inferred in q
burial place at the Junction used for the in
terment Of soldiers. have not been through
this burial place, but one of cur boys who
has, tells me that the chivalry who lie here are
scarcely covered. There is nothing to mark
the resting place of the departed but mar
row strip of board placed at the head of the
respective graves, numbered in regular Sc
ries, commencing at one and reaching over two
hundred. There are a number of other burial
places. II was our fortune to find the morn
ing report of "a company which had probably
been In the quarters now occupied by US. 1t
was up TO March 9th. and represented that
the company had an aggregate Of only fifty
seven, out of this number there was twenty
six reported sick. All this would seem to
establish the idea that the rebels have snf-
fst 81 nyget frsnn Iie.sFs