The Portland daily press., 1862-12-29
Monday Morning, Dec. %, 1862.
Correspondence of the Press.
Letter from the 23d Regiment.
CAMP GROVER,
Montgomery Co., Md, Dec. 81, 1s'

OAMP UHOfER.
Montgomery Co., Nd, Dec. 81, 1862.
"Things is movin'." We are in the hurry
and hustle of breaking camp, and marching
for new scene of duty-new in one respect,
yet familiar in most The regiment is to be
divided into four or five portions, and deploy-
ed to different points on the Potomac to guard
the frontier of Maryland from the incursions
of the still defiant bands of rebel guerillas
which infest upper Virginia. The regimental
headquarters will be at Muddy Branch, Lock
22) with four companies; the other companies
will be distributed, and stationed at the Locks
on the canal from Lock 20 (Great Falls) to
Lock "a at Seneca Part of the regiment will
be stationed on the ground of our former en-
eampment at Lock 81. f
This change produces quite sensation, as
Z We had got pretty well established for spend
ing the winter here. We were beginning to
feel something like respectable and orderly
community. For five weeks we have labored
in sunshine and rain to prepare for the inclem-
ency OF winter, building up" our tents, lug
ging stones from long distance for flreplaces,
erecting stables and a meeting house, organ
izing Sunday school, holding temperance
meetings, &c., DC, until contentment and
peace reigned universal in our whole domain.
The whole Brigade is moving up river. Its
headquarters will be at Bolesville, and the diff
ferent regiments will be stationed on the river,
pkNhct III Tile SAME tuduueT as ours.
During the past week, four deaths have oc-
CURED, viz: Gilman Pike of Sweden, TO- B,
F, Dec. 18th, of fever and paralysis of the left
side; j. X. Besse of Paris. Co. +, Dec. 17th;
Charles j. Twitchell of Bethel, Co. b, Dec.
20th, of typhoid fever and Farnham L. Bean,
of Bethel, Co. b Dec. 20th of fever and infam-
nation Of the bowels. There are now about
200 sicksn hospital and in quarters, many with
measles. Most of the fever patients are re-
covarnO aud nprr raU aUiunanf will
important accessions from the hospital, as we
hope.
Capt Horace c. Little and 1st Lieut.. E.
Mellen Wight, of Co. b, have resigned on ac-
count Of i'll health. Winthrop H. Hall, late
Adjutant of this regiment, succeeds Capt. Lit
tie as commander of the company and assumed
command on breaking up camp this morning.
The necessity, which compelled these esteem
ed officers to retire from the service is regret
ted by all with whom they have been asso-
ciated, as their high character, correct deport-
ment and active exertions in behalf of the
company had won them many friends. We
hope that rest and exemption from severe ex-
posure will prove beneficial, and their health
may be recovered.
read with much interest, the reports in
the Press of the lectures, debates and other
public entertainments in your city during the
current season, especially the debates. at the
Mechanics Library Hall. Knowing so well
as do, most OF the gentlemen who take part
in those discussions, relish keenly the point
ed and sarcastic personal illusions to each
others political history in which they indulge
while the important question of emancipation
is before them. 1t is to be hoped that those
who oppose the act of the President will en-
deavor to be reconced to the event which, it
is generally hoped, will soon follow the an
nouncement of the Executive desire to free
the country from the vilesG curse, that ever
rested upon any portion of the earth. No act
of any President from Washington to Lincoln.
was ever performed so fraught with goodwill
to mankind, and especially with blessings to
an oppressed and long-suffering race, as the
emancipation proclamation Of abraham Lin
coin. Every person who is willing that hu-
man freedom and all the blessings of republi-
can liberty should be enjoyed by all men, even
at the expense of mere selfish and transtory
interests, will uphold the government in its
position. Those who hate tyranny, who dep
recate oppression in every form, will hail the
auspicious morning offreedom to the slave with
heartfelt gladness. The other class, such as
deem party success more desirable than hon.
est and humane administration of power, who
can hurl terrible anathemas at the President
and his supporters, and are seemingly uncon-
scious of anything very obnoxiousin the insti-
gators Of rebellion, except because they sue
ceeded in smashing their party political idols,
these non-believers in emancipation phan-
thropy will continue to carp and find fault and
oppose the government, even in its last ex-
tremity.
Why is it? Because they are blind, not by
reason of looking at the truth by its own
reflected light, but that they have SO long shut
their eyes to facts, and their reasoning faculty
has become imperative and unservceable in
proportion as their power of seeing things in
a true light has become impaired. The "Rights