The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1862-12-12
CAMP LETTER,


Editor Pioa r.
DEAR SlR:--The close of my previous
letter left tie l23d Regiment at Webster,
small obscure station on the Baltimore
and Ohio Road some six miles west ol
Grafton. About 9 P. M. the 18th Of
Nov. we took passage in two ,rans Of
freight cars for New Greek, distant rs
miles, where we arrived at l2 o'clock at
night. after cod ride through some OF
the glandest and most picturesque seen
cry, that we Buckeye Boys. ever had
the privilege of gazing at. We passed
through quite number OF tunnels, one
OF which near lunuellon, was mile and
An eight in length. S melimes we Were
running along the base OF mountains,
whose tops were visible among the clouds,
with the clear waters of the North Branch
of the Potomac rolling along at our feet
on the opposite side and still! beyond were
to be seen the high tops of the Allegheny
Ridge peering over us. Again the line
of the road passes through the side of one
of those mountains, leaving an immense
pile of Rocks on either side, suspended
almost perpendicularly over us. towering
above us sometimes to the height of for
ty or fifty feet. Here and there, but
still quite seldom could be seen few
acres OF tillable land in the valley. where
some one OF the "poor whites" Of Western
Virginia was trying to exc out scanty
living. The night We arrived here We
bunked down in the cars, some on the
floor and some on the benches around
the outer edge OF the "hog cars AS the
boys styled them-with blankets around
us, trying to snatch few hours of sleep
before the break of day, but alas it was
too cold, and all we could do was to wait
as impatienlly as we could, till the sun
made his appearance in the east, which
was gladly hailed by IT'S as a hsrbinger
of quiet JOY to cold soldiers.
We pitched our tents close by the
railroad tack, some half mile west OF
the station. New Creek is a small place,
consisting of a few houses located in the
valley south of the North Branch OF the
Potomac, and is surrounded on all sides
by high mountains.
The troops that are placed here are
mostly ONO and Virginia regiments,
with one New York lO6lh) and one
Pennsylvania (t7th) Regiment. We have
been re- -brlgaued some Two or three times
since | wrote YOU, at present we are in
what is called the 3d Brigade, consisting
of the ilULh | Oh l22d 1881 Ohio, and
Virginian Battery OF arulIery, comman-
ded BY Col. Washburn OF the ll6,h
Ohio.
Saturday, the gel Of Nov. the troops
camped here were reviewed by Brig. Gen.
Kelly. assisted by Brig Gems. MlIroy,
Mulhgan and Cluscret.
Gen. Milroy who is in command Of the
Cheat Mountain Division has his head.
quarters AT this place.
ln pursuance OF an order issued by
Gen. M,lroy a lew days since the sale or
cirttation OF the "Wheelny Press, y
which Tor some time past has been dis
couraging the Union cause by expressing
its disapprofal OF the policy OF the Gov
elument, as well as OF the orders issued
by the commanding officers Of the army,
thereby aiding and abs'ting the rebels in
an indirect manner, is prohibited within
lie lines Of his mmand Western Vr
gina is blessed i'll one respect surely, that
is with good water. Tie water il the
streams here, proceeds mostly from
springs in the mountains and is very clear
and cold and tastes excellent, equal toI
any that is lound in the wells in Ohio.
Inc health OF the regiment is pretty
good, few scattering cases OF measles
and typhoid fever, bat most of those
complaining are troubled with bad colds.
Since we arrived here Jacob Wilkin al
private in our company A. died in the
General Hospital al Grafton, on the 18Th
of Nov with putrid sole throat. lie was
fine young man, highly respected by
his comrades, one who was steady and
upright in his behavior and deportMent
always on hand for every duty he was
called on TO perform. Thus alas another
brave heart has gone 10 rest, while en-
gagged in the defense OF his country
What judgement ought to be visited
upon the leaders and instigators of this
unhappy rebellion, which is embiltering
the feelings of almost every family in our
land, by the loss of some beloved rcla-
tive.
Tuesday evening Of this week in compa-
ny with Capt. Riggs of Go. G. | went
down to Cumberland, which is twenty
two miles east of here, and l7S west of
Baltimore. Found it to be quite good
sized town, with population of some
7,UoO or 5000. There is Considerable !
business transacted there in the Various