Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-01-30
Letter from Camp Barry.

CAMP BARRY, Washington, D. c., Jan, Is, 1862.
Z. o. GooDRICH, EsQ-Dcar SIR Perhaps
oUr Northern friends are so used to reading
sensation announcements in the New York
papers, of great battles, splendid victories and
successful Naval Expeditions, that shall not
be able to furnish a suitable 1I0Tceau" for
their morbid appettes. Occupying as we do,
only place in the Reserve Artillery under
Gen Barry, we have not seen any blood yet,
but we have heard the caunons thunder and
smelt the smoke Of powder-and as we have
orders to hold ourselves in constant readiness
to march, and every four gun Battery Of the
reserve has to keep on hand four hundred
rounds of ammunition, shot aud shells, we
think you will sooa have the satisfaction of
announcing to the readers of the Reporter, a
successful " On TO Richmond" The cloud of
iuactIon begins to break away, and the Army
of the Potomac will soon become as grand in
brilliant achievements as it now is in numbers.
Congress, at its commencement, has taken q
step in the right direction--tbat of cOnfiscating
the property OF rebels We thuk it is high
time ssreaai policies in this war was played out,
especially that Of fighting the rebels, and at
the same time holding their property to be so
sacred that our troops must watch over and
protect it: and also htat of setting at liberty
large portion of the rebels that fall into the
hands of our troops, on their parOlS of honor,
and oaths of allegiance, when they had already
forfeited both by taking up arms against the
Government If We are TO treat these rebels
as friends ard brothers, why not turn over the
Government to them at once, and trust to
their flal affection, their generosity and sense
of honor to do US Justice We have dallied
long enough with this rebellion if we are going
TO frht it down. Determined aud energetic
action on our part can soon accomplish the
deed Itis not an exotic but an indigenous plant
aud must be dug up by the roots; Topping of
q few pycresvnt branches will not answer. If
we wcnld be successful We must carry the war
into " Africq," coniscate the property of these
rebels for when we touch their '' RlCgerS" we
reach their souls, aud send the dagger home
10 their hearts-"not that We love- our South
crn brother less, but our country more. -
Earnest aud determined efforts on the part of
our Generals will soon extiuguish the last
lingering hope of the Confederate States
Their prospects are waning very fast. The
blockade at Acqua Greek is run almost daily,
and the rebels have concluded that it does not
pay to waste their powder on our oyster boats,
as they pass up and down the Potomac. Day
before yesterday the Pensacola passed their
great batteries without receiving any injury,
though sixteen shots from their heaviest guns
were fired at her 1t is the opinion of military
men here, that general battle cannot be kept
off much longer -Four Batteries of the Re
serve Artillery are under marching orders now;
and in a couple of days they will leave the
mortar beds they have been mixing on Capt.
tai Hill (the mud here has been from four TO
six inches deep for the last month"; and will
consecrate themselves by treadng the sacred
soil of the Old Dominion" We will all have
to leave here shortly, for wood aud hay are
getting to be scarce articles. Wood is worth
from eight to twelve dollars per cord, and hav
from thirty-fye to forty dollars per ton. All
the fences around here have been burned up,
and, even straw has been used up so that it is
now fetching eighteen dollars per toa.
Yours Respectfully, \. L.