Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-05-02
LETTER PROM FORTRESS MONROE
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LETTER No. %.


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LETTER No. %.
CAxr HANrLros. FoETREss MosRoE- Va
saturday night, April %, -62.
FglUp EcEEL:
Upon reqnisition frequently
urged. We are at length receiving IN iTregu-
af stfeAks aud patches, our back fations OF
pleasant weather, to which the advance of
The Southern season entitle u. We know
that Spring has come, for the frogs 10 The
aeigAboFlng ponds al night 7ie With the
bands, 10 the production OF music aud the
bfeeses from the Chesapeake ATE necessary
10 temper al times the heat Of the sun o.
This wsrlike Peninsula. Taps come too
.oon 10 the evening for those who wish 20
81, up aud enjoy tbs pleasan'nes' OF ihe
hour.
We may now reasonably expect that the
vernal months shall deliver Us. ia a great
measure from the dull, drizzlias and dismal
IAys- -blue devils and deep mud. \ rainy
DAY in camp is indefinitely prolonged
solll mass Of time which Is 10 be Clipped
1fi or broken into fragments in every con-
ceiyabie way every faculty has 10 be de-
voted to the discovery Of some means to Kill
not rebels bot time. Every body yigoF-
0usly smokes and then smokes again the
colofing Of merchaums becomes au object :;
all the ysller kiYers' IN camp are suatched
W With an ayidity denOting an absorbing
interest 10 their contents become q kind Of
currency which, above par, rapidly passes
from tent to tent and from hand to hand
The newspapers with their advertisements
are read and re-read, and diligent search
made through Jayne's almanac for some
paragraph Of momeutary sensation, while
many find the only mode oil Withdrawing the
mind from the contemplation OF the ieaky
nature Of the weather, is to sleep.
The trees are far advanced in foliage like
our boys, they have donned their new attire,
ana ike them they look we'll here in Dixie,
where one sees little that is new or fresh /;
the fruit trees are glorious in their tinted
blossoms, and those portions Of the land not
tfodden BY the soldier are as green as luxu-
rant grass and clover can render them.-
And i is astonishing what an enlarged taste
for Horticulture the ETHEREAL mildness' Of
the ,eason has developed in our Regiment.
Many a gay little parterre which Flora
has decked with her tapestry springiug up,
4, by magic, about the tents bears evidence
Of the poetic tribute levied upon the gardens
Of Hampton and surrounding country di.
minutye mounds and plats laid out with
sods Of grass, representing in an artistic
manner, shields, sentiments and sundry
Unlou devices, bristling with rose bushes
promising an early bloom redolent too with
The perfume Of the hyacinth and gaudy with
expansive yellow flowers, have been made a
relief to the eye so long accustomed to the
sight Of canvass and muddy ground. Large
evergreen trees have been brought from the
forests and transplanted to embower with
thu ,hrubbery, some Of the habitations.
With all this attention to the adornment,
other usual spring work has not been ne
elected, for wooden additions have been
made to the fronts Of the tents, and pave
ment has bean laid the entire length Of one
avenue finger boards, neatly painted, have
been placed in position, indicating the 10.
caity Of dupont, monitor" delaware,
"Sussex." and "Christian" avenues. With
all these extensive improvements, we now
have little village that we are somewhat
proud Of where Que can sit before his dooI
of an evening, with his friends around him,
and discuss the possibilities Of removal
from this point, the plausihility Of some one
Of the thousand camp rumors which give u,
all something TO talk about, and the pro
priely Of the emancipation act, the feature.
Of which are well liked here. This genera
undermining would appear to denote .
fixed intention upon the part of the Regi.
ment ofremaining at Camp Hamilton during
the entire season.
The slowness Of camp life has been varied
within the past few weeks, as you are aware
by some innocent little sparring exhibitions
between the Monitor and Merrimac and
other minor craft. And so much interest
do all feel in the movements Of the Rebe
monster, that the first thing they do in the
morning after they wash their face and
hands and say their prayers-ior you know
soldiers are pEoverbially deyotional-is 10
look across towards Sewall's Point and
Craney Island to see if she is showing hel
ugly iron snout around the Point. We are
not at all alarmed about her here, for We
have considerable faith in the efficiency oil
the means at hand she will be properly re-
ceiyed, we believe and be the object of some
distinguished marks of favor from the Union
savers here.
There is nothing new in camp since the
advance Of the Grand Army the necessity
of occasional scouting on the part OF the
Regiment, which, by the way, was sort OF
relief no longer exists.
Thank that lady who inscribed the poetry
to the correspondent Of the journal a
short time ago, for the kindly interest she
professed to take in his letters he would
reply in verse, but poetry he never attempt
ed but once in his life, and then the failure
was SO signal that no inducements could be
offered him to make another essay in that
direction but he promises still 10 continue
to communicate in prose and in very prosy
manner with the Journal, whenever any.
thing of interest transpires; and this in spite
of the rain. Yours,
BILLY.