Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-12-27

we make the following interesting extracts
'The 51st regiment has participated in bat
tie since last wrote and has marched over two
hundred miles within eleven days. The men
have had to carry in their cartridge boxes fifty of
those leaden minnie balls with powder and per-
cuSsion caps, a bayonet in their scabbards, a
rubber and wooden blanket slung over the right
shoulder and fastened in the ends of the roll, I'M
der the left arm at the side, haversack contain
ing hard crackers, coffee and sugar sufficient to
last three days, canteen of WATER and gun.
Each also had to wear an overcoat. Now it is
hard to march day after day fifteen to twenty
five miles SO bundled Many soldier threw
away his wooden blanket after the first day.
Bullet-proof vests which some of the men bought
in Worcester paying seven dollars for them,
were dropped by the roadside Several poor fell
lows got so footsore before the ten days march
was over that they took off their shoes and
limped along barefooted On one day l saw
Col Sprague dismount and make one of these
barefooted soldiers ride his horse while he took
the private'S gun. But there was no sickness
and no great suffering; nothing that cannot be
| be cured by very few days rest The new SOL
diers bore the fatigues of the expedition better
than did many of the old regiments, and they
| conducted themselves well on the battlefield
| The 18th is but few weeks older than the 51st
and they have been tried twice in the fiery ordeal
| of battle.
"The day after the battle of Kinston the 51st
| was called upon to form in line of battle under
| fire of the rebel guns l thought for one hour
| that it was impossible to bring company F out of
the battle without fearful loss of life But we
were favored The men were ordered to lie
down, and the cannon balls and Minnie balls
went over them. There was change of position
which brought other regiments in front, and we
were not called upon to make charge But
throughout the ten days the regiments in the
first brigade were assigned to the most exposed
and honorable posts. Several pieces of artillery
and good many prisoners are some of the tro-
phies of the expedition"
Another letter says
eve marched with the rest Friday, Dec. 18th,
till we were detached from the brigade, and with
two pieces from Capt. Rawson's artillery, were
ordered to guard "Beaver Creek Bridge" on the
main road to Trenton in rear of the whole adj
vaEcing column This was pretty good start
for our green regiment, as the duty was a very
at any moment. We remained there until we
received orders from Gen Foster, at halfpast
one O'Clock Sunday morning, to Join the main
column. At sunrise we started, marched all day,
and reached Kinston in the evening tired out
and having heard cannonading, we supposed we
were going rightinto battle. On the contrary we
found that Kinston was ours after hard fight,
and we encamped there till next morning. On
the road we met the ambuances with the
wounded, and saw the bodies of our gallant boys
and occasionally some Of the rebels.
''In the morning we started for Whitehall, and
about ten O'Clock heard heavy cannonading
which increased in dSlinctness as we kept on
marching Soon we came to the field of action
and shells came whzzing through the air and
bullets flew with arhdnging sound that our boys
will never forget. Our brigade was in the adj
vance, and the 18th, 23i, 45th, and Add Massa-
chusetts regiments in front of us. They kept
marching on nearer to the enemy who were cow
~ Tue right and lie down. Soon Gen.
Foster came up and asked Col. Sprague DO
your boys wish to fightP They are ready to 90
where you order tlem,' answered the colonel.
But it so happened we did not enter further into
the fight
A'NiN WIZ q SlC"I many amusing incidents
that occurred on the march you ought to have
seen. The contrabands who went with the ex.
pedition-there were hundreds of them, and a
combination OF most all characters and styles of
dress. They carried officers baggage and made
themselves generally useful, foraging for chick
ems, &c. The soldiers ought to have learned an
example of patience and endurance from them.
as they put up with everything. One poor fell
low died who was with Co. D, and we buried him
IN pine grove near by the camp, on the Kins-
ton road. They 90 with the officers for almost
nothing, as they do not wish to stay where our
soldiers vacate, for fear of rebel hands catching
them again" '''-''7