Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-02-05
Camp Correspondenoe-o the Po-
tOmAc.
From a private letter to a friend in New
ton Falls. we mako the following extract


tomRc.
From a private letter to a friend in New
ton Falls, we make the following extract
ARLINGTON, Va, Jan. Goth, 1862.
FRIEND Last Sunday l was abou
Is miles from here, on what is called pick
ct duty. We take turns q that n Reg
imcnt goes and stays 3 days, then anotheI
takes its place, and the first ones go home
to their tents and stay until ordered GU
again. 1t takes about 3 weeks for eaci
Division to 20 the rounds. 1t has rainec
for 4 weeks and not missed one day the
mud is about boot top deep, and all the
little brooks are small rivers, now. Il
would have pleased you to have seen thi'
Regiment going out to relieve its neigh
Dor Regiment. At night, on Saturday
we had orders to march on the following
morning, and we all cleaned our guns and
were ready. The morning came and II
found us with knapsacks packed. Car
fridge boxes on, and haYersacks filled,
with what soldiers call hard bread, or in
other terms, crackers, the most of them
are so hard that we use them for breast
platesl and all were ON hand for the start
at : o'clock in the morning. AT a few
minutes before that time, we formed into
line. The rain fell in unmerciful drops
on the poor soldiers, but Of course We did
not mind it, but started off on the Is mile
tramp. Our knapsacks and cartridge box
weighs about 40 lbs; it makes quite a load.
Well, on the road, at last, we found it all
we could do to wade through the mud and
water; many o time we had to wade some
little brook that had swollen so as to make
it almost impossible; sometimes taking
us in to the waist. But on we went, fear
ing nothing, until we reached the out
posts of our friends, where we received
the hearty cheers of our comrades of the
2lst n. Y. Regiment, whom we relieved
and they went to their camp. The form
of relief is after this style: 5 companies
arc left in reserve at the first outpost; .
march on to the line, there they are left
in squads of 8 or 10 in a place, about 25 or
80 rods apart, all along the road and fields,
to watch while the rest take their sleep.
Each company stands a relief Of "a hours,
at intervals of two hours each. There are
8 reliefs, which makes each man stand at
his post . hours then rests four hours, then
comes his turn again. Well, it was near
night when we arrived at the place of our
friends, the Dist, and were placed at our
posts. 1 was on the first relief, which was
from 5 to I and from IL to l o'clock. l
was placed out the fartherest of any, at a
suspicious place on the top of a little hill
that overlooked the country far around.
l thought Of friends, if they could only
see me at midnight, seated on a large
stone beneath a scrubby little pine, all
alone, musing on the past sports of old
Newton Falls, not forgetting old friends
the while, and thinking if any were mind
full of Charlie. Ny whole thoughts were
absorbed in the past, l wished for pen,
paper and q light. 1t would be so pleas
ant to have written all alone and at that
place; nothing to break the silence, save
the rain, which kept up its continual pat
ter, making the night more dismal, and
adding no little to the cautious charge
that was my duty. Occasionally some
night-bird would sound his shrill whistle,
then all would die away in silence, and
the gloomy night seemed an age. But
morning came at last, and with it came Q
dense fog which was as bad as night, but
hat was nothing compared Nth the jour
ney we should have Oh the road home to
camp, as it was still raining, and by
the next day the little streams must inev-
itably have risen so as to render them al
most impossible. At O'Clock the reserve
to our relief, and we all went back
to rest a while. The next day we were
relieved by the Pennsylvania Regiment,
and started home through some of the
worst roads l ever saw, but we are once
more in camp. Now 1 have given you
but a faint description of picketing ; three
weeks from this night, l shall be at the
same place, at midnight, and thinking of
friends and wondering if they are think
ing of me. If it is a stormy night, it will
be dreary and bad, but if pleasant, l shall
not dread it at all.
C. +. SHETLAND,
9th Reg. Wis. Vols.