Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-30


SUFFOLK, Va, Sept. %, 1852.
EDITORS LEADER:-It may be interesting
to the friends of those who enlisted at
Cleveland short time ago in the 67th reg
iment Ohio Volunteers, to know where we
are and how we are situated, sc. We left
Columbus on the morning of the eleventh
instant, and arrived here on the afternoon
of the thirteenth. We came via Harris
burg, Baltimore, Fortress Monroe, Norfolk
and Portsmouth. Suffolk is small town;
a few months ago it had from 2, 900 to- 800
inhabitants, at present there is not over
six or eight hundred white citizens, and
those mostly women and children. have
not seen over twenty-five or thirty male res
idents, and they are all old men, the
younger portion are all off with the rebel
army. The town is situated on the borders
of the Great Dismal Swamp; it is about
twelve or fifteen miles east of the North
Carolina line, eighty miles southwest Of
Richmond, twenty miles northwest OfNOr-
folk, and about thirty miles from Fortress
Monroe.
We found the regiment encamped on the
fair grounds and race course, where the
celebrated mare Lady Suffolk won herfrst
race. There is now quite large force
here. The post has been largely reinfOrc-
ed since we came here few days since. It
was reported that the rebels had crossed
the Blackwater, about twenty miles north
west of here, in force, and were making
arrangements to attack US. Our scouts
returned with information that they cross
ed back and that there was no dauger Of
trouble from them at present: l think 1t
was we'll for them that they did so, for we
were prepared for them. It caused stop
page Of all ingress and egress 10 our lines,
which also put q stop to everything in the
shape of vegetables coming to town, and 1t
has become somewhat difficult to get pro-
visions. Nearly everything we eat comes
from the North, and by the time it reaches
here brings high price; for instance the
most common kind of keg butter is sold
at from thirty to thirty-ive cents here.
The white inhabitants are all strongly Sc
cesh, and have but very little intercourse
with the Union officers or soldiers.
1t is somewhat amusing to see
with what utter adherence the female
portion of the inhabitants regard Us. There
is not over half a dozen stores open in
town, and none of them have anything
more than a few remnants. l notice two
of the stores have small Union flags in
front. 1 Judge it is for the purpose Of get
ting trade from the soldiers. Negroes are
thicker here than blackbirds in cornfeld,
and the cry is "still they come" There
is not day but what several come inside
our lines, all striving to gain their free
dom. Some of them are respectfully
clothed; many the most abject looking be-
ings imaginable. There was quite an in
telligent negro man came into our camp a
day or two ago. l asked him why he left
his master. He said his master had lately
been killed in the rebel army, that his mas
| ters brother was about to send him tc
Richmond to be sold, and while he was
looking for rope to tie him, he managed
to get away. l asked him how much he
thought he would bring in Richmond. He
replied, not much. Negroes are mighty
poor stock; not much better than Confed-
crate scrip. He said he was sold less than
two years ago for 81, 800, and in January
last for 5000. The loss of the thousands
of negroes that have got away, and the de-
| probation of those who remain, will bank
rupt the entire State of Virginia.
The health of the Federal army at thi:
point is good, but very few being in the
hospital. The men who came from Cleve'
land have all been able to do duty every
day since they came here. o. B. A sayi
his health was never better that he car
march twenty miles day and carry {
knapsack can bite cartridge and make
a hasty meal on hard bread and salt pork
He says he never slept as sound in his lif'
as he did few nights ago when the regi
ment was out to support battery in cas-
we were attacked) on the ground, with
rail for pillow and no covering whatever
We are all quite anxious to get some Cleve
/ land papers. Can you not send US occa
sionaily a bundle of LEADERS for the ben
eft of the Regiment? Should anything in
teresting occur, may write you again.
H.