Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-10-17
For the Pomeroy Weekly Telegraph.
Letter From the Camp.
CAMP BELOW GALLIPoLIs, J
J October 9th, 1862. {

.
iormedl of our regiment. say on
regiment, because we are Il, it, IL It be
cause we command it.) But, whatever
my purposes, in this regard, my time
has been so nearly all taken up with bust
ness and ''driil," as to render it almost
impossible to give attention to cores
pondence with any one. The truth is
raw set of company officers will find
but little leisure, for the first two o.
three months of service, if, at the end Of
that time, they get even tolerable un-
derstanding of their duties. and fair
knowledge of the ''school of the COM
pany. Drones and edo nothings' make
but little better soldies than "Know-
! nothings," even of the native sort; and
in this war, are decidedly less liable to
do harm, overseeing "s1uad' Of babies
at home, than when in command of a
! hundred men, on the field of battle
Such, at least, IS my "private opinion
thus publicly expressed. (As my obser-
vations are general in their character, of
course no oneswill take offense.) Late
orders from "Head Quarters, calling
abtentees to their duties, look in the
! same direction, and cenirm the judg-
ment
Passing from this, however, We make
few notes of our brief hastory as a
company. On the 18th of August, last,
at Columbus, received the appointments
for the officers of our company; on the
18th, returned to Meigs county; on the
the l4th regularly enlisted the first man
and, On the morning of the 18th the
number enlisted was one hundred and
fifteen-seyenteen more than maxi
mum campany. Sunday the 18th, every
man reported at "Camp Marietta for
duty. At that place we remained about
two weeks, when eigty men we're ordered
out to guard the NJ. & G. r. r. This
safe but irksom service, WAS performed
for several weeks without a murmur,
and to the entire satisfaction Of sail
concerned" although the men were
poorly clad-disappointed innot reeeiv-
ing their bounty and advance pay as ex-
pected-and, by being broken into small
squads (as guards) cut off aim ost entire :
ly from the advantages o. drill. New
ertheess, their good conduct won them
a name with the citizens along the road,
of which they may we'll be proud, and
that showed that, as soldiers. they still |
remembered and respected the rights and
privileges of the citizens.
FROM the Railroad we came to Cali
po'is-our first camp being on the
county Fair -Ground. While stopping
there few days, we we're 'mustered
iu," paid off and armed. Two weeks
since, we '.struck tents and marched to
our present encampment-thr miles
below town. and hg far the plcasantest
we have yet found. Here we will PROB
ably remain till the River rises, when
we expect to take part in recovering
what was lost (of 7err;tory) in the late
mastery advance Of the Kanawha
army, upon the line Of the Ohio. Of
course We knou nothing of this, and be-
fore a month may be a thousand miles
from here, engaged in some other expe-
dition. of great magnitude in our eyes,
if not in those Of the country. With a
soldier it is most emphatically true, that
he knows not what day may bring
forth, and with many poor fellows it is
better (is it notD that such knowledge
is shrowded in an unknown future
How many Of US could face our own
history, if readto US at its beginning?-
Not many, trow.
Our Regiment (the 116th) is now or
ganized, as follows: Colonel-James
Wash burn, of Monroe Co; Lieut.. Col.
-Thos. T. Wildes, Of Athens County;
Major--Mr. Morris, of Monroe County;
Quartermaster-A A. W. Williams, of
Meigs; Adjutant-Fred. L. Ballard, Of
Athens; Sutler-E. Armstrong, of Ath-
ems; Chaplain Rev. Mr.. Brady, Of
Monroe; Sergeant Major Milton A.
Ellis, of NIeigs.
Col. Washburn is an officer of consid-
erable military experience. He was
Captain Of Co. B, in the 18th Ohio, for
more than a year, and in several engage
ments. He comes with the highest re-
concentrations from the officers of his
Regiment, as well as from the vetran
Gen. Milroy. Were I to express an
opinion (Which I cannot do-see Regu-
lations) I should say that he is most
emphatically the "right man in the
right place" Affable and courteous,
yet firm and decided. He has the love
of both officers and men, while inforcing
the discipline so necessary in military
affairs Under his energetic regime,
order is already coming out of confusion,
and method out of chaos. With Wash
burn for our Colonel, we can soon say
''bully for the 116th!'
1t. Col. Wildes is already known to
many of your readers, as the energetic
editor of that able and loyal Journal
=, Foee,ooo. Tn