Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1862-06-04
Correspondence Of the Gazette.
From the 49th Regiment.
CAMP, No. Is, IN FIELD,

NEAR RICHMOND, "a,
May %, 1862.
Mr. Editor-I presume many of the friends
of the soldiers of the 10Th Penna. Regiment
are anxiously watching the army of the Po,
tomac, in its investment of Richmond. |
have thought that a few leisure hours might
be preftably spent in giving them the wei.
come assurances Of continued good fortune
Since the battle of Williams burg we have had
som; hard marches, some hot and dusty days,
some swamp and forest, mud and rain /; but
in the main, our experiences have not been so
severe as before the battle. For the first time
IN our history as a regiment, since our depar
ture from Harrisburg last September, we have
been off the picket line for whole week, and
have actually Teen relieved for that time from
all picket duty. We have had Il good time
Tor the last few days living on hoe cakes-
There Is a mill within few hundred yards
of our camp, from which our boys arc
supplied with the best quality of Virginia
corn Hour at the very reasonable price of
50 cents bushel Making hoe cakes is
very simple matter. | made some Yesterday
They are merely composed of meal, water and
salt. understand that eggs and some other
little matters improve them, but we are not
addicted to such cxtravagancies. We had our
first thunderstorm yesterday-that is the first
that was not artificial. We can get up very
good limitations when we try.
We are now bat ten miles from Richmond
and our OutpoSts are Mt least three miles near
er. We are encamped in a beautiful farming
country, one that bears evidence of the prox-
unity of the city by its vegetable gardens,
orchards and "truck patches" for supplying
a city market. We find some white people
here, but, far rs I know, no Union ones.
fl,a 81 IL, Il
rebel army, and few Of the old men and
women left behind pretend to conceal their
secession sentiments. For large part of our
journey we found only deserted houses, or
blacks. but now few white families remove
The lies about the atrocities Ct the Northern
army have been refutcd, and there will be
little more of civilians fleeing in terror" from
Us in the future. A party of our Brigade
were out to day and secured large quantity
Of wheat and corn. We foIud also some bins
of sweet potatoes in the country, and in fact
other evidences Of former abundance. The
rebel army | believe has never been encamp-
ed in this region, which accounts for the fact
that there is little to eat in it. The contra
bands are source of constant amusement
and their huts and clothing telling evidence
against the owners, who have boasted of their
comfortable provision for their slaves. There
is very natural feeling of iov exhibited by
all at the approach of our army. Few of
them leave, but all seem to think our presence
is q guarantee of their future liberty and
freedom here, not elsewhere, seems to be their
desire. One, however, we met with supply
of corn cakes, bound, he said, for Fortress
Monroe He had been sold four times, whip
ped numerically. and abused all his life and
now he was going away from his master so
far that he would never be in danger of being
brought back. | have thought that the peo-
pie about US here must feel great anxiety for
their friends, so many of whom are in the
opposing force. Tears are not unfrequently
seen in these houses, when there are move
ments of our forces One old lady cried very
much, when told of the destruction of the
Merrimac and the fall of Norfolk. "These
Yankees can do anything" said she, "there's
no use burning bridges, for they bring them
along; and they bring their sawmills and
blacksmithshops, and all they want to eat
right with them, and they just take town
whenever they want it. There it is again. .
says she, as her eye caught sight of the bal
loon, and her tears testified her appreciation
of the danger to which her secession friends
are exposed.
We had very fine scene this afternoon In
connection WITH our DdlIOOu. IL Was put u u
pretty close to the rebel lines, when they at
tempted to destroy it with shells. One of our
batteries replied, and quite brisk fire was
kept up for time, the rebel shells bursting,
many of them above the balloon, and seem
ingly near it. The eronaut remained in the
air, however, causing one of our boys to re-
mark that there was at least one "good egg"
in that basket. presume our friends would
like to know whether they would risk battle
for their Capital So would we. We would
like too, to know where Mcdowell isf Wheth-
er Halleck has whipped Beauregardf How
soon the war will end and the latest news
all of which we are profoundly ignorant.
We get few letters, no papers not three or
four days old, and we feel as though commu-
nication was cut off Our regiment has left
a good many men in hospitals along the march,
but we expect most of them soon to reloin US.
David Gilbert, wounded at Williamsburg, we
learn, is dead. We are improved in health,
in good spirits, and good feeling again pre-
walls throughout our regiment. Lieut.. Nelce
is the only officer now sick, and he is at home
] think. Rumor says the rebels are leaving
Richmond. So be it, for We care not TO see