Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-11-04
d0ottester Daily spp
Letters from the Field
FROM THE TWENTY-FIVE REGIMENT.

CAMP 'HARKNEss," N. c., Oct. 26, 1862.
Dear Brother:-A rainy day in camp is al
ways daH day, and to pass away an hour I
think of writing you an ''odds and ends" let
ter while the rain patters against the canvass
and we are all glad enough to remain inside
our tents. We are on picket duty again near
the Harrison House-this making the fifth
month since last spring that have been bush
whacking in North Carolina | have here
under my command three companies of the
25th, f, G, and K,-and we have a very pref
ty camp, which, complimentary to our late
worthy and efficient adjutant Hardness, we
call camp 'Harkness.' It's pretty name
anyway, but it has for us much significance
reminding us of the excellent officer, genial
friend, and thoroughly posted adjutant we
have lost. We envy the 5lst regiment in get
ting so good an officer-I might say, properly
and truly, in getting the taco flowers of the
25th, in lieutenant colonel Sprague and adiu-
tant Hardness.
Last Wednesday night private Patrick Wal
lace was shot by private Spindler while on
picket duty some two miles above us on the
Trent road. They both belonged to Co. G.
Spindler was on a flank post some twenty
five rods from our reserve, and Wallace was
sent to relieve him soon after eleven o'clock
at night. Instead of going directly to the
post, he went off one side, and approached
Spindler from the rear, and, when CHALLENGED
by the latter, neither responded nor came to a
halt, and consequently received ball in his
right arm near the shoulder which passed
through him and out at the back. Wallace
was frightened, and, when Spindler went to
report to the sergeant, crawled off to an adj
joining field. | went up with DIR. Mecorney,
our assistant surgeon, the officer of the guard,
and a small squad of men, and, after Skin
mishing about in the darkness a long time,
gave up the hunt, not being able to find him.
The next morning | went up again with sixty
men, who were deployed as skirmishers, to
hunt the woods; but Lieut.. Upton and nv
self, riding our horses through an open field,
heard a gr0an, and discovered Wallace near
us lying upon his back 1t was not long be-
fore our party was notified and the wounded
man taken to camp, where Dr. Rice performed
the amputation of his right arm at the Shout
der. | think it was the most skilful amputa-
ton | ever witnessed, and it is not the first
shoulder amputation | have been compelled to
see. Always difficult operation, it was in
this case most admirably performed by DR..
Rice. Qt it is ever thought that | need to
lose one of my limbs, shall ask Dr. Rice to
use the knife.) But the wound and conse-
qnent exposure was too much for poor Wal
lace, and he died on Friday morning. Spin
dler is fully sustained in firing his rifle. He
acted in strict compliance with orders Our
companies here have raised near $3.50 for the
family of Wallace. He was a Mendon man,
and bore good character in the army
Gen. Foster has ordered barracks for twen-
ty thousand soldiers to be erected in and
about Newbern. Saw mills are in operation
night and day, and the work is being pushed
forward as rapidly as possible The new reg
iments coming here will be furnished with
comfortable barracks as fast as possible We
expect barracks for our regiment in a few
weeks. In few days / am to have new tents
for my company, and is to be provided also.
The tents Of q and X have become almost
worthless from long use in the woods, and
now, while it rains, as | write, the water
sprinkles through my canvass fright smart"
We have had one heavy frost | trust the
coming of frost will tend to decrease our sick
list. This morning | report twenty sick in
my company. Several of them, however are
conyalescent and nearly ready to return to
duty.