Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-01-31
Letter from the Camp.

Letter from the Camp.
CAMP HAMILTON, near Fortress Monroe, va,
January II, 1862. I
Dear Father: At your request, I
write you brief account of my journey
ings, since l enlisted as 'tsoldier boy"
in the service of the United States.
AS you remember, on the first Of
August last, as member of Capt. Titus
Cavalry Co., 1 started cover land'' for
Camp Chase, where I arrived after
three days of hot, hard riding. The
trip was enjoyed very much. notwith-
standing it's Inconvenience, as it gave
me much better idea of the nature
and condition of the interior part of my
native Buckeye State than [ other
wise could obtain. Indeed, | am in
clined to think the best way to learn
geography is to aoaM over tie nsap-that
is, by travelling. At any rate, [ would
rather travel than "read the booksr
About three weeks after my arrival
at Camp Chase, Capt. Titus Company
went the way of ';all fesh,' and was no
more-in camp! This result was eff
fected by variety of causes too numer-
Gus to mention. Suffice it to say. that
no blame in any way attaches to Capt.
Titus, who labored necessarily to keep
the Company together. 1t is also due
to him to say, that, as far as I know, his
men were all pleased with him. The
sponsibility for the dissolution Of our
company rests on other heads-not on
his
Our old company destroyed, with
twenty-six others, including Capt. Titus,
[ enlisted under Capt. Runyan, then
recruiting company in camp for an
Independent regiment; and at the end
of one week more, started for Philadel-
phia, the ancient and far famed s'Qua-
ker City" The trip was to me one of
unmixed and pleasurable excitement.
My first ride on the Iron Rail, with
some most delightful scenery, especially
from Pittsburgh east-it seemed as if
[ could scarcely enjoy myself better
Nor did the interest falter on my arrival
in the city The tales read and listened
to of Independence Day, were vividly re-
called to mind, and | hastened to visit
the old State House and Independence
Hall, sacred remembrances Of our first
struggle for Freedom and national ex-
istence. AS you open the door Of the
Hall, your eyes are greeted with a large
and beautiful statue of Washington
The walls are covered with fine engra-
wings of our Revolutionary heroes, and
of many of our celebrated warriors and
statesmen of more modern times. The
bell that first tolled the birth of our
country's freedom and independence of
irresponsible and despotic power, sits,
time-worn, in the middle of the floor
Shall it not be rung again, when we
emerge from the gloom of this cause
less and wicked civil war, redeemed,
regenerated, and disenthralled by the
genius of universal freedom?"
Leaving these sacred relics of s'better
days." I proceeded to visit the Water
Works. I would like to describe them
to you, had l the power to "pen-paint,"
like Macaulay or Headly, but 1 have
not Suffice it to say that they will re-
pay more than "passing glance to
any visitor of the Quaker City.
Fairmount Park, near at hand, is al
together the finest in the city, and this
is saying considerable, assure you
But as [ stayed only one day, of course
l couldn't see eve,ything.
AT Baltimore all was quiet-our COM
pany not receiving or giving an insult.
1t is wonderful what change has been
wrought upon the esprit of their
Dreams y by a few pieces of hollow iron!
Fort McHenry is the great peace maker
of Baltimore.
But at last, here we are at the Capt.
tol City, with nothing of note, but its
public buildings, public men, and had
almost said public women, for l be-
lieve in times past the winning infu-
ence of the fairer sex, were often put into
requisition, to seduce Northern men
from their allegiance to their constitu-
ents-to hurry through rich schemes of
lobby legislation-while now they act
as spies for the Vandal hordes of slavery,
in their efforts to destroy the best Gov
ernment upon which the sun ever shone.
We encamped one and half miles
north of the city, at camp Harlan,
where we remained about one month,
during which time the Regiment was
filed up to twelve companies, and fully
organized. AS soon as we received our
horses, we moved over, to camp Palmer,
near Balls Cross Roads. Owing to the
inclemency of the weather this Droyed