Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-07-09
From Burrows Battery.
CAMP BETHEL, June 18th, '62.

| CAMP BETHEL, June 18th, '62.
EDITORS CHRoNIcLK:-0n this sultry,
summer afternoon have seated myself
on the wide framework of saplings that
answer the three fold purpose of seat,
lounge and bed, to again commune with
your readers.
Gen. Logan's Division, to which we are
now attached, left camp before Corinth,
June 4th, reaching this place on the 9th,
an obscure hamlet on the Mobile & Ohio
Railroad, nearly midway between Corinth,
Miss, and jackson, Tenn, to which last
named place our battery marched on the
9Th. -.-rs-srs q - ken
Our camp before Corinth had become al
most insupportable. Water was an al
most unsttsinable luxury, many regiments
being obliged 20 go mile to obtain even
such wafer as might be got by digging
holes IN the beds OF old water courses, in
TO which an agueish fluid slowly seeped,
bearing remarkable resemblance in col
or and taste to the element contained in
the canal adorning the suburbs of your
own gay metropolis. This precious article
have known to be sold at twenty-five
cents per pailful, and in few instances
at FIVE cents a drink. Having touched
upon the topic of high prices, viii give
brief market report of such articles as
are attainable, at intervals, at the various
Suffers, rapacious horde of nomadic
leeches, who work vigorously at their re-
cognized avocation of depicting their reg
ilnents of pecuniary vitality: Butter, IS
to so cents per h., a small tin cup being
used as the measure of pound, but few
of these harpies keeping scales. Cheese
from Is to IS cents per h., wedge shaped
slice an inch thick at the base and feather
edged at the apex, being one pound cheese
measure. Crackers, Is to 25 cents, couple
or three handsful answering for pound
Bread, very scarce article indeed, COM
mands from 10 to Is cents loaf, said loaf
not exceeding three slices of an ordinary
dime loaf, which readily realizes quarter.
Biscuit being 5 cents each. Ginger cakes
and bread are the only other eatables to
be found in these swindling shops
Luxuries in the way of pickles, pre-
serves, canned fruit, &C., command double
and treble their sale price in any North
ern city. A few traps such as fancy shirts
hats, socks, suspenders, envelopes, paper,
steel pens and the like complete the stock.
Often the sutler receives in a single day
the first cost of his perambulating estab-
lishment.z,s "a M t1
: Whisky, contraband article, realizes
fabulous rates. Fifty cents pint being
a standard price. heard of one poor, de-
graded sot offering ten dollars for a single
gallon, which was refused. 1t is invari-
ably of the worst tangle-foot or forty rod.
/ have known several soldiers injured al
most irreparably from the effects of sin
gle debauch on this yillainous strychnine
compound, exhibiting every symptom of
poison. AtCamp Dennison several deaths
occurred as the result of single spree on
Cincinnati-made .whisky-the most poi.
sonous made anywhere, in my opinion
Strange to say, these warnings, so astoun-
ding, SO solemn and oppressive, did not
induce single surviving colnrade to turn
away from their indulgence in this cup of
devils. -.s a5-ef
But to return: n:Corinth-ward. As soon as
practicable after the evacuation, visited
that noted locality. 1t is of that descrip-
ton vigorously described by the term of
" one-horse." There were few pleasant, |
tasty residences, having gardens attached,
and even front yards, whose adornements
consisted of eyergreens, frks and holly
hooks. / was forcibly reminded of some
artists criticism of Nature, who said 'therel
was entirely too much green with bad
arrangement of light and shade" The
rebels had vamoosed, folding their tents
like the Arabs" and as silently stealing
away, bu. the marks of their vandalism
could be seen in the charred ruins of the
buildings used for army purposes on every
side. Wagons, ammunition, hardware
and other stores that might have been of |
use TO us were destroyed. A few dilapi-
dated females, innocent of crinoline, clad
in the faded garments of better days, tim
idly straying forth, like ghostly visitants
in abhorred and forsaken haunts, were all
the signs of rebel life. The citizens left |
almost en- ntaSse on the occupancy of their /
place by the rebel hosts. On our troops |
taking possession, they came trooping |
back by scores. |
The rebels had but one line of defense, |
single earthwork scarce half as strong
as FULLY half dozen our army had left /
miles IN their rear, thrown up for tempo.
rary occupancy only. Their demoralized |
noroes had been at our mercy for weeks,
but we knew it not A single bayonet |
charge would have swept their outer line
of defense, and vigorously. followed up by
the advance of our disciplined, impatient
legions would have overwhelmed their
cowed, beaten masses in utter rout and
confusion.
This bloodless triumph may be for the
best, but it is hard to keep down chagrin
on seeing the laurels of victory elude our |
grasp when it but needed the closing of |
our outstretched hands TO make them ours. |
There must have been a great deal of stu
Pendous lying somewhere to have created