Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-12-19
Er6n tbs e2sh Regiment.
CAMP OF THE SD REG. o. V. |.
Ia;-E,V q II Va Dncp-nh her 9lh 1872

EE0E KS S%@-A 6-eSlI-SAL
CAMP or THE SD REG. O. V. l.
Fairfax c. H. Va, December Sta, 1852.
Editor Gazette = Thousands of times since
this war commenced, has the question been ask
ed, % will we succeed in subduing this rebeiliop
and restoring the UaiOn ," As often it has
been met by the reply "of course We viii"
Yet who will not admit that there is a posi-
bilily Of our failure? The question then
arises, where does the possibility lie? Ger
tainly not in our want of means wherewith to
accomplish the end No loyal m&n can be
found silly enough to broach the opinian that
the lnyal element Of tie country has not got
bone aud muscle sufficient to grapple with and
ov, v,rthrow the giant treason of the South.
Certainly we have the strength, the power.
TIE dagger Of future does not lie in our weak
ness. That is rot the vulnerable point Of the
great Northern Achilles. Neither is ii 10 be
found in foreign Intervention. That is only a
scarecrow. Our gigantic military power, I'M
paired and crippled as it Is, holds all Europe
in awe The threats Of intermeddiing, which
came from the water, are intended to try
our pluck and the sincerity and censtancy OF
our determinations. The dyna,ties Of Europe
are trying to probe eur public sentiment, and
test It's selfdevotion and faithfulness to our
cause.
Here, then. we have the sure index to the
solution OF our destiny. These crowBed heads
desire our overthrow. They know that this
cannot be accomplished SO long as our people
are fixed and unanimous in their determination
that it shall not be- But is this the mind Of
the people That is just what they want to
fsd out. They aware tbai just SO much as
this is or is not the case, increases or diEiiD-
ishts the probability that we will overcome al
opposition and Feestabioh the Union.
Do the people make anxious Inquiries as to
the depouenient OF this war? Their own hearts
give them answer. How do they ag,H il shall
be, a success or failure? There lies he secret.
Doubts as to the ability Of the Administrar
tiou cannot ba entertained Even if it had not
proved iisell honest, capable, faithful, and in
view OF the prodigiuu5 diff :ultes in its way
wonderfully successful it would still be the du-
ty OF the people tc hold up its arms. To them
the Administration and the Amy aaxiGu5y
turn and make The solemn appeal viii you
stand by us The answer involves the issue
of the war.
True, mistakes may be made. Very few
great enterprises were ever undertaken with
out some errors of Judgment. No govern.
ment can be inall!bIe. Ours is not !; yet so
long as ii exhibits an honest purpose, or even
any purpose, to execute the laws and sustain
its authority, ii is entitled to the full and earn
est support OF every one over whom that au-
tbority extends. BY support mean property
influence, life, ali not part Of these bat, If
necessary, all. And in case these are withheld,
who dare question the right, yea, even much
more, Of just and free government, to take
them?
If this vile rebellion succeeds in fighting IL
self into respectabiiity; if this wicked treason
ever establishes itself as law, if this Union is
disrupted, this glorious government destroyed
and ali tie precious blood shed in lis behalf
made a vain and foolish lioatiun, history will
record the fact that it was because the Ameri-
can people lacked courage, faith, patriotism
and determination. We are now establishing
our character fer all time 10 come. The future
will sse US by the light of the events Of this
struggle. We are necessarily carving out for
ourselves an Immortality of honor or Of shame.
God has committed great cause to our keep
ing. He has appoAted us His chosen instru-
Inents to maintain it. viii we be faithful TO
our trust? Though this war continue for
years will we still stand unswervingly by the
right? Let every mau honestly PROFOUND these
questions 10 himself aud mark the echo of his
bosom
After the withdrawal of this corps from
Gainesville, Gen. Sigel re-established his head
quarters in this ancient and venerable town.
The troops are assigned to different positions
on the thorougLfares leading from hence Dix
ieward. Except few gueriIlas. to whom now
and then Gen. Stahl pays his respects, the
rebels seem to have mostly retired from our
front. Even the ghost Of that ubiquitous per-
sonage yclept StonewalI jackson, has not late
ly disturbed our rest.
We had our first noticeable fall OF snow a few
days ago and since then the weather has been
very cod. Winter seems to have set in all at
once The cold, biting winds that sweep down
upon US from the mountains, cenclusiyely dem
obstrate the insuficency of our frail shelter,
tents, as protection. In a weeks time the
men could build log huls that would make
them comfortable during the winter. But the
time for that seems to have not yet come.
Winter quarters is not yet the word. We
must still hold ourselves ready for active oper-
ations.
One Of the most striking features of the
landscape about Bull Run and. Centreville is
the deserted villages that were occupied by
the rebel troops last winter They consist Of
log huts covered with clap boards, and, in fact,
are more comfortable than tents. 1t being the
foriune of your correspondent to pass night
in one which had been the domicil Of some
rebel officer, he can verify depose that it could
not have been fitted up more to his liking.
There are enough of them to accommodate
tens of thousands of troops.
No pen can describe the desolation of this
country. After its first settlement the soil
was utterly exhausted by the culture Of tobac-
co and then mostly abandoned. Weeds, bush
es and dense pine thiekets now mark the place
of once hourishing fields Add to this the
hlssting and desolating effects OF war. Fence
less farms, burned and destroyed houses, long
lines of weed grown rife pits, gaping forti-
6caIions and here and there group of neg