The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1862-04-30


The rosy cheek'd urchin that sw ings Oh the gate,
Waves proudly on high his book satchel and slate
The sky u all brghtness-the fields are all gay
Green branches are wavng-the lambs are At play,
And where is the boson that pines not to be
thus bathed ia the sunlight as happy as her
For the heart pures pleasures End when late,
And sigh 70 be swinging again the gate.
Correspondence Of the Republican.
stray Leaves from Camp-No. II.
On BOARD SrKANER JoHN BROOKS,
OF Alexandra. Va, March l7th. 1862.
Editor LansinS Repxblican-Dea Sir: We
have had some commotion in camp since ny last
writing. The Army of the Potomac commenc.
ed moving about the 9Th inst
Great Was our chagrin and not Q little i'll ten
per was manifested, when division after division
moved, and We we're left sole guardians of the
Potomac. We we're already to march and anx-
iously awaited orders, but none came. Finally,
however, we were assuIed that We We held the
second post of honor"-that is, rear guard.
We feared, though, that We would be left 60 far
in the rear, that there would be but little honor
attached to the position. Indeed, the heightened
vsagcs of the boys told plaiuly that they did not
appreciate the honor.
But at midnight of the 18th, We received or.
ders to march the next morning at o'clock.
The csmp was full Of Joy. We broke camp At
the hour appointed and marched to Fort Lyon,
| overlooking Alexandra, where We halted and
bivOuacked for tho night. We anticipated 70.
ing on ship board Immediately, but found no
transports ready, hence, in . severe rain storm
We lay on the unprotected hilltop, with no 9th.
er protection than the small awnings that each
soldier carries with him.
With the morning Of the 18th came an in
crease of the storm, now assuming the proper
tions Of gale. During the night the returning
divisions from Manassas had peopled the sur.
aoundng hills, and VIC found our sufferings ale
waited through our sympathies with our fellow
soldiers on the adjoining hills.
All day Of the 18th, Saturday, the rain came
down, and the camp was drenched. Sunday was
passed in much the same way - the Saturday,
only that two-thirds of the brigade left their
regiments and either forced their way to the
city or found comfortable quarters in the coun-
try.
Had we been in the presence of the enemy,
or under circumstances that seemed to necessi-
| tate this exposure to the wind and cold, it would
have been endured without murmur; but here,
| within Al hours march Of ouI old camp, where
ws had comfortable quarters, it did seem without
a cause, and the complaints made by the sol.
disrs, a. we'll as the efforts made to help then,.
selves, were certainly unsuitable.
We again packed our knapsacks this A. NJ,
| (MOnday,) and at p. NJ, the Mich. 3d-the
first to enbark-went aboard the steamer John
Brooks, the Mich I'd and N. Y. 18th on the G.
Vanderbilt, aud the Mich 5th on the Arrox n
smith. The Mich. 4th and Stockton's Independ.
ent are also said to be on the expedition, but Of
this AM not certain. 1 am not at liberty to
state the number Of troops being massed for the
expedition, but can simply state that it is one Of
the most formidable expeditisas that has been
massed for the overthrow Of rebellion. There
was in one train one hundred and twenty pieces
Of field artillery. The transports will be accom-.
panied by a number Of gunboats.
Gen. Heintzleman, late commander Of our di.
vision, commands this expedition. Gen. Hamil.
ton, late in command &c the advance of Banks
column, succeeds to the command of Heintzle.
mans division. Gen. Richardson has been pro.
noted to the command of Summers division, and
Col Terry, of the 5th Michigan, is by seniority,
Temporarily in command Of our brigade. Rich.
ardssn, or Fighting Dick" as he is usually
termed by the boys, was a universal favorite
with bis soldiers. We deeply regret having sep.
arated from him. The officers of the brigade
unanimously petitioned the Department to trans
fer the brigade to Richardson's division, but va
presume it was not practicable.
Mcclellan spent part of the afternoon super.
intending the enbarkation Of the troops. He
was received With intense enthueiasm whereve,
he went, but it cannot be disguised that there i.
. growing distrust Of the ability of the youna
chieftan, that win require some decided success
in short space of time, to prevent breaking
out in storm. The slip the rebels gave Us a
Manassas has not strengthened public eonadsnee
in Mcclellan, and the bloodlsss victory at Bull
Run We very much fear may turn out to be . %
ross defeat to us, particularly If Johnson's with
dawn troops ehould sudde.ly f.n on Du,u.,u,
or some other of our exposed divisions, and Gu,
them on. Such, We hope, may not be The case
but there are many gloomy reflections among
the knowing ones.
Where our expedition is going, but few prob
ably know. Some say Norfolk, others Kappa
hammock, Others Roanoke, still others Port Roya
and Fifty other Southern ports. OF our success
wherever We do strike, there need not DO ,
doubt. We have much greater fear of the oshe,
elements than the rather turbulent one of seees
sion. My opinion is thar We 20 to Norfolk.
was very agreeably surprised this P. NJ, BY
meeting on the wharf at Alexandra Hon. D. C
Leach and Col. Jones of your city. The boy,
were rejoiced to see them. had the satsfae
ton of eating probably my last dinner in thi,
part Of secessia, With friends from Lansing.
We left behind but two men, Rose and Adams
both a, General Hospital at Annapolis-ths
former sick With Inflammation on the lungs. tbe
latter csnvalescent.
Capt Jefferds was taken sick on the l4th. apt
is now in General Hospital at Alexandria. Hi
situation at this time must be exceedingly IN
pleasant. Responsible for the well-being aai
behavior Of the company, and yet unable to bs
with it, is certainly not desirable state of sf
fairs.
You nay hear from rs BY telegraph before thi,