The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-11-19
COMMUNICATIONS.
Letter from the Army.
HEADQUARTERS. 37TH RECT, MASS.
Vols, LITTLE BALTIMORE,
Va Nov 10 1850

Vols, LITTLE BALTIMORE,
Va, Nov. 10, 1862.
Editors Press:-Deven's Brigade was not
inappropriately named, when it received the
euphoneous title of the Flying Brigade !" for,
during the past four or five weeks, it has been
almost constantly on the move, marching and
countermarching, as the fancy of the "shoul-
der strapped gentry" at Washington dictated.
There was but little sport In this, as nothing
seemed likely to be accomplished by such in
nocent movements, unless 1t were the impre-
cations evoked by blistered feet and overtaxed
muscles. But now the programme has been
changed, and though we may still suffer by
laborious marches, we find an incentive to re-
newed action, in the fact that we are invading
the enemy's country, and the belief that our
present movements may be productive of
good. You have all read the anecdote of the
Yankee and the Quaker. The Yankee was
out Of employment and lacked the means of
subsistence; the Quaker offered him two dol
lars per day and board to pound log with
the back of an axe. The Yankee attended to
his work very well for two days, but on the
morning of the third refused to work longer,
although he was satisfied with his remunera-
tion. The Quaker, in evident surprise, inquir-
ed the reason. @Sir,' replied the Yankee, "I
have no objection to work, but ,cant to see
the chips yfy.n Just SO it is with us soldiers;
we win bear the hardship of camp life uncom-
plainingly, If we only know that we are ac-
complishing something; but we want to know
hat oss, hfn,rc ell ~, fno ox,a,,,xx
Just one week ago to-day, we crossed the
Potomac at Berlin, and are now about due
west from Washington, In the heart of the
sold Dominion" We have as yet seen but
few Of the chivalric sons of the sacred soil !"
the specimens we have seen are squalid and
ragged almost beyond belief The country we
came through on our march hither, lacks no.
thing but Yankee enterprise to render 1t an
earthly paradise; but 1t has not been improv-.
ed. The inhabitants nearly all reside in log.
houses, though occasionally we passed the,
mansion Of some wealthy planter, tastefully
surrounded with pleasant grounds, evidencing
refinement of taste in its occupants. But for
every neat-appearing planters house there are
hundreds Of miserable novels, habitations of
ignorance and poverty. Many of the houses
are deserted. their occupants having fed; but
few of the male inhabitants remain-nearly all
are with the rebel army. In all the refine
ments of civilized life, this section of country
Is at least century behind New England
The roads are miserable, and hardly deserve
the name. Where a stream admits of fording,
even If the water be three feet deep, bridge
for teams Is rarely seen; a log stretched across
near the carriage track answers for foot pas
sengers. The road itself is curiosity to a
New England, who wonders why, with an
abundance of gravel close at hand, the intelli-
gent, chivalric energetic" sons of the sacred
soip should content themselves with such
roads, deep rut almost invariably threaten
ing TO upset the carriage, on the right or left.
Huge boulders remain in the middle Of a road
that has evidently been used for the past half
century; and no effort appears to have been
made to clear the track of smaller stones, or
to level the way. Although we have passed
scores Of beautiful mill sites, but few have
beenimproved, and those few hut partially
With nothing lacking which nature could sup
kind are concerned, everything seems minus
"a blank. We can well conceive that the
chief reliance of Virginia planters for support
has been In raising negroes for Southern mar
kets. But when this war shall have ceased,
and Virginia restored to freedom-when the
arts of civilized life shall have here received
fresh impetus, the improvements that must re-
suit are almost incaiculabe.
We have experienced extremely cold wealth
or for the past week; and day before yester-
day we were treated to genuine northeast
snow-storm. Only think of driving snow
storm, lasting about eight hours, in the "sun-
ny South" on the Sth of November in the
year of grace 1922 Really, New England in
stitutions must have emigrated hither, with a
vengeance. 1t is rare, even in Maine, to see
80 much snow so early in the season. We
wished ourself back in our dear native New
England, for the purpose of getting into a
warmer climate.
Our regiment is still unsupplied with tents,
1--WE have slept beneath no shelter for nearly
two months) and we all suffered severely from
the inclemency Of the weather. The soldiers
OF the 37th are becoming disheartened. SO lit
tie attention has been paid to their comfort at
this inclement season OF the year. by "the
powers that be' We know not who il in
fault; but that we are continually neglected