Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-02-27
LETTER FROM THE NINETY-FIFTH
OHIO.
Sunday in Camp-The Weather at Memphis
Health of The 95th- COnpaIescent Camps
Camps of ContyabGnds, etc.

Sunday IN Cdmp-Ine HedNeT az MemphIS-
Health of the 95th-C ConpaIescent Camps
Camps of ContrabGnds, etc.
FoRT PICKERING, NEAR MEMPHIsl
Sunday, Feb Is, 1868.
To-day is supposed to be Sunday; ii may be
| In Columbus, but here 10 the army 1t is ae
much unlike Il as black is to white. Sunday
used to be day of rest to me; but now have
actually more to do upon the Sabbath than up
on any other day 10 the week-frst, grand
cleaning of quarters aud guns; then inspection
and Divine service, and then something else lie
sure to turn up to keep us busy. Sunday is al
most wholly unknown to the suldier-it is only
known by the time when 1t ought to come.
Twas on guard yesterday aud last night. It
rained nearly all the time, and the mud this
morning is 80 deep as TO be quite beyond sound
ipRs. The westber to-day is delig ghtful--the
eu1 Ginning out brightly. IL feels just like
ring,tme--the bluebirds flying and einging
around the camp. This is the way 1t goes
down here-it can rain, freeze, thaw aud be
pleasant alternately in every twenty-four hours
With the greatest ease Imaginable.
We are here in camp doing duty every other
day, which is just about killing the boys. We
have been here just three weeks to day, and in
that short time between one hundred and fifty
and two hundred of our regiment are reported
unfit for duty, and a great number are 10 the hoe
pitals-some from measles, but more from the
army complaint in this regioI-diarrhoes. As
for my self, have been wet to the skin, slept on
the damp ground, and nearly froze; but have
not yet even caught cold. begin to think
am perfectly impregnable to the attacks of dis
case.
On tho ineido Of Tho Fo,tJ epd juet uo. tiI vi
US, there is Convalescent camp, where there
are many sick from different regiments. A
great many of them look like ekeletons-noth-
ing but skin and bones Some of th EN- have
been there for great while. They are daily
being sent of to their respective regiments,
aud every day there are some new arrivals.
The camp is just as dirty as Is eau possibly be.
should think the sick men who come there to
get better would speedily die.
There are also in our immediate vicinity
several Contraband camps. You may talk
about niggsrs; but If some of these don't beat
any you have ever seen, then, I'll give up
They are the dirtiest and flthiest looking cres.
lures that ever trod on the face of the earth;
and are they what we are fighting for7 The
bare suspicion makes us soldiers sick. To
suppose that 60 many of our kindred are being
for this dsleeta6ie race Ia enough to
craze any sane man. They are the most Cod
forsaken race Of beings that ever breathed, espe-
clally 90 tney appear III tnebe camps. lney are
not half clothed, and presume not halt fed,
and disease lie carrying them of by scores.
There was for short time after our arrival
here one of these camps jutt Oh the outside of
the Fort, where some three hundred contrabands
we're congregated. have stood guard imme-
diately opposite the camp, aud at night listen-
ing to the exceseive coughing, shrieking and |
groaning of these poor creatures could not but |
move one to pity them. do fe.l sorry that
they are in this miserable condition, having |
been deluded into deaerting their homes in the |
unny South.
An OK cart goes round to these camps every |
gathering up the dead. remember |
eeiDg three negroes put in the cart as dead
me Of whom was actually kicking. The under.
okers no doubt thought he would be dead by
he time they arrived at the buryiDg ground, |
The small pox has broken out in these contra
band camps,sand lie sweeping them off at rapid
ates
The 95th has been attached to the Sixteenth
Army Corps under Major General Hnrlbut.
hink we have got good GeDeral-st least q |
ighting one. We have not as yet been assigned |
o any division or brigade.
s. w. g.