The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-10-09
Our Army Correspondence.
ARMY OF THR PorOMA0.o

ARMY or TR PoTOMA0sv
MAR CrLPEpPKR, Sept %, 1868.
Observation-Disclosures, ofa Voyage from Rsr's I'as1
to Alexandria -Ds7rdceful Scenes Board the Tro~s
por, Aaantic-An Organized Band Of Thiep's Beesns
Sutst.,aes-Iaoibsry, Riot, Observation-Disclosures
lion Board the Atlantic, dc.
The entrancs4of recruit into great camp. win
tho manifold duties which at placed upon his
shoulders not OF which be shirked uniess no y
excused for illness leaves little timo for literary
newspaper correspondence. The events which daily
under his observation may DO highly Interesting
and altogether devoid Of consaband character yes ~
cannot touch them for Of the necessary time Ara
II this be with regard to current events how much
difficult deal with the Of yesterday.
There ars however, occasions when difficulties Of ths
sature DO overcome especially when Information
important the public Is DO communicated and fao1s
pregnant with instruction alth ugh than day olds
10 be made known. arm aware that news Ii every
thing newspaper but tho prison house contains RIVE
ations which only the prisoner disclose when he y
released.
The facts upon which wrte did not take place ~
this camp, and have very little Immediate conDcctiea
with it, although they form part OF the great whole
They commenced in New York, and terminated amose
entirely at Alexandria. the way this camp-a hav
ing como under my observation.
A few words with regard TO provost marshals ofhosa
aud substitutes. According to my knowledge the
pursued by the majority Of those officials is this:
The substitute being accepted and sworn In and paid hi
money he Immediately put into the hands OF provost
guarc and treated strictly prisoner From thence he
IL TO Rkers Island under guard and turned
the authorities there where he Is pace under the strcs
cs; surveillance until there Is a sunicsn number col.
lected worth while them, not to what
hitherto regarded the camp OF instruction
andrabut direct the camp OF the Army OF the oto-
thav dia INV -
drill which Is, after ALL capital idea, although dM
not strike in this light at nrst; for IL brings the
recruits into immediate with tho vote
rans where all trepidation and anxiety Oh
and tales OF the heroism and sclf-endurance which
have characterized this noble inspire the uniniu
aied something tho courage OF their
panions. Put outrun my narrative.
From Riker's Island tho substitutes sent, under
close guard to the transport ship, which lands them u
Alexandria In nine out Of ten hour does NJ
s,pse between tho payment OF the substitution money
and the landing Of the substitute RIkers Island and
he often tho island more than hour when ~
Is sent on board tho transport ship be his way
to the Now for tho consequences The sub.
sttute not having bad sufFcicntjtime his family
necsssary obliged 70 take the money with him into the
camp the island, and oven should he bs hero few
days the utmost diculty is experienced by his family ~
friends 10 obtaining pass Rikers Island to
him. uness the party applying for II DO possessed d
than tho average intelligence. He ID, there
fore. obliged 10 sleep In open tent, with
persons whom he never met before and
in . camp amid seven or e,ghI hundred
Of miscellaneous crowd good, bad and Indifferent the
bad the vicious aud the criminal largely
and hiding himself for the nrst time his NE pssesae1
o. TO him. very large sum Of money, without at ell
collecting whist he has pledged for II, he exhibits hi
greeobacks consisting Of twentlss afties and Zone
hundreds without dsguse In the purchase of trnkcss
q all sorts especially watches at prices IN
card playing for big stakes In the purchase OF drink
dsrhand-s open sale being forbidden The young and In
experienced substitute thus becomes easy prey 10 the
thieves who prowl about In the dress Of sol
diers. This was the Rikcrs Island during my
stay there Several parties swindcd cards. 80
veral we're robbed OF considerable port thor sub
situ,on money while asleep In their tents night bus
this was not consideration to what followed and which
took place on board the transport ship Atlantic hee
last voyage to Alexandria few days ago.
The substitutes consisting OF eight hundred men,
who with few exceptions presented H. the eye excellent
material for soldiers having been sent board the A.
aptc this transport lay bisht "Wednesday In The
Fast river must be said that thing r. this point
was conducted with good order and " only right TO add
that the food the accommodation aud the coureos and
consderate conduct OF the enlightened aud nesent OH
In command on the island ~ the most
cept enable character. Arrived on board the Atlantic
our sursrinss Immediately began The rafanly eemcnt
began n once 10 display itself. could n glance
that the Devil would be busy during voyage.
Painful, however, ~ were ny apprenensous the reazs
ton was one of intolerable Every Who had
moi been the ON OF thieves swnders blac kess
professional cutpurses and rufars, eSpcricnced
Wednesday night last week. whcn they entered the A.
iautc until Monday morning last when they landed
At Alexandria suerings OF mental and MORAL character
which no non could describe. hero paisero describe
Az the shades % evening began 10 descend wenes
day evening, small boat seen 10 move kway from
49, Ala m tts Aoptlr ut fouvtr ho~xx
Immediately aftsr II found that two Of them were
sabsftues making tho1r escapo whsn three q ha e.