Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-03-07
Letter From the Firty-Flrst Regiment.
BARRACKS OF THE FIFTY-FRsr MASS. !
NeMhern. N. c.. Feb. u.

BARRACKS OF THE EIFTY-tIRsT MASS.
Newbern, n. c., Feb. 81 :
The ifty-frst regiment has been stationed
on the Trent road, eight miles from Newborn,
for the past seven days, and has just returned
to the old camp on the Trent river. But our
stay here will be very short. Six companies
of the regiment are under orders to lpayefor
Beaufort, where they will remain for the pres
ent. Companies L and IL, Captains Wheeler
and Hobbs, will remain on picket on the
Neuse road, under Colonel Jones, of the tiftv-
eighth Pennsyvauia-and pleasant place it
is just now. Company G, Captain T. d.
Kimball will remain at Brice's Creek, about
mile from this camp, and company X, Cap
tain d. w. kimball, will be stationed at Ev-
ans Mill, few miles from here. Companies
A, b, C. d, + and l, will revel among the
oysters and enjoy the sea breezes of the arts
tocratic old North Carolina watering place Of
Beaufort.
Since the last mail there has been one
more death from the disease which has proved
so fatal with US. Henry G. Longley, of COM
pany c, died February 25th. His death is
grieyous loss to company C. Under the inn
preston prevailing among medical men that
the green and badly ventilated and arranged
barracks were the nurseries of this curious
) disease, the regiment was packed off for the
0utposts some seven days ago, to allow time
for a doCtoring of the barrack buildings.
And there was need of some more troops out
at the deep Gully" an extreme outpost eight
miles from the city
The Trent road, as far as we were
bivouacked, presents no remarkably beau
tiful aspects. Occasionally a lonely
chimney looms gloomily up amid red
maple trees, telling of ruin and homes desc
lated. But our troops marched carelessly on
under the mistletoe boughs, only stopping to
pick the hyacinths and daffodils just in bloom,
and utter, perhaps, a malediction on the re-
bellious old sinners who left a good home TO
fight under JEFF. Davis. Near our brief camp,
on the outposts, was house known in this de-
partment as the "G rape Vine House )" so named
from monstrous vine planted close by the
house by some worthy of former generation
The vine from the ground to the height OF
my head was as large in circumference as
mans body. 1t then throws out millions OF
small vines, which are supported on frame
covering nearly quarter of an acre. Lieut..
johnson of the 25th informed ME that it bore
at least hundred bushels of the most lus-
cious grapes last year The pickets ate them.
Lucky pickets
Nearly mile in our rear was stationed two
companies of the 25th Massachusetts,, Capt.
Wageleys and Capt. Denny's, under the
command of the latter. But the captains
gave their old friends a cordial reception, as
also did heutenants Forbes, johnson and
Tew. The 5lst, after ''roughing it in the
rain seven days, are back to their camp, not
having exchanged a shot with the rebels. Dur
ing their brief stay flag of truce took ''se-
cesh female" over the lines. She rode in a
two horse barouche accompanied by Colonel
Hoffman of Gen. Fosters staff and was not
very 10th to utter sanguinary expressions
concerning the Yankees, who seemed to make
her very unhappy in mind.
During our absence Gen. Foster had a
grand ''review" of all the troops in Newbern
1t was probably fine sight, for Gen. Fosters
troops are always in good condition. He
knows how to organize.
Lieut.. Dwinnell, our excellent and popular
quartermaster, has just brought in mail from
the north and boxes for the soldiers. His
teams are all in from the sasafrass lot, where
for the past week scamp StLdley' was To-
Gated, and he is busy preparing for our de-
parture for Beaufort The 5lst has not been
paid yet, and there are some inquiries after
the very negligent paymaster. Where is he +!
j.