Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-03-05
Letter from thel5th Regiment
Correspondence of the Belmont Chronicle.
CAMP SILL, NEAR MURPRgEsBoRo',
TENNESSEE. Feb. 18th. 1863.

CAMP SILL, NEAR MURPREEsBoRo',
TENNESSEE, Feb. 18th, 1863.
DEAR CHRONICLE: The rainy season has
fairly setin, and there is but little stirring
in the vicinity Of Murfreesboro', save mud
and water Whether the Army Of the
Cumberland can be moved in su,h weather,
and over such roads a. we now have, is ex-
tremely questionable. | see nothing that
indicates an early attempt at a movemen,
Of any kind. The work upon the fortifca.
tious still progresses, and the defences here
will soon exceed in extent any of the kind
IN the West What they are all for. Ihavs
not the least idea. Time, I presune, will
devslope some grand pl,ln, Of which these
works are part.
Wo have but little TO do except stand
picket and go foraging, yet we are busy
more than one half the time picket every
fourth day, and one or two foraging expedi.
tious between each picket Considering the
weather, the duty is very heavy. Forsging
parties in this army are regular institu-
tion Of great I10oer, and L think if well
regulated and ecteaded throughout the Con
federacy, would soon end the rebellion. A
foraging party, consisting Of full brigade,
Infantry, Cavalry, aud Artillery, goes out
eigh. and ten miles from camp, taking about
one hundred wagons to bring in corn, hay,
fodder, &c. They light down on some
peaceful neighborhood, and stripit of every
thing in the shape of forage and the boys
extend the order to every sheep, pig, chick.
en-, in fact every living thing that they do
not consider unelean, that they may find
running loose 10 the fields also visit the
houses and bring of all the meat, meal, and
-four they eau find, leaving the neighbor-
hood literally stripped of everything eat.
able. So that when a ,e>N conducted forag.
ing party has once gone over farm, there
is but little of the material for carrying on
a war left upon it, especially as the able
bodied young men are all off in the army.
We are now doing the work here that
should have been done one year ago. There
is one consolation, however, we are pro.
crossing, and we will soon be at good earn
est i1ar with our Southern brethers, giving
them well directed blows by burning and
destroying all the property we can get at,
that We cannot make useful ourselves.
suppose thersis no one fool enough now TO
suppose this war can be ended in any other
way than BY subiugating the Rebels, and
the shortest and easiest way to do it is to
make their country desolate waste as We
pass over it.
The Paymaster is in camp, and we will
get four months pay this evening or to-mor-
row morning.
The railroad is completed to Stone Ri yer,
one mile fro Murfreesboro', and cars will
be running into town by the last of this week.
Time it was. The splendid pike from here
to Nashville is entirely used up, and is sl-
most impossible. Wet weather and army
wagons are hard on pixies in this country
We now get our mails pretty regularly
The CHRONICLE Of the 18th inst, came
through in four days. Some of the boys
are complaining terribly of their friends not
writing Some of them have had no letters
from home since the battle. Friends ought
to be ashamed Of such neglect.
Our missing from Belmont County hav,
pretty much all been heard from-all o
Co. L, save Sergeant W. A. Hoge. He i.
still missing, and the friends, no doubt, fee
terribly anxious in relation to his fate. He
may have been taken prisoner and been by
SOME chance separated from the Murfrees-
boro' prisoners and yet be heard from. We
hope still that he may be restored to hi,
friends and country. The other companies
| believe, have heard from all theirs.
Since my last, Philip King and Samue
Danford have been here from Belmont Co.
The latter removed to Ohio the body Of hi:
son. Though these gentlemen, at least one
of them, was upon melancholy mission
yet wo were glad to see them, and hops
that their visit to the front was instruotiv,
and gratifying to them.
We have but one field officer present now
Maj. McClenahan has returned and report
ed for camp duty. His wound is not ye
healed. We hope to see our Colonels bach
soon. Send along the CHRONICLES.
The health Of the regiment is remark
ably good; but seven cases in Regimenta
un.,~;tol