The Portland daily press., 1863-08-12
Letter from the Army.

ClbN, III Ut NyudIttT Dldcltt lJcpaitihShb vi
the LIST Division I'd Corps, bearing date Aug.
Sd, 1883;
We are at railroad station called Bealton
about 20 miles from Falmouth. On our way
we stopped two or three hours at Harper's
Ferry and had the pleasure of being shaved
by Portland barber. Harpers Ferry has been
successfully held by the Union troops and
rebels there several times. Most of the bull
dings have been destroyed, or what are stand
ing have the mark of being pretty hard used.
About six miles from Harpers Ferry party
of teamsters in this Corps went out short
distance from camp alter forage. They went
to mans barn and he told them they might
have as much as they wanted, and said to
them If they would only 60 to barn farther
down in the field they might find better hay.
AS soon as they had got there he waived
white handkerchief aud party of gorillds
came out nom the mountains and took all but
four prisoners. The 18th Corps coming up d.
rectly afterwards, hearing OF it, killed the
man and set his house and barn on fire. The
soldiers have been greatly exasperated since
coming into Virginia and are disposed to de-
stroy or take everything they find in retalia-
ton for the manner in which the rebels acted
in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Every man
that is found here is either spy or gorilla.
never saw country more desola,e than
this, do not know how the pcople--the wo-
men and chdren-will live through the win
ter. Everything the soldiers can lay their
hands on--cows, beef cattle, poultry and all
garden vegetables-they take. At one house
called found they had quite number of
chickens. | told the lady, quite elderly, l
wanted to buy couple. She said she could
not sell any then remarked to her 1t would
be better for her to getsome pay for them than
to have them taken as they certainly would
be. After talking with her little time she
consented to let me have them. l found she
was the most bitter secession woman l have
ever met. passed her out one dollar U. S.
Treasury note, she thought IL was conieder-
ate bill and was to charge me one dollar for
them, but finding it was U. s. Treasury money
she was perfectly contented with half dollar.
She was just beginning to realize there was
not much hope In the success of the rebels,
but she firmly believed there was power on
high which would bring this war TO a close
and satisfactorily to the Southern cause. Be
fore had fairly got through talking with her,
there were more than twenty soldiers in the
yard and when they left do not believe there
were any chickens went to roost that night in
their hencoop. On the portico were two young
ladies, her daughters presume, in the delec-
table mood Of crying, with their heads in their
aprons, sight have often witnessed since /
came into Virginia this time. These women
are the most tantalizing- always calling the
officers and men brutes and all hard names.
All the while crying aud raving as though
they we're fully mad. | have not the least
sympathy for them. The men II any there
be, sit still and dare not open their heads.
We came on through Warrenton, and like
Harper's Ferry, it has been occupied by both
armies. had been through the place before,
last fall. 1t is the prettiest place have seen
in Virginia 1t is thoroughly secesh - cit
sticks out all over" On the way from that
place to Warrenton Junction, our next point,
feeling quite hungry, not having had anything
to eat since very early in The morning-it was
then about sunset, we came to large, splen-
did house short distance frem the road |
proposed to the Chaplain OF the 6lst n. Y,
who was riding along with me, that we should
call and try TO get some supper. On arriving
at the house We found some officers had al
ready preceded us. II proved TO be semina-
ry for young ladies', some fifteen OF whom
boarded there. The lady in attendance said
they were about taking tea and If we were
disposed We might take what they had got
Ii was the best meal have eaten for many
day; cold lamb, preserves, fresh bread and
butter, tea and lots OF milk, with ice in it. II
was the first aud only ice ! have seen this sea-
son. We came away directly afterwards, but
some officers remained an hour or two, and
were edited by hearing secesh songs sung by
these young ladies.
suppose you wonder how one gets an OPP
portunity to stop on the way. wagon train
moves very slowly, not more than three miles
an hour generally, and often has 10 wait for
for hours in the same place on account of the
breaking down of the wagons or bad roads;
there are many causes. Each wagon follows
directly in single line, aud each one has its
place and never moves from il without posi-
tive orders. Each corps goes by itself and
there are about 900 wagons with the ambu-
lances, 10 each.
We arrived at this place Saturday after
noon, and here we pitch our tent for the first
time since leaving Falmouth. We have passed
over great deal OF country and seen many
places OF interest. We have suffered many
privations, and | am not sorry we shall re-
main awhile in one place; but did hope it
might be in a country which we might call
our own, and that peace might have been
conquered ere this.
never saw the troops more confident than
they are now. The riots at the North caused
by the enforcement OF the draft has cemented
them stronger to each other than ANYTHING
could do. They are more united than ever in
unfolding the administration, and persons
who short time ago were opposed to the
emancipation proclamation of the President
and everything that had "niggcr" in it, are the
strongest adhcrents Of the government.
Madness Rules the Hour"
So said Mr. Bon Bradbury In his confden-