The Portland daily press., 1863-01-05
COMMUNICATIONS.
Correspondence of the Press.
Letter from the Nineteenth Maine.


HEADQUARTERS 10TH MAINE REG,
Near Falmouth. Va, Dec. n, 1862.
Though not aspiring to the dignity of a
newspaper correspondent, must confess TO
some little trepidaton on reading, in late
number of your paper, the announcement of
your purpose TO look over the list of your
CORRESPONDENTS, and cut off delinquents. To
attempt any apology for silence of many
days, would seem like an assumption of worth
in my notes which do not intend; and yet,
candor compels the statement that only the
lack of interesting facts TO send TO you, and
the fear of Cutting your columns with army
correspondence, have prevented an earlier
communication. Yours is welcome paper
among us, and If its presence can be secured
by the taking and sending of few ''notes,"
we will attend TO this work, leaving YOU to
s'print EN-" Our duties were such as to make
it impossible TO send any account of the Fred
ericksburg affair, UNTIL in colors false and true
it had appeared in the papers repeatedly. No
accounts have been more true than those We
see in the Press. Only a volume could con-
tain complete history of the events of those
few days and even then the essential element
of actual living reality would be wanting
You read that our troops "stood up to their
work WELL" that they 'fought desperately
against fearful odds"-which means that they
bravely faced death, without at times being
dDlt W see "a iifiiig ldi vi tHOst WHO uedlt
it, and without being there, you have no con-
ception of the heroism or the horrors of til
day. e
Braver men never stood upon the field of
battle, than marched on the afternoon of the
18th, to all human appearance, into the very
saws of death" and conspicuous among
these, though escaping almost untouched. was
the 10th Maine. 1t was their first experience
under fire, and the balance of our brigade
looked but in vain to see them .break and
rum" Such was not the errand on which they
came, so far as the Saturdays fight is an expo
nent.
Though not suffering at the hands Of the
enemy, we are losing men from our number
daily. One George Farnham, of Co. l. was
buried yesterday, and to-day three men have
been laid beside him. Cooinbs and Wyle of
Co. X, and Wesley Remission of Co. j.
Within three weeks our loss has been fifteen.
and the hospital attendants will miss the faces
of a number of others within the next twen-
ty-four hours. Yet we have one of the best
surgeons, and, the testimony of ladies en-
ployed by the sanitary commission being re-
ceived, one Of the best camp hospitals. DIR.
Billings has recently been put in charge of the
medical department of the brigade. In the
discharge Of his official duties he is cool. ready
and thorough. The origin of our large sick
list lies back of hospital and medical attend
ance. Our men have been poorly clad and
miserably fed, notwithstanding repeated ap-
plications for food and clothing
IL may seem toeonhiet with statements made
in high places in the land, but know whereof
i affirm. when say that many in our own and
other regiments have been compelled 10 march
over snow and frozen ground, with their toes
striking the ground or snow at every step
Some have had absolutely no shoes. but have
tied their feet up In rags. Many have been
saved from such resorts only by paying post
age 10 the amount Of nearly three dollars
lclosed paekagel on boots sent by mail. The
sutlers Ia the vicinity have occasionally had
boots Cor sale. al fron six 10 ten dollars: but
there j. no money IN the regiment and i've
months pay due. j. i matter Of surprise
that men are sick when compelled 10 go bare
foot la the mid=sse Of Virginia winter? Aud
the eonmissary department y equally defect
i've. The men have not had full rasions Tor
more than seven weeks. Scarcely ANY change
% food from hardbresd aud pork, coffee. su-
gar and salt; and ! should mention fresh
beef-ahd large portion Of the time not full
rations OF hese.
Salt pork and hard-tAek. though pat into the
varied forms that ankee ingenuity can invent.
are not healthy food in this very UNIV holesorne
climate. The officers fare as poorly a. the
men. Our mess, including * In all has been
able 60 procure from the c0mmissary Just thir-
" pounds of -four within the last i've weeks.
fof Nc&eA&biTr We must. a. general thing
hook somewhere else: and We purchased poia-
toes ast week At one dollar peck.
The letter. of your New Orleans correspond
ents seem rather fabulous. when We. who can
almost eonrerse with New England, are put on
such limited regimen. We have had some
Maine sea-eaptains 10 visit us to-day, and their
Bug honest souls are a~ed within them. The
spirits Of the troops are good under the cir
cumstAnees- IL the word comes 10 march they
viii do II, though il would be difficult to get
them IN 'front.' OF the entrenchments ON the
other side again. The military tomorrow APP
pears very hazy TO US.
We have at times been led TO regard our
present as winter quarters, and with a little
more labor might make ourselves very com
Portable We have a few log houses.
One OF our company officers overheard one
Of his men soliloquzing in this strain night
or two since-~Winter quarters, winter QUAR-
tiers; nearly comfortable as fathers barn.
Our cattle in Maine are better provided for
than We; even the pigs.--yes, there, that's it
! have 1t. IL only had the old pig stye out
here, could be comfortable. But there. it's
no use. If had 1t here, some of the staff Of
fcers would want it, so it's all right all right
We are indeed much safer here in shelter
tents even, than in Fredericksburg amid the
TORN Of ul< 81. lI.l..