Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-09-04
From the Eleventh Regiment.
Fort SLoCUM, WASHINGTON, !
ID. c., AUGUST 20. {

ceived a half sheet Standard, read it,
columns from END TO end read the no
tice of the county convention the state
'' news and the terrible accident on The
Mississippi; saw in the editorial depart
ment that 1--WE have no help | almos
wished at first that | was there to helT
: you put up few columns of small pi
ca, roll ink on the type for you to pull
press, and hear the old familiar
"Click, click, click,
A OF the type in the stick"
But when | saw that "reinforcements
were coming" and knew that if / was
there, l should be subject to that dread
ful disease, the draft, concluded that ]
would rather be a volunteer in the army
than a printers devil at home hourly ex-
pecting to be counted as conscript-
though / respect a drafted man just as
N u h as volunteer if necessity has
heretofore kept him at home. But as
it would have been in my case, by the
mighty printing press, I'd rather be a
volunteer, than any other man. Some
go to war to put down rebellion, some
for the fun of the fight, some to see the
nouY+r1, eon,a haoouca tbav ora afraid
of being drafted, and some because they
are drafted. Take and place them all
in one solid battalion and put t h m
among the gray rebels, and there would
be some weeping, w(h) Ealing and gnash-
ing of teeth"-in short, they would be
"some pumpkins"
We have lately lost our first Lieut..
Nixon Morse, W b 0 as resigned and
gone home to Morgan. In losing him
we have lost a good lieutenant, one who
h as never misused or spoken a harsh
word to any Of the boys. 1t seemed as
we shook his h a nd for the last time
like parting with a brother. To him
we give our best wishes and heartiest
thanks for the kindness shown us while
in the company. Capt. Rich of Co. Fl,
and Capt. Hunt of Co. f, have also re-
signed and gone home.
On the 18th of this month the regi-
ment turned over their old Austrian ri
Aes to the Quartermasters and got in
return the new Springfield riaed musket
which are much easier to keep clean
and bright, and which would be more
sure of a rebel should we ever get near
enough to see the white Of their eyes.
We drew brass scales last week to wear
on our shoulders, so that if we were not
before, we certainly are now, "scaly"
set of fellows. Last Thursday we com
menced to draw rations Of whiskey.-
We expect hereafter to get our regular
rations Of the pure stuff. In the NOR
ming, and at night at six o'clock, "Grog
call" is played. Then such hustling
as we DO not very often see, unless when
we fall in for greebacks. Most all fall in
aud march over to tie Quartermaster's
where a half gill is dealt out to each
man for a ration. There is Peter Young
and few others that stay back. AS
Peter is still Young no one thinks of in
1ucing him to begin. We are all tenn
perance men and we don't think gill of
whisky and quinne day will make US
We have drawn new straw hats to
wear on our heads, thing which we
nave not been allowed to wear before
since we left home. 1t looks odd to US
o see soldiers with them on. When /
meet somebody say "How are you bat"
When somebody meets me, as l am
ather small, they say, Chat where you
,oing with that man." If it is a soldier z
say, "after my rations of whisky ;" if 8
citizen, Chat does not notice him,) and
say nothing, only wink crossways, as
much as to say, Don't you wish you
vas q soldier. We do not have to ia
igue now as much as we did six weeks
go as the fort is nearly done. We have {
i've hours drill day; four hours Artil-
cry and one of Infantry. We have had
cry hot and dry weather for the last :
hree months thermometer frequently l
landing from 100 to 10 in the t
babe. But yesterday we had right t
mart rain and to-day it is quite cool, so .
hat the boys are more comfortable with
heir overcoats on than with them off.
Our Orderly Sergeant, Asa D. Mat r
news of Bloomington, who enlisted as a n
rivate and was promoted to Orderly f
then we were at Bunker Hill is now ,
romoted to % Lieutenant in this COM
any. He has been a bully Orderly a
nd will make a good Lieutenant. Be- 0
des the above, the following promotions \
ave been made in Co. F, since We left
'rattleboro: Corporals f. A. Buxton II
nd VIM. c. Tallman to Sergeants, and n
'rivates Hollis Fl. Bailey, Charles Dew O
reaux, Moses Elkins and William Ran r
er to Corporals; George F. Cotton to
rincipal musician OF the Regiment.
The health of the company is very a
God, only two in hospital, Sergeant Geo. l.
.anaer and Kendrick Richmond. both