Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-03-05
Letter from xeyvbcrn, N. c.
CORRESPONDENTS OF THE WORCESTER DAILY 81
NEwRERN, n. c. Feb. 24, 1868

CORRESPONDENCE OF The WORCESTER DAILY SPY,
NEwRERN, n. c. Feb. 24, 1868.
Editors Spy:-Many of your readers have
dear ones at this point, held as a sort Of base
for war operations, and hence will conmu-
nicate to you and them such matters as may
be of general interest. Those who came here
~usaFeR eGttah thrifty aad ff9ehI BBeafGtnifG
city, is now a garrisoned town, streets full of
soldiers, officers and orderlies, riding in hot
haste, sentinels with loaded muskets standing
upon the corners of the streets, and the sub
urbs filled with camps. 1t is now fenceless
city-nearly all the fences having been torn
down to afford fuel for the army. For miles
in every direction outside of Newbern scarce
ly a fence can be found. 1t may be problem
atical if rail-splitting is hereafter popular in
Illinois, but OF one thing we may be assured.
when this war is over rail-splitting will be
popular and very necessary occupation for
twenty-five miles around Newbern.
Gen. Foster who was so interchangeable in fit
ting out the expedition from this place few
weeks ago, has returned to this department a
disappointed man. He has been to Hilton
Head, thence to Washington and now returns
to Newbern, having lost the flower Of his
army, including the greater and best part OF
his artillery, over which he had expended so
much time and labor. l do not know who is
at fault in this matter, but it is known that
when Gen. Foster, in the full hope of sue
cess, landed his troops at Hilton Head, Gen.
Hunter assumed command, and left Gen. Fos-
ter ''out in the cold" 1t may be supposed
that Gen. Foster visited Washington with the
hope that he might obtain justice from the
government. The fact that he has returnedto
Newbern minus the greater part of his late
army shows the result of his visit to Wash
ington. He is now IN this department, like
Sampson, shorn of his strength. But few of
the old troops are here-the 18th and 18th be-
ing the only old regiments of Massachusetts
troops now in Newbern, the 9th being at
Washington, n. c.
Six companies of the 5lst regiment, Col.
Sprague, are on the Trent road, encampod
upon fine field some nine miles from the
city, the camp being half a mile inside OF the
outpost held by companies X and G of the
10th Massachusetts regiment. The 5lst were
removed from the barracks on the other side
of Neuse river, and sent out into the country
as sanitary measure, the surgeons being of
opinion that the dampness of the barracks oc-
casioned the singular disease of the brain and
spinal cord which has proved so fatal to so
many of this regiment. Thirteen have died
of this new disease since the LIST of January.
The twenty-ffth regiment is at Camp Oil
yer, in this city, excepting companies X and
G. who are at Trent outposts under command
of Captain Denny. They have fine camp on
the edge of pine wood, which is known as
Camp Pickett presume named in compli-
ment to the colonel of the regiment As the
nlty~hrst marched to their new country camp,
they halted at Camp Pickett, where pleasant
salutahons were exchanged-the colonel and
nios' Oh the regimental and line officers, par
taxing OIL the Inequalities of Captain Denny.
Ii Is SAD to notice the destruction of propertv
following the movements of an army Nearly
every house on the Trent road is b,,rrod
down, al those that are not DESTROYED h.,
fire are in an unnhahitable condition G.
of these buildings were destroyed by the enc
my and some by our own troops. saw somo
contrabands who came in from Onslow conn
ty few days ago. Two OF them reached our
lines in safety, while eight others of the band
did not arrive. 1t is supposed they were cap
tured by the rebci pickets near Trenton.