Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-04-25
Che Ohio 6tatesntam
Correspondence Of the Ohio stateSman.l
Our Letter from the 05th Ohio.
CAMP NEAR YoUNG'a PoINT, La 4
Wednesday, April Is, 1863. (

Ten days have elapsed since last wrote you
the loDgest period that has transpired be.
tween any two of my letters. TWAS rumored In
camp that the mail had been stopped, and /
concluded II that was the case, there was little
use in my writing.
LETTERS FROM HoME-JoY IN THE CAMP.
Very few letters came down until yesterday,
when the regiment was agreeably surprised by
receiving the largest mail by far Of any we
have yet had. should think that every man
In the regiment got some kind word from home,
II one we're to judge from the smiling faces
seen in every direction. Take the squad am
In for an instance. There are only eight of
us, and We got forty-fve letters. As for my
self, was the fortunate recipient Of seven-fvo
from the dear ones at home.
You cannot imagine how extremely delight
ed all the boys were yesterday. They fairly
jumped for joy, and capered about more like lit.
tie boys than soldiers and defenders of their
country. IL will no doubt be long time be-
fore we again receive such mail.
PROGRESS OF THE NEW CANAL.
In my last letter gave you description OF
our journey hither, and some account of the
new canal, that is going to aseist 10 the down
fall Of Vicksburg That canal has progressed
very well go far. Last Monday afternoon, April
l3, thirteen days after the commencement Of
operations on The canal, the Mississippi leyee
was cut, and the water letiu. It rushed through
at the rate of ten miles an hour. IL now looks
like q "raging oanawl" in earnest. 1t will in
a short time be ready for transports
At present there are three dredges at work in
the canal, making II considerably deeper than
could be accomplished with the spade. The
dredge is curious sort of machine, strongly
reminding me of an elephant-its huge trunk,
plowiug deep into the water and mud, bringing
up in large scoop about as much dit as one
horse would be willing to hawl in cart. Il is
0 very fine thing-at least we soldiers think 80
when there are canals to be dug.
HOW THE BOYS ARE KEPT AT WORK
They have kept us hard at work since we
came here. They even went go far as to work
US on Sunday, aye, on the day that ought to be
day of rest for all workers-and on Easter
Sunday into the bargain. am of the opinion
that most of the boys in the 95th Ohio will
long remember Easter Sunday, 1863. I know
shall for one.
This has been the usual process 10 working
US: We were marched out early in the morn
ing in our ehirt sleeves, and were Immediately
put into the mud and water nearly knee-deep.
We then dug O drain in the center of the ditch.
through which little of the water coon ran off
from the sides of the canal. Then, alter hand.
ling shovelfull of mud over three or four
times, one would succeed in getting it on the
bank. A fellow once in the mud would have
to remain there until his work was done; for It
was more troublesome to migrate through the
mud than to shovel all day.
Thau ;,l .
us the extreme pleasure OF working at NIGHT.
On two occasions. just as was about readS 10
retire for the night, | was politely inform cd
that my valuable services were needed nm the
"rsging canaw" to keep the drain omen so
that the steam pump, which was employed dav
and night in pumping out the water, vould moi
be compelled to stop for want of water. You
may know that vent cheerfully O, it, for
was always particularly fond of nipht-Wo t'ir
a norm" They kept us working till abou,
midnight. "O''
DANGER OF AN OVERFLOW. e.
Wewereeetto work this morning TO strength
en- the levee by throwing up dirt from the ont.
side, thus rendering It great deal more sub.
stantial and lees liable to be washed away-
There are places, however, In the levee tha
are already broken, and the water ia rusbin,
through them pretty rapidly, OVERLOOKING th,
country back Of MS.
Thereis vast extent of country in our rea
to fill with water; but We will, after awhile, b,
compelled to leave our present eucampm ent
for the water Ia gradually rising on us Yes.
terday three or four OF us went about half q
mile back after wood. While we were cuttipf
a tree down and splitting it up, which occupied
about two hours, the water rose about q foo
all around us. The tree was felled on dr.,
ground, and when we left the water completed,
covered IL. we were unable 10 get our wooC
10, for OF nearly every etep we took, the wa,el
was over boot top. There is O fail OF abou
fifteen feet in less than mile and half az
that it will take some time for the water {,
reach US in our camp.
DEATH OF SERGEANT GoDowN.
Last Sunday, April 12, We had the frat destl
In our company (Co. A, 95th Obio). SerQean
Joseph Godown, Of Norwich township, franklin
county, Ohio, died of typhoid fever. He wal
an excellent young man whom everybody thai
knew him loved. He will be sadly misset
among his fellow comrades. The body wal
sent home last Monday. His parents and
friends knew nothing of his Illness How
shocked they will be to hear OF bis death! He
would not permit any Of the boys TO mention
his sickness in their letters. He was apparentl,
one of the healthieet and most robust men ID
the company. But the strong as well as The
weak must fall.
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS,
A week ago to- day, the 95th was paid four
months wages-ffty.two dollars--in full mp to
the first of March. Two or three days ago our
company sent home nearly fifteen hundred dol
lars, and there are now about five hundred dol
lars more to be forwarded yet by those who did
not send then. That will make about two
thousand dollars from one company consisting
Of only about forty men.
| II 10 said that some Of our boats are going tc
run the blockade at Vicksburg in few days
Some of our boys down at Youpg's Point are
arranging cotton and hay bales around the
boilers and cabins Of number of the boats; 30
1t looks very much as though something was
going TO happen.
Some Of the boys of this regiment have beer
out foraging, aud have just returned with lo
of excellent furniture--the private property o.
some unprotected individual. It is said be wal
q good Union man, who was driven away from
his home by come Of our soldiers. l hope th,
men guilty Of the act will meet their just de-
eeIts.
Our regiment (the 95th) has agaia beel
shifted. We now belong to the First Brigade
Gen. Buckland; Third Division, Gen. ]. M