Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-02-11
Interesting Letter from Virginia.

ton Of tie ARMY i'll Virginia, which We lay
| efne cur r.ad.rs:
FREnknIcEsRuaa. Va, Jan. %. 1862.
In my letter Of Sunday. we're dctsi!r"i va
r;uus tact, conn. c'ei with "tn- trout IF n
two sr,uies. la this. | prop".- 10 give rtn
>.nne Id a ut The army il>e'i-its 2ennr:l Ca
lur :. condition aud PROSPECTS.
When ] iett these camps, three mouths ago
th . >lA..aac'e presented OR ~. ~ side was on.
IN 1t might We'll have dislirit 4 thc III PSI SAT-
suitle heart. Thousands were in ri= bar :
Noted and dest!tn'e ut the counlu Hh">t lie
c,assries f lie. The country was ia,l vi t G
wol nded, sick, and rtrsgsl-r> lie army W: ;
lie -in,ted, nst to.sav %aiiL"s' dis"rg mel:
manv Snt tn: Regiments were ,ie>,i'd.c oi c"m
mrn i'm. ollie. T., aud I ;unsp ri ~ea ines
\ ipnsiug ioe resi-. >ceipsd 10 ~Iert:rie iiia ~
tir, ula,,. Inc cen.,aigu nj Macy laud, will
IL - sis daily marches. lis elervisting tX-
elements. expnsurss and d~eprivations. It's re
cord, uf wounded and dead, had proved ~ei;
ugh ~ fatal III It's delnoraiizing results rs l
We tsd Sustained Il disastrous defrat.
With that peculiar elasticity of tempera
n-ht which character'z S oar people. h'weV
or, the REBOUND when it commenced Was H.
smld n as the ia.l. rha approach OF winter
brought with it the iuvigorating influences
shica operate OH health, and the uuei alread.,
inurel to hardship. ripened quickly to q
phv,ic,I condl,ion that has never been equal
Ell in their history. Tne prospect of anotilri
bat le. and the selection Of Is p's!u III, whri
:" even urmil!tary eyes appear stamped VIII
iin,reenabilii,, cumnine,l with the uill'nilr'
cmidence rep ,Sed in tde.r Cn,ct, ai.o a:e'
lrA. y charm upon The dropping spirits oil la
;lr.,.y, aud AZ If 10y nj 'eic the faces Ut IN 81;
Adj the ,ace of sif:,.rs were lighted with -:
ailn.ting spirit tnat Tor. told what was alter,
waris 81 easily. chievea success.
AID now, a. YOU move tnr, u.h the camp
aud s,,e I'll. .ululrrs III their Win @ :qlar'ers
observe the robust forms, brpl.z: laces, bllth
spultstaad thanks " tie noble w'hien ~
/ = cuuntry and tue good ~citizcns whp iiav'
formed associatiuus for The reliei OF The SOL
di.r-their comfortable c oLhing y"u i, S inc
lively feel that never si.ce its orgaIiza.iio'
has our army eqa:.l!ed its present superb
fighting aud physical condition.. la the Ian
suAge 10 IN. Of II Mnjal General o. Sunday.
:. w cailiot be warped in cur present p"-
~ ljU 10y lNt uuiIlCSt tu'N
It, ii>cipl,nr, t@, which has !icrci'tpr
been gre tly neglected, Improvement has brci
naads with r.ipid strides. Struggling has herr
mer.uraLIy cured !ceerti"ns are VI cc'np"ra
lively rare occurrence, and u spirit OF emula
ton exi-t. among tic various COMMANDS tina
Ii telling wonderfully on.thcir etiicleicy un,
>oidierly worth.
The only brigade | have vt had an cppar
nifty of seeing OH parade is that Of Gen
.%pnsius, and | must Confess that if the en-
tire army presents such a spectacle AZ wa
%; A., ntpd ON this occasion, We have III trni!
n body of men Of whom the CoItederacv ma,
be proud. In drill, movements, military
misunderstanding, i'll fact, which constr
TUE, the true suldier-thcy are as ntar Il
state of perfection as volunteers have ever
attained. Much OF this improvement in the
tone OF the army is of course due to the cill-
GERS, but not less to the hearty spirit with
which the privates have given themselves TO
the work, and Joined their honest endeavor-
" those of their supsriors to promote excel
lency Of discipline and behavior.
In proof Of this gratifying fact, may men
ton that since the first of january not nose
than eight men out of twentJ-lour hundred
have been under arrest for misdemeanor, and
so reported at headquarters.
A high order Of Improvement is especially
manifest among the officers, from the Colo
ncls down to the CUrporals. No man, how
ever unanimously chosen or whatever may he
the Influences, social or political, brought TO
bear, can be elected without fist passing the
ordeal cf a Board of Examiners, and proving
not only his competency to command, but
the excellence of his moral character. When
these facts are satisfactorily shown, the APP
pointrnent is announced in an order read be-
fore the regiment, or brigade, as the case
may be, and the officer enters upon his duty
respected by all as one qualified for the posi-.
ton. .Demagogueism-that bane Of the army
bus thus been destroyed, aud cal ability,
more than popularity, made the criterion by
which men become entitled to rauk.
The result of this elemental change in the
organization of the army-this stroke at the
very root of difficulties, against which the
COMMANDMENTS Chief has heretofore contend
ed in vsin-has proven beneficial beyond com-
putat;cn. 1t is this. confidence in the greater
ability Of the men to perform whatever may
I've required of then which led Gen. Hood to
make the remark quo,ed above, and the
feeling is shared by all the Generals in the
army.
While the snictness Of discipline now OBJ
served may not be altogether popular among
tdos. inclined to shirk the additional labors
thus imposed, it is undoubtedly true that the
,l,inate effect upon the fortunes Of the Con-
will be Of the bcalthiest character.
It is the lack of a thorough army organizl-
lion that has swept away from US thousands
oi advantages, which otherwise would have
accrued, aud reu cred almost every battle
barrsu of it's valuable results. From these
circumstances, it is believed that hereafter We
shall punish the enemy more severely than
have yet had the power to do. and that the
next blow will be the most decisive Of the
war. Certainly if there is anything in mutu.
ii confidence, in a spirit Of emulation aad
bravery inspired by selfrelianca, the coming
battle will be fought with a vig6r and deter
.inination hat will throw its predecessors in
the shade. and in all prcbab l.ty win for us Il
peace.
The winter quarters Of the men are even
more comfortable than during the last win
ter. Every tent has attached to it a Aub,tai-