American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1863-02-20
Correspondence of the Citizen.
IL CAMPS, NEAR GoLDsBoRo, N c.
FehruarY lst 1853

IL CAMPS, NEAR GoLDsBoRo, n. G.
February LIST, 1868.
FRIEND BoswoRTH 1t has been a long,
long time since / wrote you-in fact, many
months have elapsed since then, but months
have become years since the fiery breath of
war has caused the pulse TO beat quick and
high and the heart to thrill with COM
mingled emotions of hope and fear. But /
have slowed myself away in a quiet littl e
corner of our d" shebhang," filled my clay
pipe (meerschaums have played OUT with
the best article of Powhattah tobacco and
now for little /" chit chat - with you.
| have somewhere seen q picture of con-
tentment, in which is shown young gent in
carpeted room before a blazing hearth,
leaning back in a cushioned chair, smoking
cigar, with his feet in close proximity to the
mantle, and at about an angle of efghtyfve
degrees with his body. l once thought it a
pretty fair picture, aud that it represented
contentment to perfection, but my ideas in
this respect have changed very much since
then, for / now think that contentment is no
where to be found save whilst sitting around
my old dirt chimney with its blackened
hearth and some half dozen potatoes are
being roasted in the embers. Roasted pota-
toes Mercy, how strangely | am affected
about the abdominal muscles whenever 1
think of them. | believe there is a kind of
telegraphic communication kept up between
the brain and the stomach, and that so soon
as the brain telegraphs to the stomach that
81 he
muscles of the viscera begin to contract,
thereby showing that the intelligence is re-
ceived and a general movement is commenced
TO receive the visitor and treat it 8 with dis
tingushed consideration But l have
wandered from my subject, for | commenced
have written an able dissertation on the sub
ject and the world been greatly entertained
thereby, but unfortunately there was an
alteration and failed. If posterity should
regret this accident, let them know it was
caused by an inordinate love of roasted po-
tatoes.
Have you ever been in this portion of
North Carolina? Never7 Well, you must
pay it visit when the war is over. The
country has the appearance of being quite
fertile, with an abundance of everything that
would make life pleasant; but there is lack
of that class of persons which is the first and
fairest to a young mans eye. ] speak of the
ladies-of course pretty ladies are to be un-
derstood. And just here, let me say to the
young ladies at home, that if they have
sweet-hearts in our company they may con-
- 10 ia
long as we stay in this portion of the old Tar
State
Orders have been issued to grant furloughs
to one man N twenty-five. 1t created quite
futtering in camps for awhile, and we
were all dancing with joy over the hope of
drawing furlough-the married men, be-
cause they wished to see their wives-the
young men, because they wished to see their
- sisters, suppose. In accordance with
this order four of the company have gone
home on furlough. Tell everybody to write
to us when they return, which viii be about
the goth February, and be sure to send boxes
of butter and hams-we will manage to do
without the eggs. Four of the company will
leave every month for home until the order
is countermanded.
Every man in the company is well and at
his post. We have gone into winter quar-
ters-some have burrowed in the ground,
others have built brush arbors and covered
them with Yankee oil cloths-others have
small board houses and those who prefer
them, live in tents. We have good time of
it and as merry as the day is long, ex-
cept when it raius,-then we don't laugh
very heartily.
The Yankees are about $4,000 strong at
Newberne. They will probably attack Will
mington, Weldon and Goldsboro simulta-
neously, or mass their troops to attack in de-
tail. | suppose our Generals have made
preparations to give them an appropriate re-
ception whenever they feel disposed to visit
the neighborhood of oCr lines. l have tres
passed more than intended. Adieu.
Your friend, CHARLIE.