Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-11-05
LIrE OF THE soIDIRR.
XVeatern SoIdIsraI GeIE.RelIanee.-Il.
Illustrative IncIdentS-MakIn Camp
Improve nie nl nleIts'-Strll<tnSi 81 FeIAts
Taking Coffee DoNVny PIllOws-
Life im 4 nnTas CItlcs, etc etc.


| Illustrative MISUNDERSTANDING Camp
| Improve IN un nents'-GtrI 81 r. ILt
-TRkinE Coffee DONVny PIIlOWs-
| Life im nnTaS CItlrs, etc ,etc.
c rrcspouIence Chicago Journal,
ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND, Oct. 81.
Ifthyrv are men in the world gif'cd with
the most thorough self reliance, Western
soldiers are the men. To fight ia the grand
anger OF battle seems to me TO require less
manly forlitude, after all, than to bear
without murmrring the swarm of little
troubles that vex camp and march. No
matter where or when you halt them they
are ri once ut home. They know precisely
| what to d. first aud they do it. have
seen them march into u strange region at
dark, and almost as soon as fires would
show we'll, they were twukling all over
the field, the Sibley cones rising like the
work of enchantment everywhere, and the
little doR-tents lying snug TO the ground,
as if, like the mushroons, they bad grown
there, and the aroma OF coffee and tortur-
cd bacon, suggesting creature comforts,
and the whole economy of a litei canvass
cities moving as steadily on as il it had
never iutermitted. The movements OF
regiments, you know, are as blind as fate
Nobody can tell to-night where he will be
tomorrow, aud yet with the first
gIimmel Of morning the camp is astir, and
the preparations begin for staying there
forever; cozy little cabins OF red cedar,
neatly fitted, are going up; here boy is
making fire place, and quite artisttcally
plastering it with the inevitable red earth;
be has found crane somewhere and
swung up thereon n two legged dinner pot;
there a fellow is finishing out IL chimney
with brick from an old kiln Of secession
.pTociivities; yOuder IA bower house closely
woven of evergreens is almost ready for
the occupants; tables, stools, bedsVeads are
tumbIed together by the toughest Of car
pentcrs; the avenues between the Iihes OF
tents are cleared and smoOthcd-"Policed," /"
in camp phrase; little seats with cedar
awnings In front of the tents give cottage
look y hilr the inferior, IN n szndsIHERFs has
a Renuine home like air. Tue biz Of
looking glass hangs against the cotton
wall, handkerchief OF carpet just be-
fore the bunk" marks the stepping-of
place to the land Of dreams aviolin case
is strung up to a convenient hook, tlanked
by IA gorgeous picture OF some hero of
somewhere, mounted upon horse RAM
pAut and sAlIant, land what u length of
tail behind"
The business of living has fairly begun
again. There is hardly an idle moment,
aud save here aud there IL Inau brushing
up his musket, getting that "damuod spot
off his bay0net, furnishing his revolver,
you would not suspect that these men had
but one terrible errand. They are tailOrs,
they are tinkers, they are writer's; tenClng,
boxing, cooking. eating, dTillinR-thOse
who say camp life is a lazy life, know lit.
tie about it. Aud then the hereconnoissauces
on ..priyate account" every wood, raVine,
hill. field, is explored; the productions, an
=. iuynntDFiR1 and
one dav renders them as thoroughly con-
versant with the region round about as it
they had been dwelling in there "a life time.
They Lave tasted water from every spring
aud well, estimated the corn to ihe acre.
tried the waterInclOns, gagged the peaches,
Knocked down the percImmOns, milkcd tue
cows, roasted the pigs, picked the chick
ems; they know WHO lives here and there
aud wonder, the whereabouts of the native
BOYS, the names Of the native girls. II
there is curious cave, queer tree, IL
strange rock anywhere about, they know
Il il. You cGn see them with Chisel, hammer
and haversack, tuggiuG up the mount"'"
. 1r scrambliug down the ravinein ageolog-
icai passion, that would have won the right
hand OF fellowship from Hugh Miller, anu
home they cOme laden with specimens that
would enrich a cabinet l have in my
possession the most exquisite fossil buds
| lust ready TO Opeu, beautiful shells, rare
minerals collected by these rough and
dasbing naturalists. If you think the rank
and file have no taste for the beautiful, il
| is time you remembered of what material
they are made. Nothing will catch sol
dier's eye quicker than patch OF velvet
moss, or fresh little flowori and m"ny a
letter leaves the camp enriched with faded
souvenirs OF these expeditions. said th"
nothing will catch an old campaigner's eyt
quicker than a flower, but was wrong; {
dirty, ragged baby will. have seen
thirteen dollar man expeud dollar to-
trinkets to hang about the diugy neck o
an urchin that at home and three year
ago, he would hardly have touched will
the tongs. Do you say, 1t is Tor the moth
er's sake? You have only TO see tho De-
draggled, coarse, lank, tobacco chewing
dam-is it wicked for me to use that wor'
in such fashion Ito abandon that idea
like a founding, to the tender mercies
the first door-step2
But to come back to camp talk OF per
fumed clouds of incense, there is nothinl
sweeter than dear, bright, red cedar hre
the mountain air is fairly laden with tn
fragrance Everything is red cedar, and {
prairie man, as he sees the great camI
Ares fed with hewn timbers of the precious
wood. would about as soon think of cuttini
nm his grand piauo-seven octave or So
, into fuel for the kitchen stove. The breat
of the red cedar fres will float back TO m
like "A pleasant memory, II ever inhal
again the suIphurous, TartariAu gusts troE
the smothering beds of Illinois coal. Writ
ing OF fuel, you should see the fences mel
away anywhere within mile Of camp, q
goes the red cedar again, like the prOphe
. Ia chariot of fire, and not enough left tc