Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-06-03
From the dist.
READTyILLE, TENN., May

Dear Sr:-The health of the Regiment
was never better than at the present.
We have between four and five hundred
men present for duty. which is pretty
well for an old regiment that has seen
nearly two years active service, and have
been engaged in two of the bloodiest bat
ties of the war.
Since l last wrote you nothing has
transpired-not even so much as a Skin
mish to break the dull routine of camp
life. Our camp is on the farm of an old
rebel by the name of Talley /; and here
as everywhere else in this country, the
war shows its devastating influence
There is not a rod of fence on his whole
farm, except around his door yard, and
this the boys are using up as fast as pos
sible. When the rebels were here they
kept a guard over all his property /; but
now he has to tax. it right and left. 1
wish they would hang the old wretch, for
he is one of our bitterest enemies. We
have exchanged our camp tents for field
or shelter tents. The boys are all trying
to see which will have the incest bunk /;
they put up four or six of them in a row,
take boards and make them a bed, and
carry cedar boughs and make themselves
a shade; this done the shelter tents make
quite a comfortable summer cot. We
have one of the incest camps l ever saw,
and were you to visit US now you would
not take us for soldiers expecting a bat
tie at any time, so quiet is everything
around us now. The rebels have learned
to respect and fear us as soldiers. They
come up and take a look at our pickets,
and sometimes try to fool US, but we are
not to be caught mapping.
Sometime in the latter part of last
month, General Reynolds went out on a
reconnaissance with his division, composed
OF cavalry, mounted infantry, infantry
and artillery. He went as far as McMinn-
vile, where he encountered a force of the
enemy's cavalry under General Morgan,
su 'ceeded in capturing part of them and
putting the rest to fight. Morgan him.
self narrowly escaped being captured, but
here, as in all other places, his legs did
him good service, though we captured
his better half. W. took his wife prison
er. They are going to send Mrs. Morgan
to Columbus, Ohio. How long she will
remain in that city is more than l know.
Tae Southern ladies are more bitter in
their hatred toward us than the men, but
1 don't think there is much love lost.
Every soldier in u camp threw up his
cap for General Burnside when we heard
he had arrested that arch traitor Vallan-
digham. They had better hang him at
once, and thus save the soldiers of Ohio
the trouble of doing it when they return
home victorious, for victorious we will be
we will never return, never as long as
there is a soldier left who is able to shout
der a musket or draw a sabre. 1t is use
less for the Copperheads to threaten the
President with what they will or
will not do, if he does not o
close this wal and acknowledge the indie
pendence of the South. The President
looks to the army and the loyal people of
The North for support in this trying hour
Tor US and our country and the firm cour-
age and trusty ~bayonets of his soldiers,
he ~inexhaustable wealth and hearty sup.
port of the loyal people of the North will
carry him safe through in spite of trail
'ors, North or South. There is one thing
'ertain we are able to carry on this war
Without help from foreign nations. We h;
Ion't look to England for a navy, neither {
10 we depend upon her to equip and arm '
Is, or feed and clothe u.s.. We thank '
ieaven we have a government able to :
upply our army with everything needful,
nd GU army is as much superior to the
nemy's as our government is superior
0 theirs. But 1 must stop Boosting.
You ask about the field officers, They c
re as follows: Colonel, A. Wiley; Lieu i
enant Colonel, R. L. Kimberley; Major, n
q. Il. Williston, former Captain of Com C
any l; Adjutant, R. B. Hardy. All the l
lembers of Company A are well, and, as I I
Lrs. Darlington would say, have a good h
oice for hard tack. Ever yours, a
W. w. BRADEN. r.
d