The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1864-04-15

army of ''Uncle Samuel" Our regiment, the
31tl o, Y, Mounted Infantry, is at present en-
camped near Charleston. This place is about
the size Of your town 1t shows some Of the
marks of war, in the shape cfruincd wall. and
burned buildings. This valley is about one
and half or two miles wide, and contains some
very nice old homesteads, although not filling
my idea of pleasant country to live in. When
you get in here, away from railroads and com
mon schools it seems so much like being cut off
from civilization to suit Buckeyes notions and
fancies .
The principle source of business here, are salt
and oil wells and coal banks. | visited few
of the salt furnaces last week, and when ! saw
the immense quantity of salt barreled up, and
waiting shipment, was not surprised that Davis
& Cos, mouths watered for II footholl in the
valley.
The salt water supplying these furnaces, is
obtained from wells ranging from eight hun
dred to sixteen hundred feet deep. In SEINE in
stances the briny tui5 is forced out by gasses,
but in most eases it is pumped up BY steam.--
Some of the works that visited, turn out on.
hundred and fifty barrels each per day
Our Regiment is about eleven hundred strong
and is part of the Sd Cavalry Brigade, sth Ar
my corps. The Brigade is commanded Iy a
Frenchman, Gen. Dutiie, (Duffa). We have
all sorts ofrumors Of where we are going; but
The Spring campaign is not sufficiently dcvel-
oped yet, for lis to know what part We will
have to play in the great war drama Of ,s64
The Brigade was called out, few days, since
to witness the execution Of sentence of Court
Martial against descrter. His head was shay
ed bare, and with letter "D" was branded
upon his left hp--and then drummed out of
camp, to work out the ballace of his time with
a ball and chain to his ankle. have no com
mcnts to make. Itspcaks for itself
had the pleasure, few days since, of con.
yersing with five Union prisoners, who escaped
from the rebel prison, at Danville. Va. One Of
these five, mciabcr of the l05th, 0. V. l.,
escaped about the lst of February, and was
nine weeks making our out-posts, during which
time he ffoac one OF his feet so bad, that lie lost
half of his large toe, parts of others-and in this
condition Travelled one hundred and sixty miles
The other four escaped on the night of the 9th
of March, through u tunnel, in connection with
some two hundred others. They were four
weeks on the road, doing all their travelling
by night and laying by in the day time They
received great help from thencgrocs, III fact they
were their only hclp,until they struck the noun.
tains, some sixty miles from our lines. Here,
they came in contact with the underground
Union Railroad which is conducted by band
of Southern Union men, who are lending all
the energies of their souls towards the crushing
OF this foul rebellion. When the prisoners would
show themselves to the negroes, they would
bring them food and guild them to some swamp
or woods, for hiding place, and then notify
give directions or assistance the next night
We're the prisoners pursued at any time the ne
groes would Use all their wit in misleading theft
pursuers. At one place two of these men lay
secFeleu lot iOut GAYS Will scarcely amy lHllS 10
eat AT another time while secratcd in tree,
covered with leaves, five different squads of
Guards passed under the tree, but failed to dis,
cover them. Two others were captured and ia
ken back some sixty miles, but again escaped.
Weary, foot.sore, and almost naked, the boys
looked anything but comfortable
see from the papers that through informali-
ty, we have lost our contested eleton ease. Well
tell my friend lnman that while he is enjoying
the office through the dishonesty Il can't term it
softcr,) Of the Clerk, will stand guard here
among the mountains of Va. to help Keep John
Morgan 4, Co., from devastating the fair fields of
County, or interfering with the
Greenbacks in Squire Murray's safe,
The addition Of hundred dollars salary per
year, would come very handy, to add tony 1913
per mouth, for the support of my wife and two
little girls. But they would rather do without
it, than receive it, when the voice of our coun.
RVS defenders said in plain unmistakdble Ian
guage, as it has said to the Democratic nom
nee, "you are not worthy of it."
/ close by saying that Wyandot County has
, dozen representatives in this regiment.
Respectfully Yours.
- es-.--