The Union and journal., 1864-03-04
CORRESPONDENCE.
22d Reg. q. 8. Colored Troops, !
YoRxroWN, Va, Feb. ~, 6t. :

IokxroWhs Vess REQ. Ifs oSs
Nh. Eprroa I'm my letter to you stated
that we had orders to march 10 report to Gen.
Butler at Fortress Monroe. Accordingly W
left Camp Penn the 10th Of February at 10 A.
NJ. After marching through some OF the prin-
oipal streets Of Philadelphia, st l-2 2. NJ. We
halted In front OF the Union Volunteer Refresh
ment Saloon, where We were bountifully sup
piled with hot coffee, bread and meats Of vsri.
Gus kinds. One word concerning this Associ-
alton which 20 generously provided for our
physical wants. This institution was organized
May 9th. 1861, being the 61t and largest 0i
the kind In the country. It has furnished re-
freshments to four hundred thousand soldiers.
In returning from and going to the seat OF war.
There nre ample accommodations ut the tables
for twelve hundred men. Attached to the 80.
loon, or rather on the second floor. Is q hospi-
tai where over Ave thousand patients have re-
ceived medical attention. Both saloon and hos
pital are supported entirely by private coutri,,
buttons. The arrangement Is so perfect and
complete that In fifteen inmates after the arriv-
al Of regiment, they are supplied with hot ten
and coffee and oil that Il necessary to make
wholesome and palatable meal
After thoroughly satiating our appetites, We
embarked on board the transport steamer Gov.
Chase, but did not start until the next morn
ing. This Is new steamer, not entirely hnish.
ed, and OF course never having made q trial trip,
we felt little unpleasant about it-but she DO:
haved nobly during our voyage. We reported
at Fortress Monroe Friday P. NJ, and were or
dercd Immediately to this place. We end our
selves encamped on the left bank OF York River,
In Gen. Wistar's brigade. About two hundred
yards below US Ii o house said to have been the
OF his fortiAcations are still visible. Here also
are very distinctive evidences OF McClellan,s
peculiar mode OF warfare, viz: ditching. We
have been filling up one OF his famous zig rag
rife pits. A description Of this place Is unnec-
es.ary, as It was given by your Washington
correspondent two weeks since. lOne very Ia.
teresting thing see he failed to notice About
half q mile from our encampmeut Is "city OF
refuge" or In other words, "contraband town. :. -
This place Is regularly laid out In streets, and
contains about Eve hundred houses, regularly
numbered, with o population OF about two
thousand women and children. All the men
who are able are doing duty for Uncle Sam,
who issues to them one thousand rations per
diem. The children receive half ration. There
Is mission school under the auspices OF the
Quakers, who are very zealously engaged In
this work. The day school Is under the charge
of lady from New Jersey. There are two ses-
sions q day. About one hundred and ffty
scholars are In daily attendance, whose ages
range from four to sixteen The lady informed
me that she had been In charge OF the school
fve weeks, and that already children who could
not read when she commenced, were able to do
30 now. She also informed me that she had
been employed as teacher for fifteen years,
and she did not see but these children learned
as rapidly rs white children. There Is also IN
evening school for adults. under the charge OF
a gentleman. The society are building church.
I find all the coutrabands are extremely anxious
to learn to read. We hive many In our rcgi-
ment. have to-day been distributing some
primers given me by my Quaker friends, and
find them as much pleased rs though had Civ
en- them gold. One aged man, who had been o
slave oil his days, upon receiving primer said,
"Thank you Massa, thank you Massa 1t Is
the first present have received for many days"
Those contrabands I have met are Of course
poor. One who has n family Of fye children,
aud gets his living by oystcring. and poor
one at that, I asked, care you not sorry you
are frcel" "No ssr;" replied, "Did .l%1y your our
always have enough to eati" "Lor' bless
you. mas:a. yes. n"why then did ... you leave a.,
ier." have convcrsed with good many con-
trabands, and always ask them the same ques.
ton, and they all have the same answer.
have not seen one or heard Of one who Is nnx-
ious to return TO slavery ; neither do Ibelieve
there Is one, except in the mind Of some poor,
God. .forsaken, broken down Northern copper
head, whose sympathics are oil for the rebels
know not what is to be our future move
ment, only when We do move that We shall have
the privilege Of walking the streets OF Rich
mond, not as prisoners OF war, but as jubilsnt
over the downfall Of JEFF. Davis stronghold.
Yours, &c. AsraAoALUs.