Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-08-13

S,scoess-Deserters from the Army-LOsseS.
BEFORE PETERSBURG, Va,
July "a, 1864.
EDIroRs JOURNAL: A long continued ST.
lence of several weeks has probably led you
TO draw the not unwarrantable conclusion that
your regular correspondent of the S7th Wis
cousin had contributed his "two yards OF
bad stuff to fertilize the sacred soil of Vir-
ginia Such; however, is not the case. 1T
not exactly still " in the flesh" am, at any
rate, " still in the bone," presenting tne
subject for the student in anatomy. -Four
weeks in the hospital, and remittent fever
have incapactated me from letter writing,
killing rebels, writing to the Journal, and
other polite amusements of the nineteenth
century.
The Thirty-seventh regiment is gradually
gaining. The men have had a respite from
duty allowed them, and have recovered, in
a great measure, from the fatigues OF their
long marches and hard fights. The presence
of our Colonel; whom the yexatious and har-
assing business of recruiting long detained in
the State against his will, adds not little
towards making the men feel cheerful and
contented The arrival of company K has
brought up the effective strength of the reg
imept to about three hundred and thirty men
fit for duty. Not the least notable arrival OF
late at these headquarters has been that OF
| Ulysses S. Grant, Esq, not the General OF
that name, but young eagle which the boys
of company have brought from the State.
He is fine specimen of the American eagle,
about ten weeks old, and even at his early
age, measures over seven feet between the
tips of his wings. He was presented to the
regiment by Mr.. Jos. Smith, of Hudson, st.
Croix county, and is quite pet among the
men.
We still occupy our old position, the rife
pits and breastworks in front of Petersburg.
daily interchange of compliments, con-
sisting of musket balls, shell, &c, takes place
between us and the Johnnies and now and
then a man gets hit. Towards evening the
artillery, once in while, commence duello
and the woody hollows round Petersburg echo
with the roar Of Columbiads, Parrots, NOR
tars and all the various implements of des-
truction used in that great game called war.
After while, the ear gets so nicely trained
that. even at a considerable distance, one
can distinguish between the sharp crack OF
the Parrots, the dull thud of the mortars,
and the sullen heavy roar of the long 81
FOUNDER siege guns
The siege seems a slow business to us here,
but it progresses satisfactorily we feel. All
through the army of the Potomac is deep
rooted, immovable faith in Gen. Z. 5. Grant.
If he is apparently doing nothing at present,
il is only because he is waiting for his plans,
in some other direction, to mature and de-
velop. As a rebel Captain-prisoner-sa
the other day in reference to Grant and Lee,
ssGentlemen. there's two id old heads
got hold of the chess-board now" and we see
Ihe point
Ever and anon the breath of rumor brings
us good tidings from Sherman or elsewhere,
and enthusiastically a stray newspaper
comes along confirming the same.
The days of secession seem to be surely
numbered; tighter and closer the mesh is
being drawn round them. The Richmond
Examiner. keeps up sickly pretense OF cheer
fulness, struggling to maintain "the hope
that maketh the heart sick" Hardly day
passes without the arrival of deserters from
the enemy in greater OF less numbers, half
starved, half clothed, sick in mind as in body,
weary of cause the success of which they
have long since despaired of, and the right
of which they are now beginning to doubt
Although rebels and enemies, one cannot
help feeling sorry for them, especially the
privates Forced in, in many instances,
against their inclinations, in others led in by
designing politicians, the actual realities OF
war have come upon many of them and
shown them, when too late, how widely they
have erred.
But ADLER pens than mine have handled this
theme to depletion, and / will leave moraliz-
ing on the evils consequent on secession and
stick to my proper province, that of chron-
telling the doings of the 37th Wisconsin.
Since our arrival here on the 10th OF last
month we have taken part in four desperate
charges, have held the advance line of works
for twenty-nine days, twenty-one OF which
were continuous without relief or support.
We have lost since that day in killed and
wounded, one hundred and eighty eight men.
The health of the regiment is good, al
though we have quite number of men In
hospital, none of the cases are dangerous,
and rest will very shortly restore most of the
nvalids to the ranks. / enclose list of
killed and wounded since the battle of the
18th, and, with best wishes for the prosperity
of the old Badger State and a speedy termi
nation of the war,
Remain yours faithfully, R. E.