The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1864-12-01
From the Thirteenth Reg't,
Kernstown, Frederick County, VA
November l7lh, 1854.

| Kcrnstown, Frederick County, Va1
November l7Ih. 1854.
Mr.. Edifor:-Imagine to yourself
that you leave Mortnsburg which is on
the B. & O., Railroad and travel Q2
miles up tho Valley 10 Winchester which
was once a very beautiful and no doubt
| pleasant country town. But now, aIaa
how wofully has its magnifcence decay.
ed and its former beauty departed. One
third of the town lies in ruins and tho
rest Of il gives unmistakeable signs oil
delapidation and decay, lis Temples of
worship have been converted into Hos
pitfalls for the sick and wounded soldiers
lis sacred receptacles of the dead have
become the commons, their Enclosures
have all been torn down and used by the
soldiers for fuel, and those marble MON
uments that hnve stood like failhfel
sentinels-many Of them for q half cen.
fury to mark the spot beneath which the
mortal remains of some loved one sleeps
the rolling years away have been tum.
bled down or their beauty defaced and
The shrubbery planted by the hand of
affection around the graves of departed
friends, ceases any longer to impreguate
the passing breeze with its pleasant ex
halatons. The rude hand and the raw.
enous beast have destroyed it, Alas!
Why all this? Treason! Treason! was
rampant here.
But we leave Winchester and pass up
the pike some four miles beyond Kerns.
town Here we will turn to the left and
cross large open field and after having
moved in this direction say one mile, we
came 10 clump Of woods in which the
heavy timberhos been cut down whilst
the sprouts and under brush stands thick
all over the ground, interspersed here
and there with little scrubby pines. In
this clump of woods there are ten rows
Of shelter tents averaging ten to the row,
Before each tent there is great or small
FIRE at which the soldier warns himself
and does his little cooking. These
rows Of tents are about IS feet part
These spaces constitute the streets Of the
oncampmenI and have had all the brush
and leaves removed and must be kept
perfectly clean. At the end OF each
street and opposite the center is one
large tent, the officers headquarters
The Colonel's lent stands opposite and to
the rear Of the center nf the enoump.
menI. Here We have little village
built of cotton houses, where wc eat and
sleep and while away the w9aisoue and
monotomons Of a soldiers life. The
above is the camp OF the 18th W. V, V.
|. We returned from MartinSburg, and
went into camp here on the 18th inst,
and here we still remain. There are
various camp rumors relating to the en-
envy. Some say he has left, others that
he is watching an opportunity to catch
US mapping again and others that he is
trying to flank us. While the truth is
none but the commander know but We.
~ little about him. The country may
rest assured that we are prepared for
any movement his Majesty may seem fit
to make.
The men of the Regiment present are
in good health. Absentees are begin
ming to come in now that the heavy cam
psigning is over. The Paymaster has
not yet paid US a visit, We hope how.
ever, that it will not be long until ho
does for some Of US have received no pay
since December 3lst, 1868, and our
families need money very much indeed. !
We are praying and hoping that we
may be permitted to winter somewhere
in West Virginia. We hope our fliends
who may have the opportunity will speak
good wO,d for US. w. VIII !
Gen sherman on the War.