Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-03-04
Fer the Delaware GAzstas.
From the Fifth .. q. CoIsrOd TresYA
YoKKToWK, VIRGINIA,
- February 24th, 1864.


fsW Of the men composing tbs regiment were
residents of Delaware prior to their enlistment
-the eolored element in that village and
county, being snail as compared with what
il found in some other places, with whom
your citizens are to say the most bat slightly
aeduainted, and in whom it is not fair to sup
pose they could take more than an ordinary
interest-yet in view. Of the fact that the regi-
ment, for some few menths pending the com
pletion of its organisation, and encamped just
outside of your town limits, and was visited
daily by many Of your eitizens-both ladies
and geutIemen-in view to Of the more i'm
portant fact that the regiment while there
achieved the reputation OF being the best behav-
ed body Of men ever eneGnped in that vicinity,
though half dozen bad bsen stationed there
before as-I have thought that member of
the regiment might not be considered guilty
of trespas in presenting few particulars
concerning il for the perusal OF your intelh-
gent readers.
The regiment left Camp Delaware on the
I4th of November last, and has therefore been
something mere than three months in the
field.
A detachment under command Of Major
1aEfyg was OfQetCu UuA Ou y ASCOd0SA1ohSS AZ
most AZ soon as we landed at PoTtsmou th.-
A few weeks later We went with General
Wilde on his famous raid into n forth Carolina,
Of which everybody has read, during which ex-
pedition our regiment won the highest encomi-
ums Of the eommaading General for its eff
cheney in drill and discipline, and the general
good conduct Of the men. Returning to the
entrenched camp at Norfolk, after a march Of
thres weeks, we were busy for some time pre-
pairing winter quarters and just As We had
succeeded 10 making ourselves comfortable, ~
We thought, for the winter, orders came to
break up camp and report Immediately at
this place. y .-7.ia
We landed January goth, and pitched our
tents on the Heights, short distance south
of the entrenchments which surrounded the re-
uOwnsd, village Of YorktoWn-a place famous
| in the annals oil, two .Wars-one whose name
in the mind Of every intelligent American, is
linaepaFabIy associated with the most brilliant
achievements in the eventual life Of the reVer-
ed EFather Of his country-the surrender oi
Lord CORVALLIS and a consequent termina-
ton OF our Revolutionary struggle.
Our encampment is said to cover portion
of the ground on which the left wing of the
British army rested, when drawn up in line
previous to their laying down their arms
About mile south of us is the Moore
House." said to have been occupied as Head
Quarters by General GHo- WAEHIEGToN
while encamped here during the seige, and al
which the articles Of CapitulAtion are said to
have been signed. The building then occu-
pied by Corn wallis, is still standing within
the Notifications in good state of preseva
tion, and likely by all appearance to stand for
years. There are several other edifices Of the
Revolutionary period still ssApding-amOng
them = Church of ancient aud dilapidated
appearance in the enclosure of which, or IL
what was once the Church-yard-it has
). no enclosure nOw-are a number of Tomb
stones, whose inscriptions date back a scors
Of years or more beyond the commence mem
of the Revelation. On one of these L noticed
q somewhat obliterated latin inscription, and
prompted by curiosity 10 translate it, man
aged with some difficulty to possess myself o
Il the information that he whose mortal remains
reposs there-Thomas Nelson" Died in Ger
tain hope Of happy resurrection in Christ
August 18th, 1743."
The earth-works thrown up by Oornwallii
are IevelIed in many places or surken to th'
cannon level of the plain but come portions
of them still remain. These are not so har
to distinguish from either the rebel works o
two years ago, or the more recent and more
extensive fOrtifcotions of the Federal forces
But the place is fast losing all marks ofits an
oient character. When short time shall haY,
elapsed, but few vestiges of it will remain.
The antique and solid structures of th'
Coldial Government still stand, but th'
streets have taken on some of the most mod
ern OF names, OF which :" Ellsworth Street.
Mcclellan Avenue" &c, are examples.
The spot made memorable by the heroic
presence Of the Commander-in- Chief Of tht
} Americana Army at the moment of receiving
E the sword from the hands of his Lordly Cap
/ tive was, previous to the commencement o
rebel hostiities, surrounded by paled sncIo
sure This has yielded, chip by chip, to tht
knives Of insatiate reIic.ssekers until no sigI
{ now remains. Tive slender Poplar saplingi
still serve to mark the spot, but not lonS
i. hence these, too, will be numbered with thing
that were. They are fast being Whitfield aWaJ
I-dying by inches-being mailed piece-mea
u in letters to all parts of the Northern States
: There are few who will learn these facts with
out feeling Of regret that it should be so
but this is only one feature Of the wars desc
lation. 1t has many others more repulsiv,
/ stilE But whatever else Of interest might b.
told Of Yorktown and its surroundings,
must restrain any further allusion to them fo
the present.
Our regiment is now brigAded with the 4th
9th and 22d United States, all OF which ar,
encamped just below US, the latter having bu
recently arrived from Camp Wm. Penn, nea
:, PhiIadelphia. must not neglect to mention
that the 5rh participated in the second raid ii
the direction Of Richmond. That by reason
tcf treachery, that expedition failed 60 accom-
plish the object for which it set out, as yor
have already learned. But the march to Bot
; tom Bridge was not entirely fruitless, in thai
it demonstrated clearly to all Of uS-had any
before, been disposed to doubt it-that colored
troops in point Of physical endurance are ir
every respect equal to whites. During fore
ed march of forty miles in sixteen hours, vi
were not surpriaed to zee many soldiers Wit
fhAva seen year or two Of service, fall behinC
their regiments, and it afforded me no littlt
satisfaction to be able to report that wher
our regiment halted preparatory to wintel
biyOuac without FIRE every soldier was pres EN-
to answer to his name. .
If our Uncle Samuel has another regimen
: in his Service-be it colOred, white or yellow
-:kat thinks it can beat that, we are quite
willing to march ours against it for wager
presume everybody in Ohio is in favor o
Abraham Lincoln for our next President
!, not everybody, certainly-the Copperhead
are not all dead yeti only mean the grea
: majority. There is but one voice in this pOr
! ton Of the army. everybody reeI for Homes