Weekly Trinity journal., 1864-07-23

EXTRACTS FROM TRINITY SOLDIER LETTER
S. Blanchard, Esq, of this place, has received
letter from A. S. Marsh, who left Douglas City a
year ago last Spring and enlisted in the Califor-
MIA Coutingent,-now known the I'd Massa-
chusetts Cavalry. The letter is dated at Falls
Church, Virginia, where detachment of the I'd
Massachusetts was stationed at last accounts.
Mr.. Blanchard has permitted US to extract from
the letter, and we have accordingly selected such
portions believed would be entertaining to
Mr.. Marsh's many friends and well-wishers
d" When we left Maryland Company joined
the regiment at Vienna, Va, and we remained
there about two months in the regular old routine
of last summer, doing guard and picket duty
and going out on scouts. Have now been at this
place two three weeks. 1t is six or seven
miles nearer Washington than Vienna. Before
we left Vienna we had Just got our stables moved
and rebuilt, and our tents up and til abat-
It's in fine order, and the grumblers who have the
disease in chronic form predicted that we
would soon leave, and it happened that
did move about that time. We got orders at
night that would march the next morning at
O'Clock. Report said we going to Wash
ington-going TO the front-going to Shenandoah
Valley, and the stables and tents began to come
down as though there gale of wind.
There is great deal of the dog in the manager
principle in soldering. What do not want
we will not allow any one else to have, and the
whole place was Illuminated with the stuff that
could not carry and we slept that night in
the midst of the of the flames, the crash of
falling cook houses and the smell of burning
leather and WOODEN cloth. Some of the people
about Vienna were very much alarmed at our
leaving there, lest Moseby should retalate
them for some of their acts, and their appreben-
sons were well founded. Dr. Lloyd had been
with US on one OF our scouts. He had pointed
out to US Mr.. Beard who had been deputy
Sheriff of Loudon county at the outbreak of the
rebellion, and had turned over some money that
he had collected for the Doctor to the Confeder
ate Government, informing the Doctor that he
thought it the best use he could put it to. We
took two of Mr.. Boards horses, for which he
will be paid when he can show that he has been
guilty of no disloyalty, and not before DR..
Lloyd was delighted-thought his revenge sweet.
On ourvery nextscout through Vienna we learned
that the Doctor had been picked up by Moseby's
men and carried into Dixie. He had gone out
only for one day, his wife said, to work little
patch of corn. The next day | called at house
in Gum Springs, about twenty-five miles nearer
the Blue Ridge. The woman told me party of
rebels, with the Doctor, took dinner there the
day before, and l could not help smiling at his
vindictiveness toward Beard and his unalloyed
we got where rebels were plenty we took as
hostages for the Doctor and Mr.. Waters, who
had been taken with him, one rebel Doctor, one
sturdy old farmer, another wealthy citizen and
two men of less note On this scout passed
through the estate formerly owned by President
Monroe. / do not know when l have been more
surprised than ! was to see such a residence in
such retired place-on fine eminence, among
lofty trees, so spacious and so nobly built. 1t
reminded one of the White House. Only think
of the White House transplanted from Pennsyl-
vania Avenue to the Bull Run mountains on the
edge of Little river instead of the banks of the
Potomac The thing was certainly absurd
But when learned that it was the estate and
residence of President Monroe, it altered the case
Mr.. Rodgers, one of the prisoners we took, was
a neighbor of the Presidents when be lived
there, and gave me much information.
We have little or hope of going to the front
this summer, as nearly all our Corps have gone
already-all that be spared from the defences
of Washington. So doomed to beat the
bush for picket shooters and guerrilla horse
thieves, search houses, upset the traps and hard
ware OF old women for contraband goods. ar
rest descrters and skulking rebel mail carriers,
instead of sharing in the dangers and excitement
OF the grand operations of the war. During the
great lights in the Wilderness and at Spottsylva-
MA we were on the Rappahannock, and heard
the sound of the artillery every day without
knowing anything of the result Should Grant
capture Richmond and Sherman get Atlanta, and
defeat the armies that defend them, as we think
they surely will, the days of the Confederacy
will be few and full of trouhle ~