Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-01-28
Army. CORRESPONDENCE.

Of soldier life. The service we render
to cur country in this manner is un
doubtedly as valuable as it would be
we're we engaged in more active cam
paign, but it is not generally SO consid
cred, and, knowing this, the regiment i
anxious for an portunity to distinguish
themselves on the abloody field Of bat
tie" and thus remove the supposed stig-
ma. Probably we all do not participate
in these sanguinary desires, as some Of
the boys appear perfectly contented with
our present condition and have .estab-
lished themselves in business We have
shoemakcrs, tailors, blacksmiths, gun
smiths, jewellers, etc., all plying their
respective avocations !; with any amount
of small bakeries, where pies are manu-
featured for sale to the furloughed Yet
Grams, great numbers Of whom pass
through here daily on their way home.
Our camp being situated near to the
depot, the whistle Of an approaching
train is the signal for the peddling bat
tallion to "fall out" armed with pies,
cakes, apples, cigars, etc., when they
make charge on the double-quick for
the train, utterly regardless of tactics,
heller SHELTER, pell nell down the hill,
and over the creek through mud and
water right into the enemy's intrench-
ments, when they capture all the postal
currency aboard and then permit the
train to depart in peace. 1t occasions
considerable merriment and the boys
realize quite little money by the ope-
ration, which comes very opportune just
at present as the finances are at low
ebb, that dear friend Of ours, the Pay
master, not having been here for some
time. .r ill.,.
Col. West is away at present on leave
Of absence for twenty days.
Capt. Burdick is detailed on Court
Martial up town, leaving 1t. Jeardoe
inrcommand Of the company. LIT. VII
hanson has charge of a railroad patrol.
Since my last letter death has again
entered our company, and taken two
more from us, John Ryall and Morgan
Enoch. The latter died last week.
Our Chaplain, Gather" Bronson has
been absent from the regiment since
last july consequently we have had no
regular religious services since; but
lately some Of the pious soldiers, imbuea
with a goodspirit, have built a log chapel
where we are to have religious instruc-
ton every Sabbath hereafter lgaa
The health of the company is good
at present The majority Of our boys
who we're: absent on furlongh have re-
turned, improved in health and spirits.
= BY specialoorder from headquarters,
Of this department one man from each
company has been sent home on re-
.cruiting service. Sergeant Evans is de-
tailed from our Company. He is an cf-
Ecient officer, and if he don't bring
back some recruits it will be because
there are no men fit to be soldiers.
Co. "F," has been detailed to do Pro-
vost duty in the town. Quite a number
of deserters from the 31st have been
caught lately, and are in prison here,
among them one from Co. &C."
We have lately been brigaded with
tie 10th Ohio, 10th Mo-, and 4th
Tenn, under command of Brig. Gen.
Van Cleve, and designated as the 2nd
Brigade Division assigned to no Di-
vision YETI Genl Roussou's Reserve
Corps.
The weather here is quite mild, the
winter appears to be sort of compound
of our northern April and October, with
a slice of December thrown in merely
to remind us that it really is winter
We were favored with one of said
slices from New Year eve until about
the tenth inst.
The farmers in this vicinity complain
that the boys Of to 3lst are ardent adj
mirers of the Confscation Act, and they
consider themselves extremely fortunate
if they escape through the lines with
out losing pig, chicken, a few pounds
of butter, or something else that sol
diers have 'hankering after.
In this rather questionable manner
some of the boys managed to get up a
faint imitation of a New Years dinner,
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