Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-05-18
CORRESPONDENCE Of the journal.


flying your readers Of the whereabouts
and condition Of the hundred days men
The manner Of our departure is already |
known to them. It was gloomy morn
ing. The rain poured down in torrents
The very skies seemed weeping over our
departure. The farewells of friends and
loved ones, who crowded around the
depot in spite Of the rain and mud, N
tensi6ed the depressing influence OF the
weather, and had our boys been OF So
perstitious turn Of mind they might have
considered the weather ominous Of com
ing trouble and vsxaiion. So it was, IN
part; but of that hereafter
Soldiers, we have observed, are as
tender-hearted as others Tears dim
their eyes as often. But they are apt to
indulge in boistrous demonstrations to
conceal their real feelings Thus the
moving Of our long train from the
Evansville depot was greeted With ire
mendous cheering and waving Of band
kerchiefs; but the wiping Of eyes and
blowing Of noses Immediately afterwards
indicated that cinders we're flying IN
usually thick, or that the bidding good
| bye to friends was more melting than
they cared to acknowledge.
Our trip TO Vincennes vas character
lied by no incident worthy of special
notice. Some Of the boys were disposed
10 be miscellaneous, and did some damage
that was unnecessary and highly improp-
er. This We regretted. It vas done By
) few only, and vas denounced By nine
tenihs Of the members Of lhe different
eompanies
Our train, being heavily loaded, made
! poor time When We arrived at Terre
Hante We we're some two hours behind
time. This, Of course, made Us very
late in reaching the capital, and was the
occasion of no little discomfort.
We were dnmped ont Of the cars on
, the Terre Haute Railroad track, long
distance from the Union Depot, and we're
compelled to march 10 the State House
70 report ourselves. The rain was over,
but the air was unusually cold and the
] mud very deep. At the State House we
found no officials We waited . long
time, sbivering and chatGering, and we're
told at last 70 march 10 Camp Caring
ton. We staFtSd, bit were soon halted
: BY the report that Camp oarFington was
: full, and that no preparation had beea
made for us. A messenger was dis
patched to Gen. Noble and came back
with the information that Camp Car
Fingion was ready for us, and that every
, thing would be found to our hand-blan.
kets, provisions, &c Our line Of march
/. was again resumed, and on we vent,
splashing through the mud and stun.
bling In the dark, arriving at camp about
ii O'clock Everybody was in bed
I headquarters, Quartermaster and ALI
and the camp was quiet and gloomy az
the grave. We fled past the headquar-
ters and reused the camp comuandant,
. Col. Frybarger He directed an orderly
} 10 show rs our quarters. The orderly
r took as another long march through the
rain and mud TO the upper part Of the
camp, aud directed US TO take possession
Of certain barracks, the character and
0 condition Of which we're diseerned, By
Z an unmistakable smell, long before can
!, dies were obtained and light struck. 2
/ They were indeed the Elthieat places In
which our boys we're ever called 10 pass
q night There was no straw Hard
: boards, that had no soft side, offered
the only sleeping facilities. Many Of the
boys had wisely deserted as in the city,
and xere spared the horrors Of that
night. Fortunate they werel Our quar-.
sers appeared TO be located in the centre
Of large pond, apparently presenting
! so far as the darkness would permit Us
I to judge-fine water privileges. This
considering the dizziness Of the bar.
racks, was no serious drawback, not
! outstanding both officers and men had
TO wade through it in making their re-
QUESTIONS upon the Quartermaster, and
2 providing blankets, wood, provisions,
and other things needed to make the
: men comfortable "
We have read With admiration and
State pride OF the glorious reception &C.
! corded soldiers Of the State By the State
! authorities, and the comfortable meals
: provided for them at the Soldiers Home.
We know, however,, os three hundred
soldiers who reached the Capital, wet
aud hnngry. and found neither smiling
officials, hot coffee, or subtantial food
The camp qnartermaster was sleeping
soundly and dreaming sweetly, pre-
sumo, though Of that cannot be certain.
He must have been dreaming pleasant
y ~ l..
at being disturbed. But after getting up
:. he became more pleasant, and tilled our
! acquisitions TO the extent of bis ability
: We got the men in bed-three and four
: in hunk-sometimes all under single
! blanket--about one o'clock, A. If ]
: have no idea how cold that night was al
: Evansville, but | do know that il was
: terribly severe at Camp Darlington
: sleeping on hard boards, covered BY q
= single blanket
This much FOR Tuesday night
= Wednesday we devoted to house clean
ing, The boys with true soldier spirit
: went to work sweeping, scrubbing and
|. sorspings and long before night. had
their quarters passably clean Much
ingenuity was manifested in making the
best OF circumstances, and am con.
WINGED from the tact, energy and me
chanieal skill displayed, the Evansville
boys win never sutFerif there Is any pos.
J.: sible way 20 better their condition.
II On Thursday morning an unfortunate
i circumstance occurred, which cast q
n shadow over the enthusiasm Of ahe boys.
z Henry Gnmberts, son Of Emanuel Gum.
b berts, Of our city, following the example
e Of others who bad repeatedly passed the
sentineis on guard, crossed the guard
> line and failed to heed the challenge
Il The sentinel Immediately discharged his
gun at him, the ball striking him in the
IF leg and inHieting severe wound He
n is now doing well, and his comrades are
u hopeful that he viii not lose his limb by
a ampBtation. fu
d During this day, also, Paymasser
1 / Riaeh Effpd unan the hoxz the fIi,h4 ~