The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-07-19
FROM THE ARMY.
CAMP NEAR WASHINGTON, d. c
June 5. 1865.

YOU again before this, but circumstances,
hard marches, and the hot weather have
all combined TO hinder me. | believe l.
wrote you from BuFksviIle, Va, last. W e
camped there some three weeks and then
early in May took up our line of march
for the land of loyal men and civiIIzalon.
I need say nothing of it until we arrived
at Richmond, except that the route We
took showed fewer signs of the des.Iuc-
tion by the war than almost any other l
have seen, the whole country, (and it is
a beautiful one), being in crops or under
preparation for them; wheat and corn
matchmaking. The breadth Of wheat
sown is very great and looked fine; and
respect was shown for it by not iajuring
it or the fences whcn protected it. Many
of the people had came out from their
holes, and quite an air Of life was dis
played, yet but little courtesy was shown
by any of them at any time. We occa-
sionally crossed our line Of march and
Lees retreat to Clover Hill, and here all
the horrors of war appeared. Amelia
G. II. is beautiful, and really handsome
hamlet, comprising a marble Court House,
aud a few very fine residences Oh slightly
rolling ground but the best and gladdest
sight of all was the rema ns Of 200 pieces
Of Lees artillery with some 200 tons of
ammunition lying scattered and in heaps
around-powder shot and shell-which
we forced him to abandon and burn on
the 9th of April.
Noon of May 5th brought US in sight
of Richmond, camping over night at
Manchester, across the James. We were
to make triumphal march through the
Rebel Capital, at Company front, the next
day, but | believe tho triumph was with
the few score Of frowning Rebels who
witnessed it, with the few hundred dark.
les, their noighbors. If our commanding
officers only could consider and feel for
the mon Hhe day vas close and hot,
and too much bad whisky leading US.
We were marched through the famous
town Of Richmond, on the ha,d pave
ments, heavy marching Zig, at a double
qutck, with the loss of % men dying in
the streets from exhaustion, and God only
knows how many since from injury then
and shcro contracted. But this [ 10
know, that it was common sight to see,
between Richmond and Fredericksburg,
men lying dead by the road side, who
received their death wound there in
Richmond, and numbers have died since
we came into camp, their death being
mainly attributable to that and subso-
quent hard marching E. a. Whitney
of Homer, fell in Richmond, but hear
he is now in Alexandria getting well.
George Rossiter Of Homer, George Ellis
of Harrison, and Willard Whipplo Of
Ulysses have died, and Quick Whipple
Of Ulysses, James NJ. Briggs and George
Carpenter Of Bingham, are sick il Hos
pital-WhippIe very low. They date
their ailment from Richmond. These
men were from our county; other mon
are like them. The march back from
BurksVille was worse than the march to
it. For few miles this side Of Rich
mond the country has been almost wholly
untouched and is as fine as may be seen.
AS you rccede from it marks Of fighting
become visible, with occasional breast
works and redoubts, increasing fast as
you approach Fredericksburg, but once
getting there the scene bcggars descrip-
tion. The city itself is almost uninhab-
liable, catholics by the dozen, without re-
gard to erder or place, being knocked into
the houses, and not unfrcquontly they are
quite torn down. The bridges are all
burned. 1t must be pleasant for the
citizens to think that they have got to
sweat to rebuild the works Hoy have
burned and torn down, or 90 without
them, aud lose their cause too. This side
of Fredericksburg to Washington is now
one vast common, often thick and rich in
meadow grass entirely uncroppcd save by
the pack mule of "Bummcr," or "Cofee
Cooler" Not a tree to be seen, and
where forests were, shl abs Of one, two
and three years growth Buildings are
nearl y as scarce; now and taen one re-
mains, sacred as some Generals Head
quarters. Here is Manassas Junction, a
vast plain, beds Of two or three Railroads
but no rails; ChanoeIlcryille and Bull
Run on our left, | had the honor of wet
ting my hard tack fording Bull Run one
day; CentervilIe, where we bivouaced
one night, with its strong works, but not
of the kind Of Grants at Petersburg
the Wilderness far on our right, the spot
where kearncy was killed; alI these and
score more were fought by the Veterans
of the I'd Corps as eve went marching
on"
At Fredericksburg our Regiment and
two others were detached from the march.
ing column and sent with the train. This
afforded US some relief, particularly as
We marched mostly at will. Stopping IS
safe guard until the train had passed, at