The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-03-30
soLDIERv LETTER.
[coTcspondence Of the Lancaster g, tte.1
CAMP OF 12GTm 0. V. l., '
4TH STREET, BUNK No 3, :
~. u ,Eahrnar,- OnfI, II QeE l
Febrnarv 20th. 1865. !

CcDTuaTy zUth, lcOo. }
WELCOME GAZETTE - Wbilstnight's
dark mantle is again thrown around
us, the noisy hum Of camp has some
what subsided, save the numerous
brass bands that are ever and anon
pouring forth their "sWeet clamor,
l hasten to drop few things from this
much talked Of land Of Dixie, which
may prove of interest to your many
readers and our dear friends at home
street. home After serving the United
States for nearly thirty mon;hs--aftcr
marching and oountermarching over
good portion ofpoor: degr0ded Virginia,
and participating in eighteen different
BATTLES and skirmishcs many Of them
being among the seycrest Of :lc war,
to-day finds us four miles nearly south
of Petersburg, knocking at the very
doors of the Confederate Capital, and
hammering away at the back bone of
the rebellion. Whether wewill obtain
admittance to the former, or succeed
in seyering the latter in two, time
alone will solve. One thing is sure
the prospects are bright, and We feel
assured that So many ofonr dear com
radcs have not given their lives as Il
willing sacrifice in vain. ...""..'
| Ifyou think the term "Sunhy Suntl
is properly applied to this portion Of
the world, | beg leave to differ with
you. The weather at times has been
so extremely cold, that it would need
but slight stretch of ones magma
tion to imagine ones sell 10 the Arctic
regions. Mud and rain are constant
visitors. The former often being of
such q depth that if one chances to
step beyond the Threshold of his little
domicil, he is almost leo to think that
terra frma is beyond reach Its two
great features are. 1st, 1t soon dries
up, like the boastng Butternut when
Il soldier approaches him. I'd, 1t is
very slippery, which accounts for Yir-
ginia sliding out OF the Union. In-
fact | would not be surprised to see
the whole bottom Of the State fall out
after some of these heavy rains. We
have again become pretty comfortably
fixed in our new quarters, they being
the fourth we have built this winter.
If Generals Grant or Meade do not
make it q military Necessity for US to
leave them inside of ton days, General
Commissary (whisky) will l am
sorry to say that ne is, and has been,
one of our most common General Is
Green backs are pretty nearly played
out, and the cold weather has been
rather severe on the greyJGcks, Occa-
sionally we find one when near the
enemys line, with V. V. G.. on its
back, which the boys say signifies
Virginia Veteran Gophers." TIE
scarcity Of the first makes it rather
dull for the suffers, but of course, they
are constantly on hand selling at The
lowest prices The following will per-
haps give you some idea Of what a sol
dier has TO pay for his extras To-
bacco 81 80 per ID butter SIS cts per
! lb potatoes 10 cts per lb; apples 8
: cents a piece, that would be much
easier passed through the eye Of a
needle, than for one Of the above
, named class TO enter the kingdom OF
, Heaven. ....,
The enemy are in our immediate
front, only a few hundred yards dis.
| tant, with their formidable lines OF
works looming up before US, his al
, most imprcgnablo forts, with the
mouths OF his ponderous u ID Parrots
r frowning upon us, and bidding defiance
as it were, 10 us live "Nanksn TO scale
, them if we dare but having had 4
taste of their manner of issuing hard.
tack, are not ANXIOUS to make n rcqui
sition upon them When the hero ot
Vicksburg gives the command, wcarC
. willing 10 do our best Our pickcts
are within speaking distance OF those
Of the enemy and apparently arc on
the best of terms, 1t is nothing strange
q for us to meet half way between the
s vcdette line, have social tet6 a.tete
4 exchange coffee, tobacco, soap, papers
;. cut a tree down for wood, each party
i taking half, &c.
Corporal Snyder asked a,Johnny the
0 other day, what he thought of the
/. Peace Commissioners. In reply, he
said he thought it all id nonsense
I. and thought # Old JEFF, Abe, and all
the rest of the leading officials were
t hung to the nearest tree, we uns'
Q could soon make peace. Quite Il sug
\ gestion, was II not?
Dcserters continue to como into oul
q lines daily. | think would be safe il
i saying that fifty have come to thu
d pickets of our regiment within the las
two weeks; other regiments about thu
{. same number. ".
;. Our fuel consists chiefly Of greer
f pine woed, and for the cdification o
r those who have never experienced i'll
good qualities, l will just say that i
@ makes a splendid fire. Not intending
(. to hurt the feelings of the old ladies