The weekly union record. [volume] (Oroville, Calif.) 1864-1866, 1865-12-16
Letter from COMPANY a.


DEAR RECORD Your letter Of 30th nit.
came 10 hand, yesterday, FIVE days behind time
But who ever heard Of an editor being even
with time? Indeed. regret to say that I am
confident old Time, himself, generally gets the
better OF us all. Heigho. There It goes-the
bugle sounding the retreat. and all good soldiers
are supposed to be preparing for nice little
snooze il the lap Of peaceful sleep By the
way that t7as beautiful expression of him
who first said. God bless the man who lnrsnfsd
sleep. To day is the time appointed by order
Of Gen. Mason, for the commencement Of q
Grand Winter Campaign" against the bands
OF hostile Apaches which infest the rocky cliffs.
lovely wales, cactus covered plains, desert wastes
and every other place (if there be any other
IN this, 10 doubt, once beautiful. but ao,r most
miseTa6iy dilaP'ddted region known as the
Territory Of Arizona. How well prepared
other posts are 10 carry out tie programme, l
am unable to say; but, for the want of supplies
and other obstacles. hardly tbiuk there will
be much bloodshed in this vicinity. The day
has passed of without any warlite demonstra
tons that an aware of, other than those Of
every day occurrence.
I Major Benson, of the Fourth Infautry Cali
fornla Volunteers. commander of the post. is
busy making preparations to return to Caifor.
MIA with the two companies OF bis regiment in
this Territory. to be mustered out OF the service
Were it not against the regulations to speak
approvingly Of military officers. l would say
that l am sorry to see him leave while we
remain here, but that would 30, do, and so YOU
must not know anything about it. Our time
to About, face" and Forward. march," on
the return 10 civil life, is close at hand Let
the order come. We are all ready TO fall H. 81
and care not how soon We make our return trip
c Nov. Goth, eyeniug.-We did not attend
church, to day. for the reason there was none
bat we did the next thing to it-went out on
Dress Parade at sunset, aud, while going
through with that courier rode up from a
ranch three miles below, and informed the
authorities that band Of Apaches had driven
of the ranchman's herd. The uproar begius
The order comes, Lieut.. Dean is TO lead the
party. Six men of Co. A Oh horses, six men
of Co. |, Seventh Infantry, on mules, aud as
many more on foot, are ordered to be ready
Immediately to start in pursuit. They were in
readiness and left the post before day light had
disappeared. Il sac them CD tbeir winding
way and-au2-aud heard the remark made
/ by several different voices that il the Apaches
had got the man who owned The herd tie
country would not have lost a patriot. Bat
stealing, you know, is wrong in the los" Of
any country, and l suppose we were sent d)wn
here 10 teach them Christianity as well as
civilization, and as good examples mixed in
with the dry forage Of bayonet precep's-
recovering the mans stock and Furnishing the
Apaches for stealing it's heaping Goals Of fire
on the head Of one enemy and friag ball cart
ridges down on the head of another, think
the conclusion Of the argument Is that We are
entitled to the credit Of being called Christian
warriors.
Lieut.. Owens is still at Wickenburc, l. +
commanding detachment Of Regulars. The
party which went to the White Mountains
after the Apache chiefs who wish to make
Treaty. have not yet returned We viii
expect them in four days more. We bad
nice snow storm here ten days ago, which
shiiencd the ground, aud the snow is still visi
bic on the north side of the mountains, south
and west, two to four miles distant. The las,
week has been fine clear weather, warm 7in tie
middle Of the day, but cold at night.
We have regular weekly I. 5. Mail from
Los Angeles to Prescott, and the dan OF It's
arrival is Sunday night We are all very
anxious to get letters and papars-some'imes
we get them, sometimes we do not. The
Bounty question is sort Of iudigestible pill,
which think viii operate to the dispensing
with some Of our present. legislators. both State
aud National, unless by Act Of Congress that
portion Of the Attorney Generals option
relating to the Act Of July lS64. Is remedied
SO as to give the soldier his full bounty; for
the bounty is not offered as wages for service.
bat as bonus Jor the act Of enliaing. have
read the Act and studied it carefully several
times within the last three months; and. If the
soldiers who enlisted u1der that Act do not get
their f'H bounty on being bou0ra5ig mustered
out Of the service, no matter 1raen, shall
always think they were defrauded. But |
believe Congress will remedy lie matter.
True, an enlisted mans opinion is Of little
lrslgdt, but uotes tell. and the true Union
element Of the country had better keep friends
than make enemies a them, when all tha, is
necessary to keep them IS 10 deal Justly ard
honestly By them. Whether Ire Will get The
fall bounty, remains TO be seen. ttink our
enlistment papers were expressed il the terms
o. the Act Of July 1854. bat We were mustered
10 FOX three Yeas or during the war. and
Thick tiase are the terms Of the previous Act
To get, OF not to get, the full Bounty-tbat Is
The question. The soldi.rs Lere exhibit good
deal Of sensiti7euess on the question and, after
having been promised Il. VII be much embit
tered if they do not get it.
I see bv the Prr7RD If My 4fl the Q-o