Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-01-08

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In the chatty letter of Corporal John H.
Gillespy, of Co. B, 1st w. Va. VOL nifty,
which is appended, the statement is made
that nearly all the enlisted men are enx-
ious to be mustered out. This feeling has
been manifested much more strongly since
the men left Knoxville, Tenn. In the
camp the general opinion prevails that
the First Regiment will be mustered out
of service within a month. Corporal Gill
lespy writes:
COLUMBUS, Ga, Jan. f. 1859.
To the Editor of the Register
Strive expect to be in our own State
in less than a month from to-day.
Senator S. B. Elkins has written that
our regiment win soon be mustered out
of the service, but he could not tell the
exact date when it would be done. 1t is
estimated that since last September more
than 500 letters have been written to Sena-
tor Elkins to have this regiment mustered
out of the service. The greater number of
these were to secure personal discharges
for the men, but some were for the whole
regiment. Most of these letters have been
written during the last thirty days. Only
the other day [ was at the tent of the
regimental postmaster and he was pre-
pairing the outgoing mail, about one-third
of which was addressed to Senator S. B.
Elkins, at Washington.
At least ninety-five per cent. of the men
want to be mustered out of the service.
All statements TO the contrary are mis-
takes. Some few of the officers want to
be mustered out, but the greater part of
them want to stay in the service. They
are not anxious to lose their lucrative po-
sitions under the government.
New Years Day was a quiet day in
camp. II rained all the day before and
the mud was bad Monday was observed
as the holiday in the camp. Our regi-
mental foot ball team played the team
of the Third Kentucky regiment. We
won, as we have always done. The score
was q TO 0. We have been playing since
September and have never been beaten.
General Wiley is quoted as saying: 1.-THE
West Virginia regiment is ahead in every
thing else. 1 expect they will beat in this
foot ball game. too General Wiley has
just returned from leave of absence to
his home in Pennsylvania.
Col. B. D. Spillman has just returned to
the regiment after being away a couple of
days. He was at the headquarters of the
First Army Corps. Sergeant-Maj or
Strouthers left yesterday afternoon to
report to General Wilson, who is prepar-
ing to embark from Savannah, Ga. He,
Gen. Wilson, will establish our corps head
quarters at Matanzas Cuba.
The other two regiments are expecting
to leave here at any time. The Third
Kentucky will embark at Savannah and
the 160th Indiana at Charleston, S. c.
When General Wilson establishes his
headquarters in Cuba this will be the sec
ond time that we have had our headquar-
ters in Cuba or Porto Rico. First was
when General Brooke left Chckamauga
Park. Ga, and went with another expe-
dition. Mr.. VIM. T. Crawford of Wheel
ing, went that time as a mounted orderly
for the general.
We have deserted village to guard
here. We have about nine men here all
the time. 1t is situated near an abandon
ed cotton mill that is four stories high
and which is full of machinery The VII
lage is composed of about thirty-five one
story houses. Only one man lives here
now, except a few colored. families. Near
here is some of the prettiest scenery on
the Chattahoochee river.
The general good health of the boys is
about the same. Our band is playing ex-
cellent music here now. We now have an
excellent band. 1t is said to be one of the
finest in the volunteer service. 1t must
be- in order to keep up with our regiment
VIII close expecting to be n West Virginia
Win close expecting to be in West Vir-
ginia before February list. 1899
JOHN II. GILLESPY.