Year: 1862

Feb 2ad, 1862


This is the memorable 22nd, in the
evening, and / am seated in the Cap
tain's tent, once his, by virtue of
kind of draw game and pre-emption
right, but now in possession of a Sc
lect few who have occupied it since
his evacuation, which took place, of
course, on the arrival Of his estimable
lady-as l pen "these few lines" for
"home consumption" In Michigan
we celebrated the celebrated il
becanse it was the birth day of WASH
INGToN-that great and good mans
natal day, which his countrymen love
to commemorate so well, and why
should we not celebrate it here We
accordingly dbl celebrate it, though
not after the fashion we were wont to
of yore in Hoosierdom, but rather in
a military style. Our regiment, there
fore, together with several others, paid
their respects to General Banks, In
Frederick City, in force, which is
some two miles distant from our camp.
We believe there were some six or
seven thousand troops out, and alto
gether it was a very fine military dis
play. The Stars and Stripes were
unIurled from almost every window
the entire length to Market street,
which is the main business part of
the City. and many very beautiful
portraits and fine steel engrayings of
Washington, tastefully wreathed with
artificial flowers, were hung from the
walls Of the buildings along the street.
After rmarching through the main streets
Of the City we returned to our camp
all right, and well satisfied with what
we saw of General Banks and staff !;
and hope that We have left an impres-
sion equally as good as that we re-
ceived. @ -


] have no news Of moment to herald
from the Upper Potomac. There is
some talk, however, of a movement of
General Banks Division which, if the
roads were in any kind Of condition
for An event, should be inclined to
place some reliance upon but, under
the pressure of mud the devil might
take the hindmost should such a pro
gramme be promulgated. This Mary
land mud is the worst of all mud /
ever saw. There is just as much diff
ference between this Southern mud
and that of Michigan as there is diff:
ference between the bite of horse fly
and the kick Of jack-ass. Now, read
er, if your discriminating powers of
mind are sufficiently fertile to admit of
a fair deduction of the effects of a
kick and a bite of the animals above
mentioned, you can draw something of
an inference as to the difference be-
tween the mud Of this State and that
of your own, and judge whether i,
would be expedient to start an army
of twenty or thirty thousand men on
the march, through the mud, or "hold
fast" spell.





Lieutenant Heazlit is acting Regi-
mental Adjutant now. Everybody
likes him, as a matter Of course, and
he discharges the duties of that posi-
ton in "apple pie" order. Orderly
Clemmer is acting Lieutenant in our
company in his absence. Otherwise
than this our company has suffered no
material change since my last letter.


We have been filled with rejoicing
of late over the victories achieved by
our brothers in arms in the South and
West. We also fear that the result
may be that We shall never have the
opportunity Of meeting a" live secesh"
in battle array, and thus the object of
our enlistment be unrealized. The
chances are not all gone yet, however,
and we still hope to get "hand in"
ere the game is up.


The secessionists i'm this vicinity, Of
whom shere are quite large number,
are having hard time Of it. Their
wives are turning them out of doors
and beating them over the head Sc
verely with broomsticks and other for
mdable weapons, declaring at the
same time they are not their husbands,
but impostures and base miscrcants.
The fact is, the effect Of the sad re-
verses recently sustained by their "bo-
gus Contederaey," has been such as to
change their whole being T.cir
faces have become so elongated and
eyes SO distorted with fear and ankle
Ity, with action snited thereto, that
their ..ives have totally failed to re-
cognize them that is 6 fact! Woe
unto yc poor secesh." Thus far
shalt thou go, and no farther" - !.


We harr los. op~ r,enbar of orr