Year: 1861

so gay, as the uniform of any other State,
and now we feel like soldiers. If you
folks at home could have met US the other
night, when we were marching down the
Eastern Branch Of the Potomac to guard
a bridge, you would have thought we were
a fine looking set Of men, and could do
some fighting Our uniform consists of
one pair of sewed shoes; one pair OF wool
en- stockings; one pair Of pants, OF fine
gray; one over-shrt Of gray; one deep
blue blouse Of fue flannel; one overcoat
of the same material as the pants, with a
large cape attached to 1.-THE coat reaches
to within a few inches of the feet; and
one very fine blue cloth cap with the let
ter G. on the front, to denote our com
pany, (the cap also has fine oil-cloth on
it, in case of wet weather y one canteen
to carry water when on march, OF heavy
tin, covered with fine gray cloth, oval
shaped, with a strap run around the edge
to carry it, it holds about two quarts; one
haversack of pretty much the same mate
rial as BUGGY cloth one knapsack OF the
same kind Of stuff, and made to carry our
clothes in one part and the blanket in the
other, SO that when we are on a march we
can double them together, and there are
straps on them to buckle them on our
backs neatly and carry them conveniently
We have also got new blankets Of gray
wool, Weighing about SIX pounds, and are
larger than the old blue ones.


F y company Of Scouts goes GU. Of our
regiment every day, staying out2i hours
a, time. We take this duty by turns i;
our turn comes about once week. The
Object of this Is, think, TO catch NJ all
spies Of the rebels, and seize any contra
band goods they are sending south. We
stop all wagons, and examine their loads !;
stop all persons we think look suspicious; !;
ask them all kind Of questions, and if they
can not give Us the ,!ght kind of answers,
we arrest them at once. We have arrested
several in our parties We also guard
bridge on the Potomac to keep the rebels
from burning it down. We station men
across it, abou, three-fourths Of mile in
length, and stop any thing that looks suspi-
cious. We often get hold of farmers GO
ing to Washington market, about day light.
We get in their wagons, and often fad
Strawberries and other good things, Of
which We always have a share, and pass
them on. like this scouting business
frs, rate, except the marching; it makes
one pretty tired to run eight or ten miles
with about 40 or 80 pounds Of baggage
on his back.


+ Our camp is very healthy, though there
are always some in the Hospital; but not
one of our company is sick at the present
time. All are fit for duty. Sergeant No.
ser, Hutchinson, IIeitzman and Moody are
not here, as they are with certain num-
ber, sen, from each company, to work the
Ferry at Georgetown. They will be there
until We get orders to march, and like it
much.


/ send you a small piece Of the flag staff
and a small piece of the first rung of the
stairs that that was cut off the staff and
stairs at Alexandria just after the death
Of the gallan, Col. Ellsworth, about two
weeks ago. want you to take good care
of it a, | value it highly as memento Of
the death Of this brave soldier.


! We get plenty to eat-good fresh bread
every morning at CT o clock coffee three
times day, it We are not too lazy to cook
it, being already Drowned and ground; we
also have good fresh beef every morning,
at 10 o'clock and get candles, cigars,
salt, vinegar; beans every three days,
rice every three days; and, upon the
whole, | think We are pretty well ted and
we have no reason to complain since We
got to Washington.


Iwaut my little boys and girl to obey
their mothers instructions. Tell father
and mother not to trouble about me, as |
expect to see them again, and am in excel
lent health. My respects to all. Give
me tidiugs of the Foundrles. 1t you only
knew how glad it makes person feel to
read something from home T! J.G.