Year: 1861




letter lated as above, indicating that we are
having a time here in the ancient city of An
napolis, and we are; as you Will all see wheh
| explain that we are dancing to the music OF
law and order, by acting as provost guard ior
the city, night and day. Last Friday morn
ing, ninety privates, with fourteen comInls'
stoned and non.commi, stoned officers, were
detailed from our regiment for the above gnty'
and at short notice, with knapsacks upon our
back, we were in double quick, at our post OF
duty and we have made our headquarters at
an old hall built in 1876, and now belonging
to the city, and used for legislative balls every
season. 1t is one of the oldest buildings IN
this country, and the main hall is hung with
old oil paintings OF prominent men, the most
conspicuous being full length portrait OF
Lord Baltimore, with ermine dress and knee
buckles. In one Of the ante rooms, (Which
has of late been fitted up and used as an arm
ory for Gov Hicks body guard,) are our ofli'
GERS. We are divided into squads OF ten each
and three squads are out Mt time patrol
ing the city for four hours Then others
take their plans and our duty is to arrest all
soldiers without passes, or those who nave
overstaid, and all tho drunken ones-in short
to keep order throughout the city.


When we fist came-the very first night
we were treated to hot coffee and biscuit by
Quaker lady, from Baltimore, which we all
relshed very much. The citizens generally
are yery kind to US, and show their good feel
ing in many ways, by handing us papers, ask
lug us to come in and warm, and throwing
gloves from their windows as we pass. Had
time, l would like to give you llttle account
OF our experience here for the past week. The
old state house has been newly painted, car
| peted, &c, and is now occupied by newly
elected legislature. The governor delivered
his message to day, and was strongly in favor
of sustaining the government.


Here in the city the oldest inhabitant, when
we inquire of them, "What street is this g.
can give us no name. There is not name
up, that we have seen, in the place, designat
ing street. Some of our officers have been
to the clerk of the city, to get the names of
some OF the streets, and are having signs paint
ed TO put up, that some evidence OF civilization
may be seen here before the city is two hun.
dred years old, and that stranger may see
there is more than one street in this an
cient town. The colored population are
all very smiling and polite, and seem to think
that part of this military display is for their
benefit. We are highly amused with the
remarks of some of them. One old man, when
| fret fona
welcomed us with jolly good morning, and
said that lie was an old man sixty five ears
old, that he had lived here seventy years, and
was sixteen years OF age when he came here,
being quite crooked in tile matter OF time.


could write you pages of incidents, bnt,
with few words in regard to our regiment
and lis future position, must close. Last
Thursday General Foster inspected and re-
viewed the twenty fifth, and has done the
same with all the regiments here. He is 10 be
the first general under Burnside, and is of
Fort Sumter fame, being one of the captains
there under Anderson. He is regular army
officer, which he showed when inspecting u.s.
In examining ouI guns he wound Il fine white
handkerchief around his glove, then inserted
the ramrod in the gun, scraped it up and down
against the side, then rubbed it, and if it
soiled the handkerchief in the least he would
pronounce the gun dirty. After this close
inspection of all the soldiers here, he has
selected our regiment as his .tirSt which gives
us the right OF his brigade and the right of
Gen. Burnsde's division, the POST oE HONOR
l...I -. 4
to our regiment at dress parade last night, and
can be relied upon.


The first brigade will have also the Massa-
chusetts twenty-seventh, twenty third, and the
Connecticut tenth, and, for the fifth, to cob
pete the first brigade, it is runlored that we
shall have the Massachusetts, twenty fourth,
now in Boston. You may imagine that we
are all feeling well over this and any of us
feel it honor enough to be private in reg
ment which takes its place at the head of an
army of fifteen thousand, Differed by men ca
pable of leading US to victory. Thus much
for our position.


Now, with few words in regard to the
weather and our time OF leaving. will close
For the last two or three days it has been
freezing cold, day and night, and so cold that
pint cups partly filled with water have frozen
solid in the tents and | can assure you that
we are anxious for warmer times 1t is now
thought that we shall leave here about the
10th, till which time our friends will continue
to send letters and papers to tie Massachusetts
twenty fifth, at Annapolis. TIE.


fnhraa


t. w. Wellington, o. X. Earle, and Mr.
Knowlton spent Sunday with us, and it would
be hard to say which were most wecome-the
gentlemen from our loved city, who bring our
homes SO near to us, or the three trunks full
of letters and packages which they brought
with them from our friends. They can tell
you, when they return, better than l can
write, how all-were received. Our band dis
courses the best music here, and is the crack
band and all we want, as regiment, to make
us contented and happy is to be paid off, that
we may patronize our popular sutler with
something more like the "needu" than cers.
tiiicates on the paymaster, whom we have so
long been expecting, and whom some of our
friends at home will be glad to hear from 1t
is rumored that he will be here this week.
Then we will have jubilee.


Letter from Surgeon Cutter OF the Twen-
ty-first Regiment.


PosT NAVAL ACADEMY.
An y